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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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BY BREE NEWSOME BASS

BLACK COPS DON’T MAKE POLICING ANY LESS ANTI-BLACK

The idea that we can resolve racism by integrating a fundamentally anti-Black institution in the U.S. is the most absurd notion of all

This article is part of Abolition for the People, a series brought to you by a partnership between Kaepernick Publishing and LEVEL, a Medium publication for and about the lives of Black and Brown men. The series, which comprises 30 essays and conversations over four weeks, points to the crucial conclusion that policing and prisons are not solutions for the issues and people the state deems social problems — and calls for a future that puts justice and the needs of the community first.

Amid recent growing calls for defunding police this summer, a set of billboards appeared in Dallas, Atlanta, and New York City. Each had the words “No Police, No Peace” printed in large, bold letters next to an image of a Black police officer. Funded by a conservative right-wing think tank, the billboards captured all the hallmarks of modern pro-policing propaganda. The jarring choice of language, a deliberate corruption of the protest chant “no justice, no peace,” follows a pattern we see frequently from proponents of the police state. Any word or phrase made popular by the modern movement is quickly co-opted and repurposed until it’s rendered virtually meaningless. But perhaps the most insidious aspect of modern pro-police propaganda is reflected in the choice to make the officer on the billboard the face of a Black man.

This is in keeping with a narrative pro-police advocates seek to push on a regular basis in mass media — that policing can’t be racist when there are Black officers on the force, and that the police force itself is an integral part of Black communities. When Freddie Gray died in police custody, police defenders quickly pointed out that three of the officers involved were Black, implying that racism couldn’t be a factor in a case where the offending officers were the same race as the victim.

When I scaled the flagpole at South Carolina’s capital in 2015 and lowered the Confederate flag, many noted that it was a Black officer who was tasked with raising the flag to the top of its pole again. When an incident of brutality brings a city to its brink, Black police chiefs are paraded to podiums and cameras to serve as the face of the United States’ racist police state and to symbolically restore a sense of order. One of the most frequent recommendations from police reformists is to recruit and promote more Black officers. This is based on an argument that the primary problem with policing centers on a “breakdown of trust” between police forces and communities they have terrorized for decades; the solution, then, is to “restore trust” between the two parties by recruiting officers who resemble the communities they police. Images of police officers dancing or playing basketball with Black children in economically deprived neighborhoods are often published as local news items to help drive this narrative home. The idea gained traction in the aftermath of numerous urban rebellions in the 1960s and has seen a resurgence in the wake of the 2014 Ferguson uprising.

When protests broke out in Atlanta this past summer in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, the city’s Black mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, held a press conference flanked by some of Atlanta’s most famous and wealthy Black residents. Together they pleaded for protestors to go home and leave property alone. Soon after, Rayshard Brooks was killed by white police officers in Atlanta. The moment exposed a class divide that exists in cities all over the nation: A chasm between the image of Black affluence promoted by Black politicians and the Black petite bourgeoisie (middle class) and the lived realities of the majority of Black residents in those cities, many of whom still face disproportionate unemployment, displacement by rapid gentrification, and policies that cater to white corporate interests. If the solution to racism were simply a matter of a few select Black people gaining entry to anti-Black institutions, we would see different outcomes than what we’re witnessing now. But the idea that we can resolve racism by integrating what is perhaps the most fundamentally anti-Black institution in the U.S. — its policing and prison industry — is the most absurd notion of all.

Part of the reason why calls to defund police have sent such shock waves through the nation, prompting placement of pro-police billboards and pushback from figures of the Black establishment, is because it cuts right to the heart of how structural racism operates in the United States. At a time when the Black elite would prefer to measure progress by their own tokenized positions of power and symbolic gestures like murals, the push to defund police would require direct confrontation with how the white supremacist system has been organized since the end of chattel slavery — when the prisons replaced plantations as the primary tool of racial control. Actions that may have been widely seen as adequate responses to injustice just a couple of decades ago now ring hollow to many observers who see that Black people continue to be killed by a system that remains largely unchanged.

