BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Donald Trump’s recent social media post complaining about how the Smithsonian Institution museums portray slavery is inaccurate, insulting, and a national embarrassment.
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By A. Scott Bolden
President Donald Trump’s recent social media post complaining about how the Smithsonian Institution museums portray slavery is inaccurate, insulting, and a national embarrassment.
“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump wrote. “We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums …,” the president continued. “This Country cannot be WOKE because WOKE IS BROKE.” Unfortunately, the leader of our nation appears to know as little about the Smithsonian museums as he does about the rules of capitalization in English.
The president’s social media post followed an Aug. 12 letter to the Smithsonian by Trump administration officials demanding a “comprehensive internal review” of eight Smithsonian museums by the White House “to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” The directive mentioned in the letter was an executive order Trump issued in March denouncing “a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our nation’s history … as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed” and ordering an effort to “remove improper ideology” from Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo.
I’ve visited all the Smithsonian museums and never cease to be impressed by how they accurately educate visitors about history, culture, science, and the arts in a nonpartisan manner. There is nothing “woke” about them. My view of the National Museum of African American History and Culture aligns with the view a visitor expressed in 2017 when he praised it as “a truly great museum” that was “incredible,” “done with love,” and “a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all its very ugly forms.” That visitor in 2017 was President Trump. Too bad his view has changed. Visitors to the African American museum first see powerful exhibits about slavery. As a Black man, I find these particularly moving, knowing that my ancestors were abducted from their homes in Africa, brought to America in chains, and treated like animals rather than human beings.
You don’t have to be Black to be horrified by the depiction of slavery in the museum, any more than you have to be Jewish to be horrified by the murder of 6 million Jews as depicted in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, another outstanding Smithsonian museum. Slavery is as much a part of American history as the Holocaust is a part of German history. You can’t understand the history of either country without understanding these atrocities. To its credit, Germany requires Holocaust education in schools. Trump would be wise to learn from the German example — not hiding from an ugly chapter of his nation’s history, but shining a spotlight on it so later generations can learn from it.
We need to be honest about our past. There is simply no way to put a pretty face on slavery or downplay its barbarity and immorality. Importantly, Trump’s social media post saying Smithsonian museums concentrate on stories about “how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been” is not true. The African American museum devotes much space to telling the story of Black people overcoming slavery, systemic racism, and poverty to rise to levels of great accomplishment in just about every field. The many displays about Black abolitionists, civil rights figures, educators, physicians, scientists, lawyers, entertainers, athletes, government officials, business executives, and more are as inspiring as the stories of enslaved Black people are disheartening.
The fact that Black Americans could rise from slavery to the U.S. presidency of Barack Obama 144 years after emancipation is a testament to the justice of our system of government and the goodness of the American people. Racism has not disappeared, but the great progress our nation has made on the road to equality is something all Americans should learn about and be proud of. My own family has lived this story of Black success. My ancestors were enslaved. My late father, Raymond A. Bolden, who was born in 1933, struggled through poverty, racism, and homelessness to become an exceptional student, serve in the U.S. Air Force, and go on to become a civil rights lawyer and judge. He inspired me to become a lawyer as well and follow in his and my mother’s footsteps by also becoming a crusader for racial justice. As a lawyer, I’ve often seen witnesses “solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” when they are called to testify in trials. We should expect our museums to do the same. President Trump should stop trying to prevent them from doing so.
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BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Sixty-two years to the day after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, thousands poured into Lower Manhattan on Thursday, linking arms and voices in what was billed as the largest demonstration of its kind since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Sixty-two years to the day after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, thousands poured into Lower Manhattan on Thursday, linking arms and voices in what was billed as the largest demonstration of its kind since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Led by Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network, the March on Wall Street drew national civil rights leaders, clergy, activists, and elected officials, all demanding economic justice, equity, and fair opportunity at a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion programs have been dismantled by the Trump administration. The march began at Foley Square, paused at the African Burial Ground National Monument, and wound its way down Broadway to Whitehall Street. Participants spanned generations and professions — labor unions, fraternities and sororities, educators, and teens — all united by the call to defend rights secured in the 1960s and to push back against what they see as the biggest transfer of wealth in U.S. history.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested earlier this year while protesting ICE, challenged fellow municipal leaders to act. “We are here because our ancestors demand that we be here, because the times demand that we be here, because every mayor in every city in America should be rising up right now as Donald Trump tries to send the National Guard into our communities — we are here as they create the biggest transference of wealth this country has ever seen,” Baraka declared. The presence of Martin Luther King III and Andrea Waters King underscored the continuity of the movement. “It’s extraordinarily significant, but in the back of mind, I am thinking about how sad this is, that 62 years after Dad delivered that dream for our nation and world that we are in the position we are in,” King said. “And the goal is to find ways to move this nation forward around economic inequality.” King also posted on social media: “We were proud to join @NationalAction and my good friend, @TheRevAl, for the #MarchOnWallStreet. On the 62nd anniversary of the #MarchOnWashington and in the financial capital of the world, we marched for economic justice and fair opportunities for ALL.”
