Racial Tension Rampant In Jacksonville After Black Boys Are Kicked Out Of Fair For Wearing Memorial Apparel

An 18-year-old black man and his friend were kicked out of the Greater Jacksonville Agriculture Fair, without refund or apology, for their attire. 

The two friends, who are members of the black male empowerment group, EVAC, were going about their business on November 3 when police officers approached one of them and questioned the chain he was wearing around his neck. The jewelry honored his late mother. The officers said the chain was "gang-related" apparel.

"There were like four officers. They approached us, and the first one told us to pull up my pants, and the second one told my friend and said, 'Let me see that,’ and he told him that it was his mom and it wasn’t even his friend, it was his mom," he told News4Jax. "They told us to get out."

The next day, one of the guys headed back to the fair to double-check the rule board for any established rules around attire. There were none. Then, he called to clarify he has yet to see any rules that justify the reason for him and his friend's removal from the fair. 

Shortly after his phone call, a sign prohibiting "memorial clothing or jewelry" was posted. According to News4Jax, fair officials claim the sign was put up before the fair opened October 31.

 

racial profiling. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>“It’s used purposely to prey upon and keep out African-Americans in the community,” Donofrio said. On the contrary, Gayle Hart, a spokeswoman for the fair, said this is a sensitive situation that has caused a lot of grief. Hart also said the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office banned the clothing and jewelry because it's associated with "bad behavior."

racial profiling. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>“It said we can’t wear them. Basically, no necklaces, none of that,” said Jarod Mills, a Lee High School senior, about the school's decision. “They don’t feel it’s appropriate for the school.”

racial profiling. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>

racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>The incident has sparked tensions in the Jacksonville community between civilians and police. Amy Donofrio, the founder of EVAC, is calling the case for what it is: racial profiling.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>“It’s used purposely to prey upon and keep out African-Americans in the community,” Donofrio said. On the contrary, Gayle Hart, a spokeswoman for the fair, said this is a sensitive situation that has caused a lot of grief. Hart also said the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office banned the clothing and jewelry because it's associated with "bad behavior."\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>The banning of "memorial clothing and jewelry" did not just stop at the fair but \u003Ca href=\"https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/lee-high-school-students-reminded-not-to-wear-anything-with-rip\">matriculated to Robert E. Lee high\u003C/a> school, as well. The high school's officials told News4Jax the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/lee-high-school-students-reminded-not-to-wear-anything-with-rip\">reason for banning the items\u003C/a> is because "gang-affiliated clothing and paraphernalia is unacceptable," referring to any R.I.P. attire. \u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>“It said we can’t wear them. Basically, no necklaces, none of that,” said Jarod Mills, a Lee High School senior, about the school's decision. “They don’t feel it’s appropriate for the school.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>The west Jacksonville school has yet to comment on the ban, and its attempt to shut down the students' expression in honoring lost loved ones has been the tip of the iceberg and caused several students to organize protests. \u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>\u003Cem>Now, check these out:\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/employees-at-a-frozen-yogurt-shop-called-cops-on-an-unwanted-subject-that-subject-was-a-black-man\">Employees At A Frozen Yogurt Shop Called Cops On An 'Unwanted Subject.' That 'Subject' Was A Black Man.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/maryland-couple-racially-profiled-while-buying-refrigerator-files-4m-lawsuit\">Maryland Couple Racially Profiled While Shopping At Costco Files $4M Lawsuit\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/a-black-teen-was-arrested-for-wearing-a-hoodie-in-a-memphis-mall-and-so-was-the-person-defending-him\">A Black Teen Was Arrested For Wearing A Hoodie In A Memphis Mall And So Was The Person Defending Him\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n",[22],{"id":23,"name":24,"slug":25,"description":9,"image":26},83,"News","news",null,[28],{"id":29,"name":30,"slug":31,"description":9,"image":9},29035,"Tallahassee, Florida","tallahassee-florida",{"url":33,"thumbnail":33,"credit":34,"title":9,"alt":9,"type":35,"width":26,"height":26},"https://res.cloudinary.com/blavity/image/upload/v1543442533/ow5walspoe9xknpc4kwz","Twitter","image","2018-11-28T16:43:57-05:00","2018-11-28 