Civics 4/23

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

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(Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)As campus protests roil, President Biden confirmed as Morehouse College’s 2024 commencement speaker: In just four weeks, President Biden will deliver the 2024 commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically Black men's liberal arts (HBCU) college in Atlanta, Georgia, according to an announcement made by Watch The Yard earlier today. This is the third time the White House has visited the HBCU in the last two years. "We eagerly anticipate welcoming President Biden back to The House next month. His presence serves as a reminder of our institution’s enduring legacy and impact, as well as our continued commitment to excellence, progress, and positive change,“ said David Thomas, the college's president. The news of President Biden’s upcoming appearance at the HBCU comes after a series of canceled commencement speeches at the University of Southern California and arrests of students at New York’s Columbia University in response to pro-Palestine rallies.

Meanwhile, The White House has said it “condemns antisemitic protests.”

Court hears case against law banning Chinese home ownership: In Florida, four Chinese immigrants are suing the state's Department of Agriculture over a law they say discriminates against them based on their national origin. The plaintiffs, with legal representation from the ACLU Florida and several other law firms, are challenging Senate Bill 264, a law that bans many immigrants from China and other foreign countries from purchasing homes in vast portions of the state. According to Courthouse News Service, the law was enacted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last May to restrict land purchases by immigrants from "foreign countries of concern." AsAmNews has more here. 

Immigrant construction workers secure victory in years-long battle for improved workplace safety: In 2022, a dozen construction workers died on the job in New York City—a 20% increase from the year before, with Latinx workers making up a disproportionate number of fatalities. On this backdrop, Documented highlights the work of Indigenous Guatemalan construction workers in Brooklyn who have succeeded in making their workplace safer for all workers. After a very long two years, where the group alleged that their employer had spied on them and fired a few employees in retaliation for organizing, the group’s employer has finally increased workers’ wages, recognized their right to form a workplace safety committee and has committed to providing proper safety equipment. Read more here. 

How recent SCOTUS decisions jeopardize Black and Brown communities in the US: Luz Media curates the top 5 most controversial Supreme Court rulings in recent years and the impact the Court’s decisions are having on marginalized communities. SCOTUS's 2022 Dobbs decision stripped Americans of their constitutional right to abortion, which intensified a longstanding divide in the nation between people who support the right to life and those who support a woman's right to choose. Another contentious ruling is last year's ban on affirmative action at federally-funded American universities, as well as SCOTUS overturning the Biden administration’s student debt relief program under the HEROES Act. Read more about these rulings and how to stay informed during this critical election year. 

Plus: Advocates contemplate solutions amid abortion crisis for people of color (Black Voice News)

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