Episode 12: Erasures
published February 25, 2025
It's the last episode of the season, and Akilah is thinking about her home, Florence, Kentucky. Over the course of our reporting, we've been told how much the town and county are changing, how much more diverse they're getting. What does the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and diversity mean for Florence? What does it mean for all of us? One last open record request underscores what we're up against, even as the battle feels larger than ever.
To view a selection of the open records we received from the school, along with bonus content for other episodes, visit our new website: https://rebelspiritpodcast.com
If you have a racist mascot at your high school or are an alumni of a high school with a racist mascot and want to share your own experience, please email us at rebelspiritpodcast@gmail.com.
We would love to talk to you!
Correction: We reference Linda McMahon as Education Secretary in this episode, as of publishing she is just the nomination.
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Episode Extras
Read the reporting by the Cincinnati Enquirer about the ICE raids happening in Boone County.
Our latest batch of open records requests didn't produce much, but it did produce this, an email from a teacher to Principal Stacy Black where he says that the "mongrel" is a good metaphor for diversity. Really.
And, of course we sent an open records request for that slide deck. Here it is in full:
But also, there was one more thing. Last fall we were leaked a 30-year-old document:
We've been asking questions about it ever since. More soon.