Police forces represent some of the oldest white fraternal organizations in the United States. The rules of who is empowered to police and who is subject to policing are fundamental to the organization of the racial caste system. Even in the earliest days of integrating police forces, Black officers were often told they couldn’t arrest white people. The integration of police forces does nothing to alter their basic function as the primary enforcers of structural racism on a daily basis, and the presence of Black officers only serves as an attempt to mask this fact.

Police forces in America began as slave patrols, and their primary function has always been to act in service of the white ownership class and its capitalist production. In one century, that meant policing and controlling enslaved Black people, with the purview to use violence against free Black people as well; in another, it involved cracking down on organized labor, for the benefit of white capitalists. Receiving a badge and joining the force has been an entryway to white manhood for many European immigrants — providing them a sense of citizenship and superiority when they would have traditionally been part of the peasantry rather than the white owner class.

That spirit of white fraternity remains deeply entrenched in the culture of policing and its unions today, regardless of this new wave of Black police chiefs and media spokespeople. Police forces became unionized around the same time various other public employees sought collective bargaining rights — however, under capitalism, their role as maintainers of race-property relations remains the same. The most fundamental rule of race established under chattel slavery was that Black people were the equivalent of white property (if not counted as less than property). This relationship between race and property is most overt during periods of open rebellion against the police state, where officers are deployed to use lethal force in the interest of protecting inanimate property. We see swifter and harsher punishments handed out to those who vandalize police cars than to police who assault and kill Black people. (This is a major reason why the press conference in Atlanta with T.I. and Killer Mike struck people as classist and out of touch with the majority Black experience.)

This same pattern extends throughout the carceral state. Roughly a quarter of all bailiffs, correctional officers, and jailers are Black, yet there’s no indication that diversifying the staff of a racist institution results in less violence and death for those who are held within it. That’s because the institution continues to operate as designed. It is not “broken,” as reformists are fond of saying. The fallacy is in believing the function of police and prisons is to mete out punishment and justice in an equitable manner and not to first and foremost serve as a means of maintaining the race, gender, and class hierarchy of an oppressive society.

Believing that the system is “broken” rather than functioning exactly as intended requires a certain adherence to white supremacist and anti-Black beliefs. One has to ignore the rampant amount of violence, fraud, and theft being committed by some of the most powerful figures in society with little to no legal consequence while massive amounts of resources are devoted to the hyper-policing of the poor for infractions as minor as trespassing, shoplifting, and turnstile jumping at subway stations.

The Trump era has provided some of the starkest examples of this dynamic. The most powerful person in the nation and his associates have been able to break the law and violate the Constitution — including documented crimes against humanity — in full view of the public while he proclaims himself the upholder of law and order. Wealthy celebrities involved in the college admissions bribery scandal have gotten away with a slap on the wrist for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar scheme while a dozen NYPD officers surrounded a Black teenager, guns drawn, for the “crime” of failing to pay $2.75 for a subway ride.

The propaganda that depicts this type of policing as being essential to public safety and order is fundamentally classist and anti-Black. It traces its roots to the Black Codes that were passed immediately after the Civil War to control the movements of newly freed Black people. It relies on the racist assumption that Black people would run amok and pose a threat to the larger society if not kept under the constant surveillance of a police force that has authority to kill them if deemed necessary, and with virtual impunity. That’s why we are inundated with a narrative that depicts the police officer who regularly patrols predominantly Black communities as being an essential part of maintaining order in society.

One of the primary talking points against calls to defund and abolish police is that Black communities would have no way to maintain peace and order, and that a state of chaos would ensue. In wealthier neighborhoods, if an officer is present at all, they’re most likely positioned by a gate at the top of the neighborhood to monitor who enters. Meanwhile, the officer assigned to the predominantly Black community is there to keep a watchful eye on the residents themselves, and to ensure they are contained in their designated place within the larger city or town.