16:43:57","default",[],false,2,{"disableConnatixPlayer":40},{"disableAd":40,"disableConnatixPlayer":40,"enabledComments":44,"headScript":26},true,{"reviewer_name":9},{"list":47,"total":149},[48,91,120],{"id":49,"author":50,"authors":57,"title":59,"subTitle":60,"excerpt":9,"slug":61,"body":62,"categories":63,"tags":68,"featuredMedia":73,"publishedAt":82,"publishedAtGMT":83,"updatedAt":84,"updatedAtGMT":85,"type":38,"listicle":86,"disableContentGate":40,"disableListicleNumbers":40,"canonicalUrl":9,"socialThumbnail":9,"readingTime":87,"customFields":88,"additional":89,"acf":90},72912476,{"id":51,"avatar":52,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":53,"email":54,"username":53,"normalizedUsername":55,"description":9,"htmlBio":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":56},95243,"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/16fdff8cddc7bd4702273ce7e1677d1d0021c4b55e83ca690c8b22edc3cbfdf4?s=1024&r=g","Christopher Rhodes","christopheredward.rhodes@gmail.com","christopher-rhodes","2020-09-14T00:00:00+00:00",[58],{"id":51,"avatar":52,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":53,"email":54,"username":53,"normalizedUsername":55,"description":9,"htmlBio":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":56},"Department Of Defense Cuts List Of Recognized Religions From More Than 200 To Only 31","The move has alarmed advocates for freedom of religion and angered at least one Republican congressman.","department-of-defense-cuts-recognized-religions","\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since being appointed by \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/trump-ends-interview-black-journalist-kristen-welker\">President Trump\u003C/a>, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stirred up controversy for his vocal campaign against diversity in the U.S. military. This time, the defense secretary appears to be targeting religious pluralism, slashing the number of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/hegseth-directs-dod-drop-hundreds-211819026.html\">religious faiths\u003C/a> that are officially recognized by the armed services. The move has even drawn significant backlash from one member of Congress who feels that his faith has been singled out by the new policy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Defense Department slashes recognized religions from 211 to 31\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Department of Defense recently issued a memo changing the list of religious faiths officially recognized by the U.S. military. The memo cuts the list of recognized faiths from 211 to only 31.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The memo was signed by Anthony Tata, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, one of the top officials within the Department of Defense, which the Trump administration has attempted to relabel the Department of War.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the memo, Tata says that he is acting on Hegseth’s orders to “streamline the DoW collection of religious preferences collection for service members to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The revised list removes a number of previously recognized faiths, such as Atheists, Deists, Druids, Eckankar, Heathens, Humanists, New Age churches, Pagans, Shamans, Spiritualists, Unitarian Universalists and Wiccans.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The remaining 31 faiths include mostly Christian denominations, as well as Agnostic, Baha’i Faith, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, along with two categories for “no religion” or “other religions.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Pentagon reduced the list of recognized religions from 180 down to 31, with just 8 non-Christian religions recognized. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>This administration is working at (and succeeding) at trying to make us exclusively a Christian nation. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>The founding fathers would hate this. \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/4GFbcSdICU\">pic.twitter.com/4GFbcSdICU\u003C/a>\u003C/p>— Mike Hollister 🇺🇸 (@ModernTrailhead) \u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/ModernTrailhead/status/2063308260644397164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 6, 2026\u003C/a>\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.x.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘A middle finger’ to the Constitution\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics of the new regulations accuse them of violating the First Amendment’s guarantees of religious freedom and prohibition against state establishment of religion.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mikey Weinstein, the co-founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said in a \u003Ca href=\"https://myemail.constantcontact.com/A--Middle-Finger--to-the-Constitution---MRFF-s-Mikey-Weinstein-Reacts-to-Hegseth-s-Slashing-of-180-Faiths-from-Recognized-Religi.html?soid=1101766362531&aid=49jCArumNhM\">press release\u003C/a> that the new policy was a “middle finger to the United States Constitution’s separation of church and state.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He characterized the change from 211 recognized religions to 31 as “another absolute, clear, filthy and disgusting, unconstitutional, immoral and unethical attempt to force only the approved solution, getting closer and closer to Christian nationalism.