"Education and justice are democracy’s twins. Starve one, and the other will die."

— Nannie Helen Burroughs

Current Key Issues

Book Bans and Curriculum Censorship

Over the past two weeks, multiple states have intensified efforts to ban books and restrict school curricula that address race, gender, and systemic inequality. Florida, Texas, and Missouri have seen new legislation or enforcement actions aimed at removing works by Black authors and scholars from public school libraries. The coordinated actions appear tied to broader anti-DEI and anti-“woke” education agendas. Civil rights organizations are mounting legal challenges to defend educational freedom and intellectual inclusion. source: nytimes.com +1, washingtonpost.com +1, PEN America +1

Attack on Voting Rights Protections

The Supreme Court declined to intervene in a Texas case involving strict voter ID laws, allowing policies to stand that critics argue disproportionately suppress African American and Latino voters. Simultaneously, several GOP-led legislatures are advancing new voting restrictions, including limits on mail-in ballots and drop boxes. These developments echo historic patterns of voter suppression and are being monitored closely by the NAACP and the Brennan Center for Justice. source: axios.com +1, naacpldf.org +1

Black Maternal Health Disparities Highlighted

New data from the CDC underscores the stark racial disparities in maternal mortality, with Black women still nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. April’s Black Maternal Health Week elevated national conversations, prompting renewed calls for targeted investments in culturally competent healthcare, expanded Medicaid access, and community-based doula programs. source: cdc.gov +1, blackmamasmatter.org +1, npr.org +1

AI Bias in Policing and Surveillance

A new report from the Center for Democracy & Technology revealed that facial recognition systems used by police departments in several major cities—including Detroit and Miami—continue to misidentify African Americans at disproportionately high rates. Civil rights advocates warn that such AI tools replicate and automate racial profiling, calling for immediate moratoriums and independent audits. source: theverge.com +1, brookings.edu +1

Corporate DEI Rollbacks and Resistance

Following pressure from conservative legal groups and state attorneys general, several major corporations—including Google and McDonald’s—have announced the restructuring or downsizing of their DEI departments. However, internal employee coalitions are resisting these rollbacks, forming affinity groups and leveraging shareholder actions to push back. Black business advocacy organizations are urging continued investment in equity initiatives despite political backlash. source: forbes.com +1, blackenterprise.com +1

Reflect and Engage

What Happens Next Depends on Us
Connecting the Dots Between Policy, Power, and Our Future

Each of the. Still, headlines from the past two weeks tell their own story. Still, together they form a single, urgent message: the scaffolding of civil rights protections, educational equity, and Black dignity is under coordinated attack. These are not isolated issues—they are interlocking systems of control designed to shrink our presence, stifle our voices, and erase our contributions.

Book bans are not just about libraries—they are about narrative control. Voting restrictions are not just technicalities—they are about silencing communities. Maternal health disparities are not medical coincidences—they are about the value placed on Black life. AI bias in policing is not a glitch—it’s a digital continuation of Jim Crow surveillance. And DEI rollbacks are not just budget cuts—they’re warnings to those who dare to speak up at work.

Critical Questions to Consider

  • Who decides what our children can read—and what are they afraid they’ll learn?

  • What happens when access to the ballot is restructured to favor only some voices?

  • Why are Black women still at greater risk in the delivery room than in the courtroom?

  • What are the consequences of letting machines “learn” from biased data without community oversight?

  • How do we respond when corporations back away from equity commitments the moment they’re challenged?

These are not rhetorical questions. They are calls to clarity—and to action.

Your Strategic Action Plan (Next Three Weeks)

  1. Form or Join a Local Coalition

    • Identify one issue (education, voting, health, tech justice, or workplace equity) and organize or join a virtual working group to coordinate strategy. Reach out to local chapters of the NAACP, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, or Color of Change.

  2. Audit Your Sphere of Influence

    • What’s happening in your school board meetings? City council decisions? Workplace policies? Conduct a personal “power scan” of where you can intervene—through letters, testimony, organizing, or public commentary.

  3. Create a 21-Day Campaign Plan

    • Select one policy threat from the list above. Design a plan that includes:
      • Week 1: Research and resource gathering
      • Week 2: Engagement (calls, meetings, letters, digital outreach)
      • Week 3: Action (press op-ed, public meeting, teach-in, donation, or protest)

Every generation is called to defend the gains of those who came before. This moment is ours. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Start with what you have. Organize your time, your talents, and your people.

Because if we don’t plan for justice, injustice will plan for us.