The current political divide on this issue falls exactly along these lines, separating those who think the system is simply in need of reform and those who correctly define the problem as the system itself. The reality is that Black people fall on both sides of this divide, which is why we find so many Black officers in uniform arguing for a reformist agenda even as every reform they propose is vociferously opposed by the powerful, majority-white police unions and most of the rank and file. Reformists remain committed to preserving the existing system even though the idea of reforming it to be the opposite of what it was designed to be is an unproven theory that’s no more realistic than the idea of abolishing police altogether.

The most pressing question remains: Why are we seeking to integrate and reform modern manifestations of the slave patrols and plantations in the first place? In Mississippi and Louisiana, state penitentiaries are converted plantations. What is a reformed plantation — and what is its purpose?

We must remember that many of these so-called “reforms” are not new. For as long as the plantation and chattel slavery systems existed, there also existed Black slaveowners, Black overseers, and Black slave catchers who participated in and profited from the daily operations of white supremacy. The presence of these few Black people in elevated positions of power did nothing to change the material conditions of the millions of enslaved people back then. And it makes no greater amount of sense to believe they indicate a shift in material conditions for Black people now.

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simshousewindsor · 2 years

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[SNN Studios, Greater Easton]

Anderson Cooper: It’s been a busy 2 days for the royal family! We have to start with Windenburg’s hottest news! Princess Lara and Anthony Mercier-Jones are Sims Gala official!

Shon Gableton: Yes, Anderson! Not only did the Princess surprise everyone by attending last nights Simsopolitan Gala, her date was Anthony Mercier-Jones, her rumored boyfriend!

Shon: Princess Lara walked the red carpet stunning everyone with Jones, her rumored boyfriend on her arm. The moment ended months of dating speculations. Her Royal Highness wore a unique choice though, the Amelia Coronation Dress by @thedevilliers, which did fit the theme of Custom Couture Classic wear. The Gala was held at the historic Simspolitan Museum of Art in Greater Easton.

Anderson: The pair walked the red carpet more-like a celebrity couple rather than a Royal couple, breaking royal protocol by giving the paparazzi and screaming fans a kiss! Looks like we have a new hottest couple alert!

Anderson: King George, along with Queen Rowena, was spotted in Buckingsimshire boarding the Royal Train yesterday. Their Majesty’s travelled over 400 miles, to the south Windenburg town of Frankfurt, to attend the funeral of Marvin Bagley III, husband to King George’s first cousin Princess Viola of Hastings.

Anderson: Twins, Vester and Viola, are the only children of the late His Royal Highness Prince Albert, Duke of Hastings. The Duke, King George’s uncle, died before the twins were born.

Shon: Oh yes! Although both were given the title of Prince and Princess, Vester was not bestowed his fathers Dukedom, right?

Anderson: Correct. Which led to many petitioning, then, King Edward II to grant Prince Vester, what many believed, his rightful Dukedom. Many even speculated the Prince would be granted an Earldom through letters patent. It never happened.

Shon: Princess Viola arrived at the chapel with her daughter, Lily, Prince Vester and his wife, Hattie.

Anderson: His Majesty arrived shortly after and was seen departing just before Princess Viola and family. King George has not been seen with his cousins in several years which has many royal watchers thinking those petitions to his father have finally made it to his desk.

Shon: Forget the politics, let's talk fashion! Queen Rowena looked absolutely chic wearing the grey Barbie Sweater from The Timeless Collection by @sentate x @rustys-cc.

Shon: We also got a first glimpse at The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who attended last nights 53rd Annual Royal Navy Academy Ball in Brindleton Bay; their first official night of the Commonwealth Tour. The Duchess wore the Camilla Dress by @sentate x @rustys-cc pairing it with simple jewelry while Prince Rainier stayed in his Navy whites.

Anderson: First day of the Commonwealth Tour was a success. I doubt we will get anymore images from inside last nights super exclusive event but rumors are The Duke and Duchess shined on the dance floor! Their Royal Highnesses had downtime today and will resume their schedule tomorrow with a tour of the Naval Ship Destroyer followed by a Youth Field Day event at Brindleton Bay Stables.