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, stood with Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber, president of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc., marking the moment’s deep historical ties. “It marked 62 years after the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and we continue to march, we continue to speak out, and we continue to demand freedom, justice, equality, and equity,” Chavis said. “Thus, we join the Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network in the March on Wall Street. The Rev. Boise Kimber and I stood together, shoulder to shoulder, at the March on Wall Street. I was pleased to represent the Black Press of America under the auspices of the NNPA. In the words of publisher-leader Frederick Douglass, ‘Freedom is a constant struggle.’”
Rev. Dr. Christopher Davis, General Secretary at the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., drove home the financial realities confronting communities of faith. “I don’t care the size of your church,” Davis said. “Whether you have 10,000 members or 10 members, you can’t do ministry without money, so we have to be concerned about the economic plight of the people that fill our pews.” Among those addressing the crowd were Michael Eric Dyson, Benjamin Crump, Melanie Campbell, Maya Wiley, and others, each pointing to the urgency of resisting what they described as attacks on democracy, workers, and Black communities. “It means we continue the movement 62 years later, marching on Wall Street, raising the issues of income inequity, DEI, and the takeover of cities with Black mayors. The dream is alive,” Sharpton told the crowd.
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Today, twenty years ago, George W. Bush was president of the United States, and Ray Nagin was the mayor of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina barreled into the Gulf Coast, creating one of the worst natural disasters in the nation’s history.
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By April Ryan
Today, twenty years ago, George W. Bush was president of the United States, and Ray Nagin was the mayor of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina barreled into the Gulf Coast, creating one of the worst natural disasters in the nation’s history.
“Today is a bittersweet day for the people of New Orleans. We lost 1400 family members, friends, and neighbors. 250 homes and buildings. In an instant, we lost all that we held dear,” said Mitch Landrieu, the former Mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. For New Orleans, the storm’s force resulted in the levees breaking, which exposed deep issues in American society about addressing climate change, government, and infrastructure.
In 2005, it was a collision of a humanitarian crisis and governmental failure that left over 1,800 people dead in the Gulf Coast and more than a million residents displaced, making it one of the deadliest and most disruptive natural disasters in U.S. history. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was loudly criticized for its slow and disorganized response to the crisis. The Bush administration also received criticism for not moving swiftly, as it used states’ rights and the need for the state of Louisiana to formally ask for help instead of instinctively jumping in to provide needed assistance.
Mayor Nagin made many urgent requests for federal government help with rescue, recovery, and assistance for the displaced. The optics of the moment will never be forgotten: people stood on rooftops signaling helicopters for help as the water levels crested as high as the tops of houses. The displaced, mostly Black Hurricane victims, were also housed in the Superdome and the Convention Center of New Orleans in the aftermath of the levee break. During those frantic calls from the mayor, some network news media identified the Black displaced victims as “refugees.” An immediate response to that description came from rights groups like the NAACP, chastising the characterization of Americans seeking help.
The Ninth Ward of New Orleans was devastated. Today, many homes impacted right along the levee are no longer there, but you can still see the footprints of where some of the houses once stood. However, Landrieu exclusively told Black Press USA that for New Orleans, “with the help of each other, our neighbors and a helpful nation, we got up, dusted off, and rebuilt a great American city. For that, we will be forever grateful.” New Orleans has rebounded today, with many of its residents returning to the Big Easy, ripe with flavor and culture. However, tourism in the city has dropped, particularly international tourism, due to the Trump administration’s current foreign policy stance.
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The Washington Monthly magazine released its 2025 college rankings, which upend everything you thought you knew about which colleges are the best.
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The only ranking that tells you both is the Washington Monthly’s revised and expanded 2025 College Guide
The Washington Monthly magazine released its 2025 college rankings, which upend everything you thought you knew about which colleges are the best.
Other college rankings, like those by U.S. News, reward universities for their wealth, prestige, and exclusivity—ensuring that the top ranks are always dominated by the same 10 or 20 elite schools, which few students can get into, much less afford. By contrast, the Washington Monthly measures colleges and universities by how much they help ordinary middle- and working-class students get ahead economically and become good citizens. Those are the outcomes most Americans—students and taxpayers—want from their investments in the higher ed system.
