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The past few weeks have been full of farewells for the Obama family, as their time in the White House nears an end. Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush, the daughters of former president George W. Bush, recently penned a heartfelt letter to Sasha and Malia Obama as a parting gift. The letter reflected on how President Obama’s daughters have gracefully come into their own over the past eight years and it provided advice on how to adjust to life after living in the White House. “Take all that you have seen, the people you have met, the lessons you have learned, and let that help guide you in making positive change. We have no doubt you will,” read the letter. “You will be writing the story of your lives, beyond the shadow of your famous parents, yet you will always carry with you the experiences of the past eight years.” Read more.


African-American Lady Liberty To Be Featured On U.S. Currency

The U.S. Mint and Treasury is pushing for diverse representation on American currency. Just months after it was revealed that Harriet Tubman would be the new face of the $20 bill, it has been announced that the $100 coin will bear the image of an African-American Lady Liberty. The coin, which was designed by Justin Kunz, was created in honor of the U.S. Mint and Treasury’s 225th anniversary. It marks the first time in American history that Lady Liberty has ever been depicted as a Black woman on U.S. currency. “As we as a nation continue to evolve, so does liberty’s representation,” said Elisa Basnight, U.S. Mint chief of staff. “We live in a nation that affords us the opportunity to dream big and try to accomplish the seemingly impossible.” The coin, which is 24-karat gold, is slated to be released in April. Read more.


Rockland County Community Group Takes Legal Action For Racial Profiling

A community group in Rockland County has decided to take legal action against a law enforcement intelligence agency for illegal surveillance and racial profiling. The group, We The People, filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday which claims that 14 of its members unknowingly had their backgrounds vetted by the Strategic Intelligence Unit to see if they were involved in criminal activity or had any interactions with the police. In 2015, the group produced a play called A Clean Shoot? about a White officer who shot an African-American undercover cop. According to reports, the title and context of the play prompted the SIU to launch a probe. “They’ve proven they are incapable of policing themselves. They’ve proven they cannot be trusted,” said William O. Wagstaff III, We The People’s attorney. We the people is also calling for a civil rights probe surrounding the SIU and the Clarkstown police department. Read more.


Maryland High School Student Receives Citation For Threat

According to reports, a high school student was issued a juvenile citation by the Anne Arundel County Police Department after posting an alarming tweet about her high school. The post, which came from the Twitter handle @KoolkidsKlanKkk, read “We’re planning to attack tomorrow.” After launching a probe to see who was behind the tweet, Anne Arundel County police officials discovered that it was a 14-year-old African-American girl who is a student at Arundel High School in Maryland. After the incident, George Arlotto, the superintendent for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, released a statement. “The anonymity of the internet provides a murky and complex disguise for many who want to threaten the safety and security of our communities,” he said. “Our partners in the Police Department and county government peeled back that disguise quickly in this case, in the process reassuring parents, students, and staff that our schools are safe places in which to educate our children.” Read more.


Next American Crime Story Series To Focus On Hurricane Katrina

The next installment of FX’s American Crime Story series will be centered on Hurricane Katrina and how New Orleans residents dealt with its aftermath. In efforts to capture an array of perspectives, the show will delve into the stories of up to eight characters to depict how the tragedy affected people in different ways. “I want this show to be a socially conscious, socially aware examination of different types of crime around the world,” said the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy. “And in my opinion, Katrina was a f—ing crime — a crime against a lot of people who didn’t have a strong voice, and we’re going to treat it as a crime. That’s what this show is all about.” The series is slated to be released in 2018. Read more.

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