Shon: New Supreme Court Justice, Judge Keisha Bottoms, is scheduled to visit Buckingsim Palace tomorrow to meet The King, before officially joining the Court and becoming Windenburg’s 6th Justice next week. Bottoms will fill the seat left vacant after Justice Grinsley’s death. The Royal Family looks to have a busy week ahead!

Previous | Beginning | Next - continue Finding Love for the Princess (story)

Previous | Beginning | Next - continue Cambridge Chaos (story)

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diaryofanangryasianguy · 3 years

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03/17/21

How to Help Combat Anti–Asian American Violence

On Tuesday, eight people were killed in shootings at three Atlanta-area spas. Six of the victims were Asian women. Police have arrested a suspect, a 21-year-old white man named Robert Aaron Long who may have been en route to Florida to carry out more shootings, according to Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

In Georgia specifically, organizations like Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ), the Asian American Advocacy Fund (AAF), and the Center For Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS) provide critical support to the community through legal services, policy advocacy, and life-saving resources for new immigrants and refugees. The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) fights for reproductive health and rights and has worked to defeat sex-selective abortion bans and other forms of medical racial profiling.

#asian american #news #racism #resources #tw sensitive material

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orikoaurora · 3 years

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What Do You Need To Know About The Stop Asian Hate Movement.

Ever since it came to light that the COVID-19 virus originated in Wuhan, China, incidents of hate against Asians in America have been steadily on the rise. According to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, there has been an increase of 150 percent in hate crimes against Asians in the US in 2020 — more than double of 2019. These include attacks on people of Asian origin as well as the businesses run by them. The study found that two of the cities, where Asians have been targeted the most are Los Angeles and New York.

Experts such as Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research non-profit AAPI Data, believe that part of the hatred against Asians has been fuelled by the repeated use of “China virus” and “Kung Flu” by former US President Donald Trump, conservative media outlets as well as his supporters when referring to COVID-19. Commenting on the stereotypes that Asian Americans face in the US, John C. Yang President and Executive Director of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) told CNN, “Unfortunately, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders often are invisible to the public. Or, where we are visible, it falls into a couple of different stereotypes. One stereotype is the so called ‘model minority’ — the suggestion that there are no issues that really affect the Asian American community.”

This hate, marginalisation and stereotype assumed a horrific shape on March 16, 2021, in Georgia which sent shockwaves among Asians living in America and other parts of the world.

What Happend In Georgia?

Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white American, shot dead eight people at three massage parlours in Cherokee County and Atlanta city. Six of those killed were women of Asian descent. Long has been arrested and charged with eight counts of murder — four each in Cherokee and Atlanta, besides charges related to aggravated assault, attempt to murder and use of a firearm. Though Long claimed he was not motivated by the race of the victims and hate crime is not part of the charges against him, many, including Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, believe the mass shooting was an act of hate crime.

Has There Been Any Incident Post The Georgia Spa Shooting?

Multiple attacks on people of Asian origin have been reported across the US in the week since the Georgia spa shootings. A day after the incident, a 75-year-old woman was brutally assaulted in San Francisco. In three separate incidents on March 21 in New York City, a 54-year-old was hospitalised after being attacked, a 41-year-old was attacked from behind and a 37-year-old was assaulted on her way to an anti-Asian violence protest. While a man has been charged in the San Francisco incident, two men and a woman have been charged in the three NY incidents.

What Has Been The Response To The Attacks?

People have been highlighting these hate crime incidents on social media, raising awareness and asking everyone to look out for their Asian American family, friends and neighbours. Thousands took to the streets in New York, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Washington and even Montreal in Canada in the last few days speaking out against anti-Asian hate, calling for police reforms and criticising Trump for his hateful rhetoric against China during the pandemic.