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A former military chaplain, speaking on condition of anonymity, told \u003Ca href=\"https://www.military.com/dod-officially-drops-180-faiths-from-militarys-recognized-religion-list\">Military.com\u003C/a> that the list was “an excuse for the failure to provide the free exercise of religion for all people.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former chaplain described the change as “a tragedy and travesty, absolutely,” saying, “As far as I’m concerned, that’s a violation of the United States Constitution.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Republican senators object to relabeling of Mormon Church\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the reduction of religious faiths has alarmed advocates for religious freedom, the new list is also drawing controversy for how it lists one of the faiths that remain recognized.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church, is included on the new list, but it is not listed as a “Christian” denomination, while the Catholic, Orthodox and various Protestant churches maintain the Christian label.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This has angered many Mormons, who feel their faith is being unfairly mislabeled in a way that harkens back to earlier persecution against Mormonism, a religious tradition that has its roots in the 19th-century teachings of American religious leader Joseph Smith.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/utah-senators-challenge-pentagon-over-lds-christian-status/gm-GM8009C860?gemSnapshotKey=GM8009C860-snapshot-1&uxmode=ruby\">Republican Utah Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis\u003C/a>, both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who represent a state that is predominantly Mormon, have vocally objected to the change.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lee, who has posted dozens of times on social media about the change, calls the labeling “offensive” and “repugnant to any sense of decency and any sense of our common heritage and our common belief that the government needs to not weigh in on doctrinal disputes between various religious denominations.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mike Lee demands that Pete Hegseth immediately reverse the new Pentagon policy that excludes Mormons from DOD’s list of recognized Christian denominations. He says it is “offensive” and “repugnant.” \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/NJ6QgYpK9s\">pic.twitter.com/NJ6QgYpK9s\u003C/a>\u003C/p>— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) \u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2063794774574829946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 8, 2026\u003C/a>\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.x.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lee has called on Hegseth and the Pentagon to change the policy and has claimed to have spoken directly to President Trump about “the Pentagon’s ‘Christian List.’”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I just got off the phone with President Trump \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>We discussed the Pentagon’s “Christian list”\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>I won’t speak for him, but I’m thrilled about where this is heading\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>We’re most fortunate that President Trump (1) loves Latter-day Saints, and (2) is our commander in chief \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Stay tuned \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/ofxMJJHly9\">https://t.co/ofxMJJHly9\u003C/a>\u003C/p>— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) \u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/2063841898838552928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 8, 2026\u003C/a>\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.x.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since taking over at the Pentagon, Hegseth has launched a campaign against diversity, seemingly targeting Black people and other minorities as well as women. Now, his efforts appear to be attempting to promote a much narrower vision of religious diversity as well, drawing rebukes from religious freedom advocates and even members of his own party.\u003C/p>\n",[64],{"id":65,"name":66,"slug":67,"description":9,"image":26},120,"Politics","politics",[69],{"id":70,"name":71,"slug":72,"description":9,"image":9},44529,"top stories","top-stories",{"url":74,"thumbnail":75,"credit":76,"title":77,"alt":78,"type":35,"width":79,"height":80,"mimeType":81},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-2219947154.