Race Inquiry Digest (May 3) – The Week’s Top Stories

The Weekend Edition of Race Inquiry Digest features the top stories from the two previous Digests published during the week.  Click here for earlier Digests.

Editor’s Note: President Trump recently gave the commencement address at the University of Alabama (UA) and was introduced by former Alabama football coach, Nick Saban. He told the graduates that UA should “forge America’s future over the more liberal and elite Harvard University.” Why did he choose UA?  In terms of race relations, UA presents the future that MAGA envisions. Diversity is reduced to providing entertainment and hypocritically used to advance the interest of the dominant white population. Consider: The UA football team is more than 60 % Black, although the student body is only 11.2% Black. The UA women’s basketball team is 79% Black, and the male basketball team is 69% Black. The revenue from football and basketball subsidizes 19 other sports, where the participation of Blacks is minimal or non-existent.  UA has also eliminated all DEI programs.

Political / Social

Trump Recasts Mission of Justice Dept.’s Civil Rights Office, Prompting ‘Exodus.’  By Devlin Barrett / NYT     Read more 

The Real Meaning of Trump’s Smithsonian Executive Order. By Clint Smith / The Atlantic    Read more 

Does the Civil Rights Act protect or, as Trump says, promote favoritism? By  Deborah Barfield Berry / USA Today   Read more 

However Scared You Are, You Are Not Scared Enough. By S.V. Date / HuffPost  Read more 

World News

Africa was vital to Francis’s papacy — and will shape the church’s future. By Rachel Chason Rael OmbuorAbiodun Jamiu and Andrei Popoviciu / Wash Post   Read more 

Gaza Death Toll Since Israel Shattered Ceasefire in March Reaches 2,000, Entire Families Wiped Out. Amy Goodman / Democracy Now   Read more

China says it won’t ‘kneel’ to U.S., urges countries to resist bullying. By Katrina Northrop and Lyric Li / Wash Post    Read more 

Ethics / Morality / Religion

Black church leader says Target boycott won’t ease until DEI programs return. By Adelle M. Banks / RNS   Read more 

Trump Gets Called Out in Front of Millions at Pope’s Funeral. By Tom Sykes /  The Daily Beast   Read more 

Rev. William Barber arrested in Capitol Rotunda after praying against Republican-led budget. By Jack Jenkins / RNS  Read more 

Historical / Cultural

I wrote the book on Hitler’s first 100 days. Here’s how Trump’s compare. By Peter Fritzche / Forward  Read more 

Trump’s attack on diversity takes center stage as Boston remembers 1965 Freedom Rally led by MLK. By Michael Casey / ABC News   Read more 

Duke Ellington And The Harlem Renaissance. By Shannon Dawson / Newsone  Read more 

Sports

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts Has No Words for White House Visit After Eagles Accepted Donald Trump’s Invitation. By Amit Kumar Jha / Essentially Sports    Read more 

NFL is Shedeur Sanders’ first major hill to climb. By William C. Rhoden / Andscape   Read more 

Shannon Sharpe is Just Not That Smart. By Lawrence Ware / The Root  Read more 

Site Information


Articles appearing in the Digest are archived on our  home page.  A collection of “Books/Podcast and Video Favorites ” is also found on our home page. And at the top of this page register your email to receive notification of new editions of Race Inquiry Digest. 

Click here for earlier Digests. The site is searchable by name or topic.  See “search” at the top of this page. 

About Race Inquiry and Race Inquiry Digest. The Digest is published on Mondays and Thursdays. The Week’s “Top Stories”  are published on Saturday.

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