For years, African American churches have walked a fine line, stopping short of endorsing political candidates because the I.R.S. banned campaigning by tax-exempt entities. But in a recent court filing the I.R.S. stated that the ban does not apply to houses of worship. 

This new direction from the agency comes amid a lawsuit filed by two churches in Texas and an association of Christian broadcasters.

The plaintiffs argued that all nonprofits – religious and secular – should be free to endorse candidates to their members, challenging a fundamental understanding of nonprofit law: that 

tax-exempt groups cannot be used as tools of any campaign. 

Pastor Clarence Thornton, who owns Joynet Radio in Little Rock, AR, that specializes in Gospel music, recognizes the influence of the ruling on African American churches.

He said, “For centuries, the African American Church has stood as more than a religious institution, it has been a driving force for social change, courageously confronting injustice and advocating for the needs of our community, and by extension, the broader American society..”

But as the longtime pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church and a broadcaster, Thornton is concerned the ruling will undermine the fundamental separation of church and state as outlined in the Constitution.

“We have always stopped short of endorsing a specific candidate as a unified body of Christ, understanding that such actions would not only compromise the moral and spiritual integrity of the Church but also violate the foundational American principle of religious neutrality in government. To do otherwise is not just risky – it is clearly contrary to both our faith tradition and the democratic ideals that allow our faith to thrive.”

The law governing the involvement of nonprofits and campaigns has a long history, dating back to 1954 and the efforts of then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson. But as the religious right became more politically vocal, the Johnson Amendment was viewed as restrictive. President Donald Trump has long supported campaigning in churches – embracing the notion because much of his political base stems from evangelical Christians.

One of America’s most iconic landmarks includes an homage to slavery, and the little known
fact is raising eyebrows as Black Americans observe the Juneteenth and the Fourth of July
holidays.

The Statue of Liberty has stood on Liberty Island in New York Harbor as a “symbol of enlightenment … lighting the way to freedom and down the path of liberty” for 139 years. But few Americans are aware that a chain rests at the feet, and the original drawings reportedly placed them in the left hand of the statue.

When Frenchman Edouard de Laboulaye – an abolitionist – proposed presenting the statue to the United States as a gift from the people of France, sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi agreed with Laboulaye’s goodwill gesture and began to conceptualize the idea for the monument. Both men wanted to recognize the end of slavery, and Bartholdi had intended to place a chain in the statue’s left hand to represent the end of slavery and oppression.

Instead, he placed them at her feet to symbolize liberty breaking free from bondage.

During a recent interview, Dr. Joy DeGruy – an internationally known researcher and educator – stunned many African Americans with the background about the original drawings which triggered her reluctance to visit Liberty Island when a friend, who managed New York’s landmarks for the Interior Department, invited her.

DeGruy said, “When I go there, I’m going there with the knowledge that the Statue of Liberty was holding originally in her left hand broken chains – commissioned in 1865, a pretty important date – end of slavery, end of the Civil War, all of the things were why she was the Statue of Liberty.”

DeGruy recalled that she and her friend went “into the basement of the Statue of Liberty, and we find the document encased in glass behind figurines facing a wall in the hallway.”

Batholdi, the sculptor, had apparently encountered resistance to his idea of placing the chains in the left hand, which would have been a more visible display, but he insisted that the chains remain a part of the statue.

“The agreement was, ‘We will keep the chains, but we’ll make it so no one can see them,’” DeGruy explained.

According to The Statue of Liberty website, “To symbolize the end of slavery, Bartholdi placed a broken shackle and chains at the Statue’s foot.”

After DeGruy’s discovery and frustration that the chains were not mentioned during tours, she began to tell the story of the chain at the feet of the Statue of Liberty. Eventually, she said she received a call from the Interior Department’s staff, and they apologized, adding, “We have been negligent.”

Now, when tourists visit the Statue of Liberty, the park rangers include information about the chain and their significance.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and establish a White House Initiative on HBCUs to “deliver high-quality education to a growing number of students.”

According to the White House, the Initiative will help develop private-sector partnerships, institutional development and workforce preparation in technology, health care, manufacturing and finance. 

The president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Dr. Harry L. Williams said, “Today’s executive order serves as strong reaffirmation of President Trump’s support of investment of historically Black colleges and universities. This executive order should serve as a call-to-action for corporations, foundations, members of Congress and state lawmakers to redouble their efforts to support HBCUs and their students. TMCF looks forward to continued engagement with the administration and Congress to deliver results for HBCUs and the students they serve via appropriations and other legislative actions.”

On the same day, Trump signed another executive order that removes safeguards for African American schoolchildren by eliminating an Obama-era initiative to protect Black schoolchildren from excessive disciplinary action.

During the Obama administration, the first Black president’s administration created guidelines that sought to prevent school discipline from having a disproportionate effect on minority students. Trump revoked the civil rights initiative during his first term and Biden did not formally restore it. 

At his signing today, Trump said his decision was especially important to the current Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who held the signed order.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, schools were forced to consider equity and inclusion when imposing discipline,” McMahon said in a statement. “Their policies placed racial equity quotas over student safety – encouraging schools to turn a blind eye to poor or violent behavior in the name of inclusion.”

She added, “Disciplinary decisions should be based solely on students’ behavior and actions.

Studies show that Black students are punished more often than their white counterparts.