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-2219947154-150x100.jpg","Photo: Getty Images","Senior man praying outdoors","Senior man with his hands clasped in front of his face in a moment of prayer or deep reflection on the city street",2118,1415,"image/jpeg","2026-06-11T08:29:37-04:00","2026-06-11 12:29:37","2026-06-11T08:29:44-04:00","2026-06-11 12:29:44",[],3,{"disableConnatixPlayer":40},{"disableAd":40,"disableConnatixPlayer":40,"enabledComments":40,"headScript":9},{"reviewer_name":9},{"id":92,"author":93,"authors":94,"title":96,"subTitle":97,"excerpt":9,"slug":98,"body":99,"categories":100,"tags":102,"featuredMedia":104,"publishedAt":112,"publishedAtGMT":113,"updatedAt":114,"updatedAtGMT":115,"type":38,"listicle":116,"disableContentGate":40,"disableListicleNumbers":40,"canonicalUrl":9,"socialThumbnail":9,"readingTime":87,"customFields":117,"additional":118,"acf":119},72912307,{"id":51,"avatar":52,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":53,"email":54,"username":53,"normalizedUsername":55,"description":9,"htmlBio":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":56},[95],{"id":51,"avatar":52,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":53,"email":54,"username":53,"normalizedUsername":55,"description":9,"htmlBio":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":56},"4 Republicans Sided With Dems To Reject SAVE America Act, The Restrictive Voter ID Law Pushed By Trump","Critics warned that the so-called ‘SAVE America Act’ would have prevented many eligible voters from casting ballots to address unfounded claims of election fraud","save-america-act-republicans-side-with-democrats-to-reject","\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/republicans-moving-to-eliminate-majority-black-districts-after-supreme-court-voting-rights-decision\">Republican\u003C/a> bill to enact restrictive voter ID measures has died in the Senate, with several GOP senators siding with Democrats to vote down the bill. Critics had argued that the bill was being pushed based on false Republican claims of voter fraud, and detractors warned that the stringent ID requirements would disenfranchise many people, including members of marginalized minority groups as well as trans individuals, married women and more.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Four Republicans side with Democrats to kill voter ID proposal\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, the Senate rejected an effort to push forward the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/04/nx-s1-5751145/save-act-senate-vote-trump\">SAVE America Act\u003C/a>, a law supported by President Trump that would implement a restrictive national voter ID standard. Most notably, the law would have required voters to present proof-of-citizenship documents, such as a passport or birth certificate, in order to register to vote, in addition to having to prove their identity, as is currently standard. The act would have also required all voters to present photo ID while voting, restrict options for registering and voting by \u003Ca href=\"https://campaignlegal.org/update/what-you-need-know-about-save-act\">mail\u003C/a>, and would have allowed the Department of Homeland Security to compile a national collection of states’ voter rolls in order to root out noncitizens through a \u003Ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/12/10/nx-s1-5588384/save-voting-data-us-citizens\">process\u003C/a> that has been criticized for erroneously flagging citizens.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump and his Republican allies presented the requirements as necessary to combat widespread voter fraud, which the president has repeatedly alleged without evidence. Critics pointed out that such voter fraud is incredibly rare and warned that millions of Americans did not have easy access to the documents required under the proposal.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Senate was attempting to attach the SAVE America Act to an immigration funding bill.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opposing Trump effort to push false voter fraud narrative\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats voted against the amendment to attach the SAVE America Act to the immigration bill, and they were joined by four Republican senators: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four Republicans had previously joined Democrats to block a version of the SAVE America Act in April. The rejection by the four Republicans was a rebuke to President Trump, who has pushed for the SAVE America Act as part of his false narrative of widespread voter fraud. Ahead of Thursday’s vote, Trump again pushed for the act during an Oval Office event while continuing to push unfounded election fraud conspiracy theories, insinuating without evidence that fraud was occurring in California’s primary elections.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Republicans must pass the SAVE America Act! \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/hTrMX3C54C\">pic.twitter.com/hTrMX3C54C\u003C/a>\u003C/p>— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) \u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2062618983954554890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 4, 2026\u003C/a>\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.x.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Act could have disenfranchised millions of voters\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/what-is-the-save-america-act-voter-id-bill\">Blavity\u003C/a> previously reported, Republicans in the House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in February. Critics of the bill warned that it could disenfranchise millions of people who did not have the required documents, such as a passport, and could not afford them or obtain them in time to vote. The law was expected to disproportionately impact young people and people of color.