Human Race

Buried

Using a bulldozer, demolition workers in China’s Henan province on April 14 shoved a house church leader and his wife into a pit as they protested the demolition of their church. “Bury them alive for me. … I will be responsible for their lives,” one worker said, according to advocacy group China Aid. The bulldozer covered Li Jiangong and his wife, Ding Cuimei, with soil. Li was able to free himself, but Ding suffocated and died. China Aid said a developer wanted control of Beitou Church’s valuable land. Though accused of a slow response, police have arrested two men.

Died

Prince Rogers Nelson, the pop icon known for his flamboyant style, died unexpectedly on April 21. He was 57. The seven-time Grammy winner was 19 when he released his first album in 1978. He rose to stardom in the 1980s, with his 1984 album Purple Rain at No. 1 for 24 weeks, winning him an Oscar for Best Original Song Score in the film by the same name. His songs’ sexually explicit lyrics—which prompted the movement for parental advisory labels—often contrasted with spiritual themes. “Don’t die without knowing the cross,” he sang in his 1987 song, “The Cross.” Prince for years changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, leading to his moniker as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” He entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. See full obituary.

Honored

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced on April 20 that former slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman would become the new face of the $20 bill, replacing President Andrew Jackson. Tubman helped lead more than 300 slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. The devout Christian later served as a Union spy and directed a raid that freed 700 slaves. Jackson will be moved to the back of the $20. New backs for the $10 and $5 bills will feature iconic figures from the women’s suffrage movement, along with Martin Luther King Jr. and Eleanor Roosevelt. Lew expects the changes to come by 2020, in time for the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.

Overturned

A federal three-judge panel on April 19 ruled that a Virginia school district discriminated against a transgender student by requiring the use of girls-only or private restrooms. The decision from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling and was a win for Gavin Grimm, a female high-school student who identifies as male. Gavin, 16, had sued the Gloucester County School Board for not allowing her to use the boys’ restroom. In its 2-1 decision, the federal panel said the Title IX sex discrimination statute applies to gender identity, and that requiring Gavin to use single-occupancy restrooms amounted to “humiliation.” The school board plans to appeal.

Sued

A gay Texas pastor has filed a lawsuit against Whole Foods Market for allegedly writing a homosexual slur on a customized “Love Wins” cake he purchased at its flagship store in Austin. Jordan Brown posted a video of his cake on April 14, saying he rushed out of the store before looking at the decorative writing. But Whole Foods has countersued, claiming Brown lied. The cake decorator is also “part of the LGBTQ community,” the store said, and security footage appeared to show the box seal had been moved.