Celebrating NATIONAL FINANCIAL
LITERACY MONTH
Volume 133 No. 37
$2.00
THE BLACK MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM
APRIL 12, 2025 - APRIL 18, 2025
Harriet Tubman Credit: Smithsonian, National Museum of African American History and Culture
A sweeping campaign to erase Black history and dismantle equity and inclusion efforts has been undertaken by White House officials. Critics argue the coordinated rollback of equal opportunity policies and historical narratives is an attempt to sanitize America’s past, suppress minority contributions and reinforce White supremacist ideologies under the guise of “restoring truth.” Shown here, Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman (left); Authors Maya Angelou (center, top) and Isaac J. Bailey; and Kevin Young (right), former director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, all of whom have been impacted by the recent anti-diversity executive orders.
Attacks to erase diversity, promote revisionist American history By Zenitha Prince AFRO Contributing Editor
afro.com
History, it’s said, is written by the victors. And since Donald Trump won the 2024 general election, he’s been on a campaign to rewrite America’s past by erasing Black history. The latest targets: a National Parks Service webpage detailing information about the life and legacy of
Harriet Tubman, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the library of the U.S. Naval Academy. The truth about slavery – how America was built upon the backs of the Black enslaved; the unique and outstanding contributions of African Americans to various aspects of American life; the ongoing struggle for equity, inclusion, civil rights and justice–all have been subject to an
Oval Office-led effort to Whitewash history and pander to the delusion of White victimhood. Trump has pursued this goal by ordering the dismantling or removal of all equity, diversity and inclusion policies and practices. His executive order against inclusion and diversity has resulted in a striking of literature from federal agencies and pressure on private sector entities to do the same by threatening to cut federal funding
and contracts. The National Parks Service, in a recent attempt to comply with Trump’s directive, edited a webpage on Underground Railroad hero Harriet Tubman in a way that appeared to downplay Tubman’s role and sanitize the harsh realities of American slavery. For example, according to The AP, the original opening sentence referenced the railroad’s core role in “the resistance to enslavement through
escape and flight.” However, an edited version called the railroad “one of the most significant expressions of the American Civil Rights Movement” and described how it “bridged the divides of race, religion, sectional differences and nationality.” Civil rights leaders immediately decried the changes. Bernice King, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Continued on A3
Tariffs could deepen economic burdens for low-income and marginalized communities By Ashlee Banks AFRO Staff Writer abanks@afro.com The current American president’s universal and reciprocal tariffs could have significant implications for marginalized communities. A 10 percent global tariff on all goods imported to the United States went into effect on April 5. Reciprocal tariffs went into effect on April 9, with different countries taxed at different rates ranging from 11 to 50 percent. Tariffs are taxes placed on imported goods. While they are technically paid by companies that import products from abroad, the added costs are often passed on to consumers.
For low-income and marginalized communities, who already spend a higher proportion of their income on necessities, these increases could have outsized effects. Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs are expected to increase prices for everyday items. The trade wars have already roiled financial markets and plunged businesses into uncertainty — all while economists warn of potentially weakened economic growth and heightened inequality. Experts warn that these tariffs could escalate inequities. Low-income families in particular will feel the costs of key necessities, like food and energy, rise with fewer savings to draw on — significantly straining budgets.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, households in the lowest income quintile spend approximately 82 percent of their income on necessities, compared to about 65 percent for households in the highest quintile. This means price hikes on groceries, gas and utilities will weigh more heavily on families with limited disposable income. U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.-8) emphasized this issue. “The tariffs are making life less affordable for the average American,” Jeffries said in a statement. “Not a single bill— not a single executive order— not
College inclusion, equity and diversity probes undermine high school success
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Unsplash / Redd Francisco
High school students in the Black community could be disproportionately impacted by the rollback of inclusion, equity and diversity policies.
By Quintessa Williams Word in Black When the Department of Education announced
Copyright © 2025 by the Afro-American Company
in March that they would investigate admissions practices at 50 of the nation’s elite colleges and universities, it