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The law could have also blocked the ability to vote for people whose legal names did not match their passports or birth certificates, such as married women or trans individuals. The act, which would have been implemented immediately if it had been passed, is part of a larger effort by Republicans to change the rules in their favor ahead of the midterm elections. The GOP has also been using partisan and racist \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/supreme-court-allows-alabama-to-use-map-previously-deemed-racist\">redistricting efforts\u003C/a> in Republican-controlled states to tilt the election their way as the two parties compete for control of Congress.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump had prioritized the SAVE America Act, previously posting on social media that the act “supersedes everything else” and saying that he “will not sign other bills until this is passed.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is unclear whether Trump will follow through on his earlier threat to refuse to sign other bills before the SAVE America Act is passed. For now, such passage does not appear to be happening anytime soon, with members of the president’s own party reaching across the aisle to block the restrictive voter ID measure from advancing.\u003C/p>\n",[101],{"id":65,"name":66,"slug":67,"description":9,"image":26},[103],{"id":70,"name":71,"slug":72,"description":9,"image":9},{"url":105,"thumbnail":106,"credit":107,"title":108,"alt":109,"type":35,"width":110,"height":111,"mimeType":81},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-2279085532.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GettyImages-2279085532-150x100.jpg","US President Donald Trump holds a printed copy of a post from his Truth Social account about \"The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act\" (also known as the \"SAVE America Act\") as he speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on June 4, 2026. | Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images","US-POLITICS-TRUMP","US President Donald Trump holds a printed copy of a post from his Truth Social account about \"The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act\" (also known as the \"SAVE America Act\") as he speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on June 4, 2026.",1024,683,"2026-06-11T08:05:36-04:00","2026-06-11 12:05:36","2026-06-11T08:06:27-04:00","2026-06-11 12:06:27",[],{"disableConnatixPlayer":40},{"disableAd":40,"disableConnatixPlayer":40,"enabledComments":40,"headScript":9},{"reviewer_name":9},{"id":121,"author":122,"authors":123,"title":125,"subTitle":126,"excerpt":9,"slug":127,"body":128,"categories":129,"tags":131,"featuredMedia":133,"publishedAt":141,"publishedAtGMT":142,"updatedAt":143,"updatedAtGMT":144,"type":38,"listicle":145,"disableContentGate":40,"disableListicleNumbers":40,"canonicalUrl":9,"socialThumbnail":9,"readingTime":87,"customFields":146,"additional":147,"acf":148},72911040,{"id":51,"avatar":52,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":53,"email":54,"username":53,"normalizedUsername":55,"description":9,"htmlBio":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":56},[124],{"id":51,"avatar":52,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":53,"email":54,"username":53,"normalizedUsername":55,"description":9,"htmlBio":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":56},"Think America’s Best Days Are Over? New Study Shows The Wealthier See Possibility While Most Americans See Decline","The Pew Research Center survey shows nearly every racial, political and income-based demographic is pessimistic about the country’s future compared to its past.","study-says-most-america-thinks-best-days-are-behind","\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the \u003Ca href=\"http://blavity.com/tags/united-states\">United States\u003C/a> prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, a new survey shows that most Americans believe the country’s best days are behind it rather than ahead. This view of the country, which crosses nearly every major demographic category, comes at a time of social, political and economic turmoil.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Most Americans see the country’s best years as ‘behind us’ rather than ahead\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003Ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/05/15/a-majority-of-americans-say-the-countrys-best-years-are-behind-us/?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=26.05.15%20-%20Heads%20up%20America%27s%20best%20days&org=982&lvl=100&ite=17727&lea=5092954&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0DQm00000CXyUjMAL\">Pew Research Center\u003C/a> asked a total of 3,560 adult Americans whether they were optimistic or pessimistic about what the country would be like 50 years from now, as well as whether they “think the country’s best years are…” either “ahead of us” or “behind us.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A significant majority, 59%, believe that the country’s best days have passed, while only 40% answered that they think America’s best days are yet to come.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This result holds across parties, with 64% of Democratic or Democratic-leaning Americans and 53% of Republican or Republican-leaning Americans holding this negative view of the country’s future compared to its past.