Is The NFL Newly Woke?; 4 Ways Racial Inequality Affects Kids; Oregon's Deeply Racist Roots

Plus, why J.K. Rowling's tweets this week were so disappointing to so many by Jill Hudson and Suzette Lohmeyer [NFL image]( Bryan Allen/Getty Images Stories and podcasts you may have missed... The NFL will observe June 19 as a recognized holiday, announced NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The day, referred to as Juneteenth, commemorates the effective end of slavery in the U.S. Many say for a league that has been criticized for lagging behind on issues of race, [this seems to be turning a corner](. Anxiety occurs in women at nearly twice the rate of men, and pregnant and postpartum women are at especially high risk. Hormones may play a role, and women and girls face unique societal pressures that can put them at greater risk for anxiety, including sexual harassment and assault, experts says. New guidelines call for all adult and adolescent women and girls to be screened for [anxiety disorders beginning at age 13](. The economy continues to reopen, but many employees returning to work don't feel safe. And while the federal government has issued guidelines for employers during the outbreak, [they aren't mandatory or enforceable](. But there are still some things workers can do to protect themselves. The demands for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to pick a black woman as his running mate are growing louder, and not just from black voters. A recent poll found 46% of Democrats say it's important for [Biden to choose a candidate of color](. That's up from 36% in early April. U.S. Attorney General William Barr has repeatedly blamed anti-fascist activists for the violence that has erupted during demonstrations following George Floyd's death, but federal court records show [no sign of so-called antifa links so far]( in cases brought by the Justice Department. Opinion: Author J.K. Rowling's series of tweets that many read as transphobic saddened a good number of her fans and even received criticism from Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. NPR's Mallory Yu talks about charting her adolescence and [self-discovery through the Harry Potter series]( and the disappointment she felt when Rowling, a person Yu once revered, made her comments. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- How Are The Kids? [Exams image]( Franziska Barczyk for NPR For the first time, many colleges are becoming "test-flexible" — meaning students can choose to apply with a test score or not. It's not a new idea, but the coronavirus pandemic — which made it difficult for students to take the tests — pushed schools in that direction. Now many students who did not even consider certain schools because of their SAT or ACT [scores are taking a second look](. Remember throwing your cap to the sky at the end of your high school graduation ceremony? Well the ceremony for the class of 2020 is looking a lot different — as is the tradition of valedictorians and salutatorians. What's a student leader to say to this group that has missed out on so much? Here's what a few of them [came up with to try to inspire their classes](. Plus [essential workers give essential advice]( to the class of 2020. Equity has long been a problem in American education. In many ways, the issues playing out between police and communities of color — including implicit bias and overly harsh punishment — are playing out in schools, too. Here are four things to know about [how racial inequity affects the nation's schoolchildren](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen Up! [Orson Welles image]( Hulton Archive/Getty Images As theaters around the world closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, they have scrambled to find ways get work to the public. Some have made archival video of productions available, some have created Zoom plays, and some have returned to an old art form — radio drama — but with a digital twist. ([Listen here]( or [read the story]( People with intellectual disabilities and autism who contract COVID-19 die at higher rates than the rest of the population, according to an analysis by NPR of numbers obtained from two states that collect data. They also contract the virus at a higher rate, according to research looking into group homes across the United States. ([Listen here]( or [read the story]( Oregon has deep roots in racism, all the way back to its beginning. In 1844, before it was a state, it passed its first black exclusionary law. It banned slavery, but it also prohibited black people from living in the territory for more than three years. “[These] laws point to the fact that Oregon was founded as a racist white utopia,” said Walidah Imarisha, a black studies educator and writer based in Oregon. “The idea was that white folks would come here and build the perfect white society.” ([Listen here]( or [read the story]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Our Picture Show Pick [LA Riots 1965 image]( AP Los Angeles has a long and familiar history with police brutality and civil unrest. For those who lived through earlier convulsions — the Watts rebellion of 1965 and the Rodney King riots of 1992 — today's events surface intense personal memories. NPR's All Things Considered spoke with three African American men who bore witness to one or both of those events. Over the decades, each of them has thought seriously about [how policing in Los Angeles should change]( — and each has arrived at a different answer. --------------------------------------------------------------- Music Notes [Orville Peck image]( Tracy Hua/Courtesy of the artist As the profile of the masked, pseudonymous singer Orville Peck has risen, he has sometimes been held up as a solitary figure staking a queer claim to country music. But in [important ways, Peck isn't alone](. On Tuesday, while much of the music industry paused in recognition of unjust threats to black survival, Mickey Guyton's song "Black Like Me" appeared without promotional fanfare on Spotify's marquee Hot Country playlist. Guyton talks about [struggling as a black country singer]( in a format whose association with whiteness has been reinforced by market biases. Music has always been a vital part of protest and social justice. We asked our young black listeners: Is there one song that's [helping you address your feelings right now]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [bestofnpr@npr.org](mailto:bestofnpr@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](