Today’s Bwoglines bring you news from musicians in Mexico, politicians in the United States, and human rights advocates at Columbia Online University in the City of New York.

Happening in the World: Mariachi musicians in Mexico struggle to make ends meet without crowds and events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When speaking to CNN, a band said most of their work now is “funeral-related,” but they’re determined to stay upbeat—“trying to bring happiness to as many people as [they] can.” Many workers of Mexico’s ‘informal economy,’ including mariachi musicians, feel uncertain about what the future may hold, given the ongoing pandemic (CNN).

Happening in the US: On Thursday, September 17, President Trump announced that he would create a commission to encourage “patriotic education,” with a grant to help establish a “pro-America curriculum.” Trump continued to rail against “critical race theory, the 1619 Project, and the crusade against American history,” assigning the three as tasks perpetrated by “decades of left-wing indoctrination.” Trump’s statements follow a series of Republican objections to recent efforts to include the American history of systemic racism and oppression of racial minorities in the curriculum of American schools (NPR).

Happening in NYC: Mayor Bill de Blasio again delayed the commencement of in-person classes in the city’s public schools. The September 17 announcement effectively took a hit to the mayor’s attempts to make New York one of the only major American cities to have in-person classes. The announcement also specified that “the city will phase students back into classrooms on a rolling basis, starting with the youngest children,” while other students will begin the school year remotely. Elementary schools will open on September 29, with middle and high schools opening on October 1. Many New Yorkers were outraged with the mayor’s announcement, with some parents protesting and union leaders for principals and teachers warning that schools are not fit for reopening (NYT).

Happening in our community: Today, September 18, the Human Rights Institute is hosting a virtual event at noon, titled “How the Beijing Women’s Conference Speaks to Us Today.” The event will be moderated by UN representative Soon-Young Yoon and includes speakers Charlotte Bunch, Zonibel Woods, Dr. Uzma Gul, and Rahima Sajid. Contact information for the event is hri@law.columbia.edu. You can register for the event here (Columbia University Events Calendar).

Bill de Blasio via Flickr