During one of the marches, San Antonio Mayor Juliàn Castro told demonstrators that “For generations, Asian Americans have been discriminated against. I don’t have to tell that to anybody in this crowd.”

Following the March 16 incident, the US House Judiciary Committee’s civil rights committee held a hearing on the anti-Asian bias — a first in over 30 years.

Are Prominent People Speaking Out On This Issue?

In the backdrop of the rise in hate crimes against the community, numerous celebrities have extended their support to rights groups and families of victims while expressing solidarity with Asians in America. Among them are actors Awkwafina, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Olivia Munn, and Ken Jeong, designers Prabal Gurung and Yoon Ahn, models Mona Matsuoka and Soo Joo Park besides several others.

In an emotional Instagram video after the Georgia attacks, Tony Award-winning Ashley Park of Emily in Paris fame drew attention to the systemic racism that Asians face daily even “starting with children, when every Asian kid should be able to be good at math and play a classical instrument…”

“This racism starts at a very small level. It starts with things that you say. It starts when someone calls a virus that shut down the whole world the ‘Kung Flu virus.’ It also starts when you roll your eyes or make fun of Asian waiters or Chinese food delivery people and the nail artist,” she says in the post calling to stop Asian hate that has been viewed over three million times.

Min Jin Lee, the celebrated author of Pachinko, in support of the Stop Asian Hate movement, tweeted, “In less than 48 hours, we had a historic Asian Oscar moment with multiple firsts in 93 years — then a mass shooting targeting 3 Asian-owned businesses. This is how terrorism works — you’re not allowed to feel safe, accepted, or valued. We can resist. Take up space. Make noise.”

Appearing before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on March 18, The Good Doctor producer and actor Daniel Dae Kim called for the passage of the No Hate Bill and the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act. Referring to the failure of the bill’s passage last year, he said, “I was disheartened to find that for a bill that required no money or resources, just a simple condemnation of acts of hate against people of Asian descent, 164 members of Congress, all Republican voted against it. And now here I am again, because as every witness in this hearing has pointed out, the situation has gotten worse, much worse.”

He told the committee that even though the country Asians call their home “may consider us statistically insignificant now, but one more fact that has no alternative is that we are the fastest-growing racial demographic in the country. We are 23 million strong. We are united, and we are waking up.”

Many celebrities have been raising the issue of hate incidents against members of the community for a long time. Others who have been vocal about it include tennis star and multiple Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who, in a Tweet on February 7, wrote, “The amount of hate, racism, and blame for COVID towards the Asian community is disgusting. The fact that this topic is not very widely covered makes me concerned. I only found videos and information because I was scrolling through my IG feed and by some algorithm it appeared.”

#stop asian hate #stopthehate #stop asian violence #make it stop #asian lives fucking matter #asian lives matter #racisim #stop racism #all lives matter #all lives are equal #all lives fucking matter

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ghjco · 3 years

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Black History Month Reading List

As we continue our anti-racist work, we’re participating in Black History Month by focusing on ways to further the intentions that many have set this month and encourage action far beyond February.

In June, we made a promise to listen, to understand how we got to where we are, and to learn how we can do better — fighting systemic racism to make an anti-racist future a reality now. As a Team, we’re taking Black History Month as an opportunity to learn more about the Black voices, leaders, and contributions that have been made to health and wellness, to help us better understand the space we are so grateful to be a part of.

Understanding Black history in Canada and beyond, and committing to educate ourselves and others about systemic racism is essential. This past month, our Inclusion & Diversity Team has been reading Layla F. Saad’s Me and White Supremacy as an exercise to self-reflect on our own privilege, systemic racism, and in aligning our values with our actions.

To further broaden our own and other’s understanding, we (virtually) perused the shelves at Toronto’s A Different Booklist -- a Canadian, independent, multicultural bookstore specializing in books from the African Caribbean Diaspora and the Global South -- to put together a list of important Black history and anti-racism titles. This is a great first step, and as Rosa Parks said, “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.” Start where you can, always try, and carry these learnings with you each and every day until we live in a world that is truly equal.

