Pulitzer Prize-winner Nikole Hannah-Jones on CNN about her African-American author read-in in Iowa

School districts around the U.S. are grappling with President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on DEI initiatives. In February, the Trump administration told tens of thousands of K-12 schools and colleges they had to comply with a sweeping and vague order to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on campuses, or else risk losing federal funding. Recently, the U.S. Department of Education walked back some of that directive and issued new guidance saying not all DEI initiatives actually violate the initial instructions. But the damage had been done, and many institutions are still afraid of running afoul of the new administration. One of the consequences of this… a “read-in” of books by African American authors for elementary students was pulled from one district in Iowa. While others went ahead with the program, the Waterloo Community School District withdrew, citing concerns about potential violations of federal directives. Enter Nikole Hannah-Jones, Waterloo native and Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of “The 1619 Project,” who decided to host an alternative read-in this weekend in Iowa, through her organization The 1619 Freedom School. She joined CNN’s Rahel Solomon on “Early Start” to preview the event.

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