Anti-DEI Sentiments, ICE Raids, Driving Planners of Civil Rights, Ethic Festivals to Cancel Events

Some ethnic, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ events across the US have been canceled. Planners point to fears about immigration arrests and safety concerns as the major reasons.  

Leaders of Cinco de Mayo parades in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Flint, Michigan, canceled these events scheduled for Monday. The stated reason: they feared that agents would arrest people who came and deport them.      

Planners of Juneteenth events canceled summer events in Oregon and Illinois. They did so due to safety concerns. Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the US. And the Kennedy Center canceled a week of events to honor LGBTQ+ rights in DC. It had been set for early June. President Trump is the chair of the center.      

Meanwhile, planners of Denver’s Juneteenth Music Festival are scaling back the two-day event to just one day this summer. The reason: less support from companies. Many have cut diversity, equity, and inclusion plans due to pressure from the White House.     

“We are not going to take a chance,” Olga Renteria told CNN. She is the head of the canceled El Carnaval de Puebla event in Philadelphia. “Everyone is being cautious.”

In a statement, leaders of a canceled Juneteenth event wrote that "safety must come first."    

DC’s Capital Pride Alliance has broken from the Kennedy Center. It is taking its events elsewhere.   

“We are a resilient community,” June Crenshaw told The Associated Press. She is the head of the Alliance. Crenshaw called the fact that they had to make such moves "disappointing."   

Reflect: How do you think people feel when events that celebrate their culture or identity are cancelled?

Photo of previous Cinco de Mayo celebration from Wikimedia Commons.