Social justice speech at National Credit Union cancelled thanks to Trump's critical race theory ban

Afro-Latinx activist Rosa A. Clemente lamented the loss of her speaking gig due to President Trump's new prohibition on spending federal funds on critical race theory reeducation.

Clemente, who was an outspoken advocate for both the #MeToo and Times Up movements, said that she was intending to present her keynote address, called "Unapologetically Black: Afro-Latinx Culture and Indentity," at the National Credit Union Administration when she was summarily dismissed from that engagement.

Her contract was only 10 days old at the time of cancellation, and was done so per a clause in that contract stating that "the Government reserves the right to terminate this contract, or any part hereof, for its sole convenience." The contract specifies that Clemente will receive a percentage of her contract fee, but that her services will no longer be required.

Clemente noted that she's not the only critical race theorist whose speaking engagements have been cancelled as a result of Trump's latest executive order, and that she would be requesting payment for a portion of her fee.

She also stated that "for gig economy workers" like herself, a cancellation is especially damaging because of the time put in on the endeavour.

In 2018, Clemente gave a speaking tour called "Untold Stories: Memory, History and Resistance," where she spoke at over 200 academic institutions, to students, faculty, and community. In 2020, Clemente advocated for a worker strike, and most recently she spoke at Hartford University's Rogow Distinguished Visiting Lecturer Series on Black Lives Matter, and the roots of that movement.

Trump recently put a prohibition on the use of federal funding to pay for critical race theory education or content either in federal government agencies or by third party contractors that do work with the federal government or its agencies.