Four Hundred Souls by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, Random House, 2021 Fresh on the shelves, Four Hundred Souls is written by historian, anti-racist scholar, and award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi and historian Keisha N. Blain. Together this duo assembled ninety brilliant writers, who each explored and shared stories and history from a five-year period of the four-hundred-year journey of African Americans from 1619 to the present. This is at the top of many of our must-read lists, not just for the opportunity to learn in such a unique storytelling format, but to learn from such a diverse collection of minds and perspectives.

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad and Robin J. DiAngelo, Sourcebooks, 2020 As we mentioned above, our Inclusion & Diversity team is working through this eye-opening book that challenges the reader to do the essential work of confronting your biases, and understanding systemic racism and our place within these systems, whether we knew we were there or not. More than just a book, Me and White Supremacy is a journey in learning and unlearning, with journal prompts that have the reader do further reflection into their own privilege and help continue the work necessary to create social change.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, Basic Books, 2019 A title picked up by many this past summer when the tools and context needed to be a true ally in anti-racist conversations were found to be lacking. While the author points out that they hope a book like this is not needed in the future, today it serves as a hard-hitting examination of race in America, guiding its readers to a place where honest conversations about race and racism can take place.

The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr., Putnam, 2021 Yet another very new release and one we have not yet read, but solely based on The New York Times Book Review (describing the book as spell-casting), this is next up in our pile of books to read through. This is the author Robert Jones Jr.’s (Creator of the social justice social media community Son of Baldwin) debut novel -- a fierce story of the “forbidden union” between two enslaved young men in the American South. A painful examination of this time in history, but with beautiful displays of “the enormous, heroic power of love.”

The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole, Doubleday Canada, 2020 A national bestseller and winner of last year’s Toronto Book Award, this perspective-shifting book comes from one of our country’s most celebrated and powerful voices, Desmond Cole. After exposing the racist actions of the Toronto police force, this title explores just one year -- 2017 -- in the anti-racist fight in Canada. Cole has committed much of his work on defending Black lives, The Skin We’re In is a truly essential read for anti-racist and social justice movements in Canada.

#Black history month #reading list #greenhouse reads #Black history month reading list #books

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fuckyeahmarxismleninism · 4 years

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By Lizz Toledo

On June 15, protesters shouting “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” surrounded and blocked Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ car from leaving City Hall. This came after a weekend of rebellion in response to the murder of Rayshard Brooks by two white police officers in the city’s southwest, a poor working-class community.

#JusticeForRayshardBrooks #Atlanta #protest #BlackLivesMatter #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #JailKillercops #police brutality #racism #Keisha Lance Bottoms #Lizz Toledo #Struggle La Lucha

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newstfionline · 4 years

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Headlines

Exhausted cities face another challenge: a surge in violence (AP) Still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic and street protests over the police killing of George Floyd, exhausted cities around the nation are facing yet another challenge: a surge in shootings that has left dozens dead, including young children. The spike defies easy explanation, experts say, pointing to the toxic mix of issues facing America in 2020: an unemployment rate not seen in a generation, a pandemic that has killed more than 130,000 people, stay-at-home orders, rising anger over police brutality, intense stress, even the weather. “I think it’s just a perfect storm of distress in America,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after a weekend of bloodshed in her city. Jerry Ratcliffe, a Temple University criminal justice professor and host of the “Reducing Crime” podcast, put it more bluntly: “Anybody who thinks they can disentangle all of this probably doesn’t know what they’re talking about.” Through Sunday, shootings in New York City were up more than 53%—to 585—so far this year. In Dallas, violent crime increased more than 14% from April to June. In Philadelphia, homicides were up 20% for the week ending July 5 over last year at this time. In Atlanta, 31 people were shot over the weekend, five fatally, compared with seven shootings and one killing over the same week in 2019.