As a result, half of the top-scoring institutions on the Washington Monthly’s Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars list are hidden gems that most students don’t know about—and that in many cases outperform elite universities.
To help students in their college search, the magazine offers short profiles of 25 of these high-performing schools—ranging from world-renowned Johns Hopkins University to unsung regional public universities like Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and the University of Central Florida. With growing federal attacks on higher education and public concerns about its value, the Washington Monthly in 2025 has revised its rankings—first published in 2005—to provide an even clearer picture of how individual colleges are performing. Its Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars ranking combines all four-year colleges and universities into a single master list that allows readers to see how any college or university—public or private, big or small—stacks up against all the others. The magazine has also created two new companion rankings:
The 20th anniversary issue of the annual Washington Monthly College Guide and Ranking also includes “best bang for the buck” listings by region and rankings of liberal arts, bachelor’s, and master’s institutions. All are available at http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/2025-college-guide.
Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris says, “Our changes take account of new realities facing higher education. We’ve revamped our methodology to focus even more squarely on what we think Americans most want from our colleges and universities: that they help students of modest means earn degrees that pay off in the marketplace, don’t saddle them with heavy debt, and prepare—indeed, encourage—them to become active members of our democracy.”
Praise for Washington Monthly’s Approach
At a time when consensus is lacking on most matters, the Washington Monthly college rankings receive positive reviews from top education leaders. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says, “Rankings should not reward colleges for the students they keep out, but those they admit and support through graduation. By doing just that, Washington Monthly’s rankings are a vital resource for students, parents, and taxpayers alike.”
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says, “If you want to know what really counts in higher education, look at the Monthly‘s rankings—you’ll find some welcome surprises.” Mark Schneider, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former director of the National Center for Education Statistics, says, “I appreciate the Washington Monthly’s focus on active citizenship, economic mobility, and the attention it gives to regional ‘comprehensive’ universities — the ‘workhorses’ of America’s higher education that seldom get the recognition they deserve.”
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Amid the fight over potentially placing the National Guard in cities with diverse populations where Black mayors lead, the governors have the right to request the deployment of the National Guard.
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By April Ryan
Amid the fight over potentially placing the National Guard in cities with diverse populations where Black mayors lead, the governors have the right to request the deployment of the National Guard.
According to the U.S. Code, Title 32, governors are the commanders-in-chief of the state or territory’s militia. Maryland Governor Wes Moore reinforced this by saying, “I am the commander-in-chief!” Maryland’s first Black governor said he would only allow presidential National Guard deployment if it is “mission critical” and “mission aligned.”
Chicago’s Governor, J.B. Pritzker, also resounded “no” to President Trump’s threats to deploy the National Guard in Chicago. Title 32 states that Guard members are under the governor’s command, but the federal government funds their duties. However, in this moment of struggle for who controls National Guard deployment, there are concerns about National Guard funding.
Meanwhile, under Title 10, a president can call up the National Guard and put them under federal control, but this is typically done only in specific circumstances, such as suppressing rebellions. Washington, DC, which is not a state, is under a presidential dictate for the gun-toting National Guard that is policing and cleaning up trash off the city streets. Trump’s Justice Department now controls the D.C. police, as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the police chief reports to her. On the West Coast, in Los Angeles, in June, President Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to anti immigration protests. “This is the federal seizure of power,” according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who emphasizes that the Trump administration has federalized the National Guard, which has seized power from California Governor Gavin Newsom. She says the administration has “taken his ability to manage the National Guard.” “The LAPD is definitely not in charge. The first Black woman mayor of the city told this reporter on the Substack show, The Tea With April. However, ICE, the National Guard, Border Patrol, and the Marines “blend together” policing and arresting Mexicans, Koreans, Iranians, and Haitians in that city. The city of Los Angeles has 3.8 million people, and almost half the residents are Latino, the majority from Mexico.
Los Angeles, a city with a large minority population, has “parts of Los Angeles that are empty because people can’t go to work.” Bass says, “entire industries in the city of Los Angeles are totally dependent on migrant labor, like the garment district, ethnic restaurants, construction for the housing to rebuild after the fires in the area earlier this year.” The mayor reminds that there has been an instance when the public sees these arrests, some residents perceive it as “kidnappings.” The mayor says there was a “bit of a confrontation with the public, ICE, and the LAPD.
Bass says, “It’s a mess.”
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — In these punishing times under Donald Trump’s authoritarian rule, even rest has become an act of resistance. For Black Americans and other marginalized groups shouldering the weight of Trump’s harmful agenda, sleep is more than recovery—it is survival.
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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
In these punishing times under Donald Trump’s authoritarian rule, even rest has become an act of resistance. For Black Americans and other marginalized groups shouldering the weight of Trump’s harmful agenda, sleep is more than recovery—it is survival. As protections are stripped away and inequality deepens, the inability to secure restorative rest threatens both health and life itself.
