Democrats statement on Kennedy Center board renaming Kennedy Center to Trump-Kennedy Center

The board for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced that it would now be named the Trump-Kennedy Center.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) — all ex officio members of the Kennedy Center board of trustees — issued a statement panning the move.

“At today’s meeting, a sitting Member of Congress was muted, and participants were prevented from speaking — actions that reflect a troubling lack of transparency and respect for the rule of law. This whole process displays the corruption that permeates the entire Trump Administration, and as ex-officio members of the Kennedy Center Board, we will be unwavering in our commitment to holding this Administration accountable,” it said.

Congressional Black Caucus Statement Celebrating Barbara Rose Johns Statue

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement on the unveiling of the Barbara Rose Johns statue in the U.S. Capital:

“For 111 years, the Commonwealth of Virginia was represented in the U.S. Capitol by Confederate General Robert E. Lee, who took up arms against the United States to preserve the brutal institution of slavery. Today, the Commonwealth, and the nation, is celebrating a new chapter in our history by honoring Barbara Rose Johns—a courageous young leader whose fight for educational equity helped pave the way for a more equitable nation.

“At just 16 years old, Barbara Rose Johns organized hundreds of students to walk out of Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville to protest its substandard facilities compared to the neighboring white high school. Her movement ultimately gained the support of the NAACP and became part of the historic Brown v. Board of Education case, which led to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared school segregation unconstitutional.

“The Congressional Black Caucus, led by the Dean of the Virginia State delegation and CBC member, Congressman Bobby Scott, was honored to celebrate the unveiling of Barbara Rose Johns’ statue — not just as Black history — but as American history. We must continue to honor our nation’s heroes and their contributions that made our country a more perfect union and that too often go unrecognized, unheard and overlooked.”

TEACH-IN WILL DISCUSS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND FASCISM IN THE U.S.

A teach-in entitled  “The Disastrous Trump Dictatorship & Our Fight To Defeat A Fascist Regime,” will be held Saturday, December 13th, 10:30am at Bethany Baptist Church, 275 West Market Street, Newark, NJ. 

The event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress and the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee, of which POP is a member. 

The guest speakers include Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, professor of constitutional law, attorney, author, and radio show host; Dr Kelly Harris, professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania; Virginia Kay, a member of the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee, and Hanif Denny, a member of People’s Organization For Progress. POP chairman Lawrence Hamm will moderate the program. 

“The purpose of this program is to show how the Trump administration is rapidly moving away from the norms of a democratically elected to government and towards that of a dictatorship,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

“Moreover we believe that the Trump administration is behaving like a fascist regime. So, at our program we will be discussing its fascist policies and how we organize to fight back to defeat this racist and fascist regime,” Hamm said. 

The program will open with songs from the Solidarity Singers followed by presentations from the speakers. A significant portion of the program will consist of questions, answers, and discussion between the speakers and the audience. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served. 

The People’s Organization for progress is an all volunteer grassroots group that works racial, social, economic justice and peace. The multi-issue organization was founded 43 years ago in 1982. 

This is the second teach-in that POP has helped to organize this year. The first one was held on January 11th. The theme was “The Teachings of Martin Luther King vs Trump and Trumpism.”

The Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee is the coordinating body of a coalition of organizations united in their opposition to policies of the Trump administration that was formed earlier this year. 

The coalition initially consisted of 300 organizations that endorsed the Martin Luther March of Resistance held on January 18th. Then last spring, 287 of those organizations endorsed the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance. 

Since then the convention planning committee for the coalition in conjunction with the People’s Organization For Progress helped organize No Kings protests against Trump that were held in June and October, and a John Lewis Good Trouble protest in July. All of these events took place in Newark. 

“Saturday’s teach-in will help prepare people for our upcoming second Martin Luther King March of Resistance. The teach-in will explore many of the issues that we will be marching about next month,” Hamm said. 

The second Martin Luther King March Of Resistance is planned for Monday, January 19, 2026, 12 noon, starting at the MLK Statue at 495 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Newark. 

Another Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance is scheduled for Saturday, April 25th, and a Million People’s March Against Trump, is being called for Saturday, October 10, 2026 in Newark. 

“I urge everyone who is opposed to the policies of the Trump administration, its attacks on democracy, the growing racist and fascist movement in the U.S. and around the world, and the direction in which this country is going to attend the teach-in,”he said.

For more information about the teach-in or upcoming events contact the People’s Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001.

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on SCOTUS Ruling Upholding Trump-Republican Texas Maps

The Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement on SCOTUS Ruling Upholding Trump-Republican Texas Maps:

“The right-wing supermajority on the Supreme Court has dealt a blow to our democracy by shamefully rubber-stamping President Trump and Governor Abbott’s coordinated political scheme to stack the deck ahead of the midterms with a racially gerrymandered map that disenfranchises Black and Brown voters in Texas.

“The CBC and House Democrats are united in fighting back against this blatant effort to tear down our democracy and strip away our right to fair representation under the law.

“The Supreme Court has once again proven that it serves Donald Trump — not the American people. Our communities know all too well that justice is never handed over freely. We will continue to fight in Congress, in the courts, and in our communities until this racist, anti-democratic scheme fails.”

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on Trump’s Plan to Dismantle Education Department

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

"The Trump Administration’s ongoing assault on the U.S. Department of Education (ED) undermines the protection of students' civil rights and the rule of law. By dismantling an agency that plays a critical role in civil rights enforcement — particularly for Black and minority students, students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Pell Grant recipients, children with disabilities, low-income communities, and English Language Learners — the Administration is jeopardizing educational opportunities for our most vulnerable communities.

“Let us be clear: the Trump Administration cannot close a federal agency without an act of Congress. Nearly every family, in every state, in every district, and in every zip code understands the vital role ED plays in supporting students and ensuring equal access to high-quality learning opportunities for our children. It’s time for Republicans in the majority to join Democrats in defending ED and the constitutional authority of Congress."