Inside N.J.’s Mosaic: A new art center, a star on the walk, and the latest on DEI

Mosaic is NJ.com’s news site dedicated to serving New Jersey’s diverse and underrepresented communities.

Welcome to this week’s newsletter!

Reporter Steve Strunsky introduces us to the new Ronald L. Rice Arts Center in Newark, which will offer music, video, and photography classes for at-risk youth. The center, built with $1 million in federal funds, is named for Rice, a former state senator. Local leaders, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Councilman Dupré Kelly and producer Jerry “Wonda” Duplessis attended the opening, 30 years after Baraka and Duplessis worked on the Fugees' The Score album. Read more about it in Steve’s article: Hip-hop roots run deep at Newark arts center for at-risk youth.

I’ve been following trends surrounding DEI initiatives not only in Jersey but nationwide. And surprise, surprise. President Donald Trump followed through with promises to cut DEI programs, giving colleges and universities nationwide two weeks to end diversity programs or risk losing federal funding. In a memo from the U.S. Department of Education, the administration requires that the institutions stop using “racial preferences” in admissions, financial aid, hiring, or other areas outlined in my story: Trump administration orders schools to end diversity programs in 14 days.

General manager Ronnie Agnew gave us an editorial on how President Trump’s executive eliminating Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at the federal level have triggered a wave of rollbacks in the private sector, hurting Americans who benefit from the initiatives. Companies like Google, Meta, Wal-Mart, and Target have ended DEI efforts – a move many view as a step backward that tarnishes America’s progress toward equality and inclusion. Read more about the issue in Ronnie’s editorial: Trump’s assault on DEI must be stopped. Diversity makes us strong, not weak.

On a lighter note, actress and showrunner Mindy Kaling received a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday in Los Angeles, making history as the first South Asian actress to do so. Read more about it in Reporter Vashti Harris' Mindy Kaling makes history as first South Asian woman on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Wishing you were in Hawaii and could escape the snow and work? Check out Food and Culture writer Karim Shamsi-Basha’s list of Hawaiian-inspired eateries that attempt to bring you a taste of the islands. Find out where they are and the fantastic deals they offer in Karim’s column: Affordable Eats: Warm up with these Hawaiian specialties in chilly NJ!

If you missed it, Nyah Marshall interviewed Sahli Negassi, a 17-year-old West Orange High School student, who scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT in her article: Meet the N.J. high school student who earned a perfect SAT score. The teen balanced sports, clubs, and schoolwork while studying independently. His achievement earned him a spot as a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Negassi, who thanked his parents, teachers, and friends for their support, hopes to study law at Harvard. What a great example of Black excellence!

See you back here next week.

Keep up with New Jersey’s diverse communities with the Mosaic newsletter, which provides the most popular stories from Mosaic of the past week. Click HERE to sign up.

Follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom and on YouTube at @MosaicNJcom.