DOJ's Civil Rights Division will now Prioritize White People and Christians & Trump just Cost the US $90 Billion in Lost Tourism
April 25, 2025
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: James Baldwin warns about the dangers of mixing ignorance and power.
Trump ally pushes DoJ unit to shift civil rights focus, new messages show: The civil rights division will no longer be focusing on marginalized groups but on White people and Christians. Welcome to Wonderland, Alice.
Tourism Pullback and Boycotts Set to Cost U.S. a Staggering $90 Billion: All businesses that rely on tourism are about to be “liberated” from their jobs.
Breaking Down the ‘Insider Trading’ Accusations Leveled at Trump After Tariffs U-Turn: Guess who made a lot of money by issuing and then postponing tariffs? People who already had a lot of money.
NBA Celebrates Black Pioneers: The NBA is celebrating the 75th anniversary of three Black players who changed the sport forever.
Kareem Gets Artsy: San Francisco Erects a 45-Foot Nude Statue: The statue actually says the opposite of what the artist claims to say.
Just Sayin’: Gang Colors of the Trump Administration: If you pay close attention to Trump’s allies, you’ll notice they are mostly wearing his gang colors.
Kareem’s Video Break: This dog has the right idea about broccoli.
Kareem’s Sports Moments: Pole climbing looks so cool. I always wanted to try it.
The Skyliners Sing “Since I Don't Have You”: The sweet pleading in their voices gives this song a heartfelt touch.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.
James Baldwin (1924-1987), American writer and civil rights activist
I’ve always admired the writer James Baldwin who was Black, gay, and staggeringly intelligent at a time when America was hostile to all three of those traits. He wrote groundbreaking novels (Go Tell It on the Mountain), essays (Notes of a Native Son), and poetry. He was a tireless and articulate advocate for civil rights for all.
At first, this quote seems like a powerful indictment of how the ignorant collude with the powerful to destroy justice. The problem here is that many people don’t agree on the definition of two key words: ignorance and justice.
Ignorance is a slippery word. Most of us believe we are intelligent rather than ignorant. However, we often use circular logic to arrive at that conclusion: We start with the idea that we are smart based on the formula “I’m me therefore I’m smart.” In fact, 65% of Americans believe they have above-average intelligence. However, most people don’t really have criteria for assessing intelligence, but we’re pretty sure that those who don’t agree with us are ignorant.
For me, intelligence isn’t a matter of school degrees, IQ tests, or business success. It’s a matter of having an active curiosity about the world, and a drive to know more than you do. For example, if there’s a disagreement about something, do you whip out your phone and research the issue before stubbornly insisting you are right? If not, that’s a sign of ignorance because that person is not interested in the truth, only in asserting themselves. That’s ego, not intelligence.
Ignorance is also the insistence to think illogically because, though that may bring immediate rewards, in the long run, it’s destructive to the community, the country, and to them. Short-sighted greed is a clear sign of ignorance. For example, as Trump and the GOP slice up the Constitution for toilet paper and loot the country for their personal wealth, they don’t see what kind of country they are leaving for their offspring. They believe that by amassing their fortunes now, they and their families will be able to live above the pollution, recession, and health problems the rest will face. What about leaving behind a dictatorship, where one day you’re sitting at the leader’s right hand and the next you and your family are on your way to an El Salvadorian prison?
One litmus test to reveal ignorance is a person’s definition of justice. The goal of most people is to live in a world of peace and harmony because, on a practical level, that world offers the most security for the individual and their family. Peace and harmony are best achieved when everyone is treated equally and they all have the same equal opportunities. When certain people are continuously denied equality, there is justified unrest and resentment. The wise thing to do is right those wrongs, not pretend they never existed and still don’t. That’s justice.
The world is full of the ignorant and powerful. We can’t change their ignorance—that’s fueled by greed, inadequacy, and narcissism. Together we can take away some of that power. We can remove them from powerful positions through voting, impeachment, boycotts, lawsuits, and protests so they can no longer hurt us. What’s more ignorant than allowing abusers to continue without a fight? Justice never comes without a fight.