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Safiyah Riddle.

Attorney General Letitia James, center, arrives for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's swearing-in ceremony, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in New York. (Amir Hamja/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Zohran Mamdani officially sworn in on a Quran full of symbolism

January 1, 2026

Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is making history not only as the city’s first mayor to take the oath of office on a Quran but also as the first Muslim, South Asian, and African-born mayor. One of the centuries-old copies of the Quran was chosen because it reflects the vibrant Muslim community in New York. It includes a pocket-sized Quran from the Ottoman Syria, part of a collection documenting Black contributions to history. The inauguration has sparked anti-Muslim rhetoric, but scholars hope it will encourage interest in the city’s Islamic history.

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This photo provided by The New York Public Library shows the Schomburg Quran on Dec. 16, 2025 in New York. (Jonathan Blanc/The New York Public Library via AP)

Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in as mayor on a Quran, a first in New York City history

December 31, 2025

Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will make history as the city’s first mayor to take the oath of office on a Quran. He will also be the first Muslim, South Asian, and African-born mayor. One of the centuries-old copies of the Quran he’ll use was chosen because it reflects the vibrant Muslim community in New York. It includes a pocket-sized Quran from the Ottoman Syria, part of a collection documenting Black contributions to history. The inauguration has sparked anti-Muslim rhetoric, but scholars hope it will encourage interest in the city’s Islamic history. The Quran will be displayed at the New York Public Library after the ceremony.

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FILE - The Autherine Lucy Clock Tower at the Malone Hood Plaza stands in front of Foster Auditorium on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, Ala., June 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes, File)

Professors, students appeal ruling on Alabama law banning DEI initiatives at public universities

December 15, 2025

A group of students and professors in Alabama is appealing a state law that bans diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in public schools. The law, effective October 2024, prohibits using state funds for DEI programs or endorsing “divisive concepts” related to race and gender. U.S. District Judge David Proctor has allowed the law to remain, stating it permits objective discussions without endorsement. Critics argue it limits academic freedom and alters curriculums. Professor Dana Patton says the law’s vagueness forces her to change long-standing courses to avoid repercussions. The appeal follows a similar federal mandate from the Department of Justice.

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Unseen photos of Rosa Parks return to Montgomery, Alabama, seven decades later

December 7, 2025

Newly released photos of Rosa Parks emphasize lesser-known aspects of her legacy. These images, made public for the first time, show Parks a decade after her involvement in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, 70 years ago this month. They highlight her continued activism beyond that iconic moment. The photos were released to the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. They are part of a project to reunite Civil Rights photographer Matt Herron’s work with the communities he depicted. The collection also includes images from the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965. Participants Doris Wilson and Cheryl Gardner Davis reflected on their experiences and the significance of these historical moments, during a recent gathering with Herron’s widow.

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