The Impact Report: Threats to Juneteenth, Community Care in Focus, Ohio Bans DEI in Education
From viral soundbites to sweeping policies, the world is undergoing rapid shifts. As headlines bounce between courtroom drama and campaign rallies, it’s easy to miss how every move is already reshaping the lives of Black Americans.
The Impact Report is your weekly breakdown of what is happening from Capitol Hill to the campaign trail—and how those actions affect our communities. Whether it’s a Supreme Court ruling, a policy proposal, or a dog-whistle-laced speech, we’re cutting through the noise to bring you a precise and well-sourced report.
Threats to Juneteenth: Corporate and Government Pullback
Juneteenth celebrations in cities like Denver, Austin, Scottsdale, and West Virginia have been scaled back or canceled due to plummeting corporate sponsorship and cuts to DEI funding.
Colorado Springs parades, Denver’s music festival, and San Diego’s Cooper Family Foundation events, once well-funded, are struggling for survival.
Why it matters: Juneteenth is a cornerstone of Black cultural memory and communal identity. Its diminishing support signals a broader rollback of acknowledgment and investment in Black liberation and heritage.
Ohio Bans DEI at Public Universities
Ohio’s newly signed Advance Ohio Higher Education Act (Senate Bill 1), effective June 27, 2025, prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring and enrollment initiatives at public colleges and bans faculty from striking. It also restricts discussion of "controversial" political topics on campus. This law undermines DEI efforts that foster Black representation, curtails academic freedom, and may trigger funding penalties, raising alarms about long-term impact on Black student support.
Why It Matters: This sets a precedent for other educational institutions to strip diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations from their admission processes and programming, leaving Black students and faculty at risk for underrepresentation.
Social Security Benefits Will Deplete Sooner Than Forecasted
A new 2025 report from the Social Security and Medicare Trustees warns that OASI (Old-Age Security Insurance) will run out by 2033, despite economists’ forecasting that it would deplete in 2034.
The loss of a year underscores the dire nature of the economy, namely for current and aspiring retirees aiming to draw from SSI in the next decade.
Why This Matters: This is important because Black retirees disproportionately depend on social security insurance to meet their living expenses and frequently have little to no retirement savings.
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