Congressman Bennie Thompson has cautioned that Trump’s actions—tearing down Black Lives Matter Plaza, dismantling diversity programs, slashing HBCU funding, and erasing Black figures from government websites—are a direct attack on Black voices and history. Meanwhile, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has tracked what it calls a “triple threat” to Black households: cuts to food assistance, reductions in Medicaid, and tariffs that destabilize Black-owned businesses. The result is constant financial stress that fuels exhaustion and erodes the chance for healthy sleep.
Science is clear. A review in Nature Reviews Endocrinology found that poor sleep and disrupted body clocks drive obesity and metabolic disease by throwing appetite hormones out of balance. A systematic review in Sleep Medicine Reviews linked sleep quality to self-control, showing how exhaustion weakens decision-making. Research in Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental showed that sleep loss increases hunger and insulin resistance, pushing people toward type 2 diabetes. Studies in Obesity confirmed the long-term links between chronic sleep deprivation, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. And neuroimaging research in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that even one night without rest alters brain activity, making high-calorie foods more tempting. According to the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, lack of sleep is now a driver of global epidemics in obesity and diabetes.
For Black communities, the collision between political oppression and health vulnerability is stark. Trump’s agenda forces families to choose between food, rent, and medical care. The CBPP reports that in 2023, more than 11 million Black people lived in households receiving food assistance, while 13 million relied on Medicaid or CHIP—programs now under direct attack. The loss of such lifelines doesn’t just destabilize finances; it intensifies stress and insomnia, worsening long-term health outcomes.
“Black Americans have worked hard and sacrificed for generations. One man can’t silence our voice or erase our legacy,” Congressman Thompson said. Yet the erosion of sleep, the most basic pillar of health, shows how deeply Trump’s policies cut into the foundation of Black well-being. In today’s America, where authoritarian politics threatens both democracy and daily survival, the struggle for rest has become inseparable from the struggle for justice.
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — A full-circle moment for the DC-born real estate developer as his firm debuts a 184-room extended-stay hotel steps from the Convention Center
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A full-circle moment for the DC-born real estate developer as his firm debuts a 184-room extended-stay hotel steps from the Convention Center
Frontier Development & Hospitality Group LLC, led by Washington, D.C. native Evens Charles, has officially opened the Hyatt House Washington DC Downtown Convention Center — a modern, 184-room extended-stay hotel in the culturally rich Shaw neighborhood. Managed by Donohoe Hospitality Services, the property sits just two blocks from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and brings apartment-style accommodations and vibrant community-oriented amenities to one of D.C.’s most dynamic neighborhoods.
For Charles, this milestone is deeply personal. Born in Columbia Heights and raised in Petworth in the 1980s and 1990s, he now returns to his hometown as a leading developer, shaping the city’s future through intentional, community-rooted hospitality projects. “DC raised me. Now I’m raising the city back,” said Charles. “This project reflects our commitment to investing in communities that embody culture, creativity, and forward momentum.”
The new Hyatt House property is more than just another hotel — it’s a model for what modern hospitality can look like when it honors the cultural fabric of a city. The hotel features apartment-style suites with full kitchens and separate living areas, a 24/7 fitness center, complimentary breakfast bar, lobby bar, and collaborative communal spaces.
Later this fall, Frontier will also debut “REALM”, an all-weather rooftop bar and lounge adjacent to the hotel. With 157 seats and breathtaking 360-degree views of the Washington, D.C. skyline, REALM is expected to be one of the city’s most exciting new destinations for locals and travelers alike.
Charles explains the broader vision:
“At Frontier, we take traditional hospitality assets in high-demand urban areas and layer in amenities that bring cultural vibrancy for multiple generations — from millennials to the seasoned business traveler.”
Charles is a proud product of the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). As a teen, he worked at the 3rd District Police Station, finding mentorship and structure. From the #6 Metropolitan Police Boys & Girls Club to Archbishop Carroll High School, to Temple University, football became his foundation and springboard.
Despite building a national portfolio, Charles spent nearly a decade pursuing a project in his hometown. Now, after years of persistence, he is finally building in the city that built him — a major moment of reclamation and legacy-building.
“This isn’t just about business,” said Charles. “It’s about ownership, visibility, and leaving something for the next generation — including my daughter — that reflects the best of where we come from.”
A DC-Born Leadership Team Driving the Vision
The success of this project is also due to the deeply rooted, all-local leadership team behind it:
Their shared experience, cultural fluency, and commitment to excellence make Frontier Development unlike any outside investor group in the region.
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