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results also hold for almost all income groups. Only wealthier Americans did not have a predominantly negative outlook; this group was split evenly between those seeing the country’s best days ahead of us and those seeing them behind us.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary, 59% of Americans say the country’s best years are behind us, while 40% say its best years are ahead. \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/hFJG8fKmsc\">pic.twitter.com/hFJG8fKmsc\u003C/a>\u003C/p>— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/pewresearch/status/2055347896917041198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 15, 2026\u003C/a>\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black and Hispanic Americans most likely to see country’s best days in the past\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result also holds for every major racial or ethnic demographic, with majorities of white, Black, Hispanic and Asian American respondents all saying the best days of the United States are behind us.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This result is strongest for Black and Hispanic Americans, with nearly two-thirds of each group — 66% and 64%, respectively — seeing the country’s best days as being behind it.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The survey was conducted between Dec. 8 and Dec. 14, 2025. It reflects the views of Americans after nearly a year of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, which has seen economic instability, political turmoil and erratic foreign and domestic policies.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Black and Hispanic Americans, the two groups least likely to see things improving in the future, 2025 also saw various efforts to whitewash American history, a spike in \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/unemployment-rate-for-black-people-is-the-highest-since-the-pandemic\">Black unemployment\u003C/a> driven in part by the alleged targeting of Black officials at independent government agencies for dismissal, and a series of heavy-handed \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/trump-uses-slur-on-thanksgiving-when-discussing-pause-third-world-countries-immigrants\">immigration crackdowns\u003C/a> that largely targeted immigrant Hispanic and Black communities.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Partisan divide exists, but pessimism spans both Republicans and Democrats\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The negative view of the country’s prospects represents a shift over time.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2025 Pew survey shows that only 40% of adult Americans see the country’s best days are ahead. That figure is down from the 44% who saw America’s best days ahead in 2014.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This shift in opinion from the second Obama administration to Trump’s second presidency masks a partisan divide. More Republicans surveyed in 2025, 46%, see the United States’ best days ahead than Republicans surveyed in 2014, when only 36% felt that way.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That positive shift among Republicans is outweighed, however, by a sharp negative shift among Democrats. In 2014, a significant majority of Democrats surveyed, 57%, believed the country’s best days were ahead. By 2025, only 34% of Democrats surveyed shared that view.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In absolute terms, however, both parties are currently wary of the country’s future. About 39% of Republicans and 50% of Democrats said they were either very or somewhat pessimistic about the future, while only 33% of Republicans and 25% of Democrats said they were optimistic about where the country will be in 50 years.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the 250th anniversary of American independence approaching, most Americans currently have a negative outlook on the country’s future. As the party behind the “Make America Great Again” slogan seeks to hold onto power after this year’s midterm elections, the new Pew Research Center survey suggests the prevailing mood across the country is that the United States’ greatest days may already be in the past.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003C/p>\n",[130],{"id":65,"name":66,"slug":67,"description":9,"image":26},[132],{"id":70,"name":71,"slug":72,"description":9,"image":9},{"url":134,"thumbnail":135,"credit":136,"title":137,"alt":138,"type":35,"width":139,"height":140,"mimeType":81},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2213946093.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GettyImages-2213946093-150x100.jpg","Photo: Getty Images\n","Woman getting cold sitting under the blanket indoors. Copy space","Woman getting cold sitting under the blanket indoors. Home heating. Copy space.",2500,1667,"2026-05-18T07:10:00-04:00","2026-05-18 11:10:00","2026-05-18T08:17:34-04:00","2026-05-18 12:17:34",[],{"disableConnatixPlayer":40},{"disableAd":40,"disableConnatixPlayer":40,"enabledComments":40,"headScript":9},{"reviewer_name":9},289,["Reactive",151],{},["Set"],["ShallowReactive",154],{"757UNbGIXP":26,"L5mKWLzO22":26},"/racial-tension-rampant-in-jacksonville-after-black-boys-are-kicked-out-of-fair-for-wearing-memorial-apparel",["Reactive",157],{"isarticle":158},{"article":40,"cname":9,"iuParts":159},"/11462305847/bla"]