Congress created virus aid, then reaped the benefits (AP) At least a dozen lawmakers have ties to organizations that received federal coronavirus aid, according to newly released government data, highlighting how Washington insiders were both author and beneficiary of one of the biggest government programs in U.S. history. Under pressure from Congress and outside groups, the Trump administration this week disclosed the names of some loan recipients in the $659 billion Paycheck Protection Program, launched in April to help smaller businesses keep Americans employed during the pandemic. Connections to lawmakers, and the organizations that work to influence them, were quickly apparent. Members of Congress and their families are not barred from receiving loans under the PPP, and there is no evidence they received special treatment. Hundreds of millions of dollars also flowed to political consultants, opposition research shops, law firms, advocacy organizations and trade associations whose work is based around influencing government and politics. While voting, lobbying and ultimately benefiting from legislation aren’t illegal, advocates say the blurred lines risk eroding public trust in the federal pandemic response. “It certainly looks bad and smells bad,” said Aaron Scherb, a spokesperson for Common Cause, a watchdog group that was also approved for a loan through the program.

Missouri summer camp virus outbreak raises safety questions (AP) Missouri leaders knew the risk of convening thousands of kids at summer camps across the state during a pandemic, the state’s top health official said, and insisted that camp organizers have plans in place to keep an outbreak from happening. The outbreak happened anyway. An overnight summer camp in rural southwestern Missouri has seen scores of campers, counselors and staff infected with the coronavirus, the local health department revealed this week, raising questions about the ability to keep kids safe at what is a rite of childhood for many. The Kanakuk camp near Branson ended up sending its teenage campers home. On Friday, the local health department announced 49 positive cases of the COVID-19 virus at the camp. By Monday, the number had jumped to 82.

Our Cash-Free Future Is Getting Closer (NYT) PARIS—On a typical Sunday, patrons at Julien Cornu’s cheese shop used to load up on Camembert and chèvre for the week, with about half the customers digging into their pockets for euro notes and coins. But in the era of the coronavirus, cash is no longer à la mode at La Fromagerie, as social distancing requirements and concerns over hygiene prompt nearly everyone who walks through his door to pay with plastic. “People are using cards and contactless payments because they don’t want to have to touch anything,” said Mr. Cornu, as a line of mask-wearing shoppers stood three feet apart before approaching the register and swiping contactless cards over a reader. While cash is still accepted, even older shoppers—his toughest clientele when it comes to adopting digital habits—are voluntarily making the switch. Cash was already being edged out in many countries as urban consumers paid increasingly with apps and cards for even the smallest purchases. But the coronavirus is accelerating a shift toward a cashless future. Fears over transmission of the disease have compelled consumers to rethink how they shop and pay.

The White House and AMLO (Foreign Policy) Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador visits the White House today (Wednesday) for his first foreign trip since winning the presidency in 2018. His arrival in Washington on Tuesday evening was typically on-brand for the leftist leader: He flew in economy class on a commercial airliner (albeit in an exit row). Unlike Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—who spurned an invite to today’s meeting as the U.S. government threatens to place tariffs on Canadian aluminum—this summit is too good an opportunity for López Obrador to turn down. That’s largely because of the importance of the United States to Mexico’s economy—which is predicted to contract by 10.5 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. As his approval rating gradually falls along with Mexico’s economic performance, López Obrador is aiming to stay on Trump’s good side. “This is about the economy, it’s about jobs, it’s about well-being,” López Obrador said before he departed for Washington.

Berlin looks east (Foreign Policy) Germany is hoping to strengthen its economic ties with China, setting itself apart from the rest of the West and the United States in particular. Germany’s relationship with China has always been divided. On one hand, human rights issues preoccupy the German public, and figures such as Ai Weiwei and Liao Yiwu are well known there. But on the other, trade between China and Germany is significant and largely responsible for Germany’s post-2008 prosperity. The antagonism shown by President Donald Trump and his team toward German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also poisoned any attempts by the United States to sell Berlin on a split with Beijing.

OECD unemployment rate to hit record highs (Foreign Policy) The world’s wealthiest countries will see record unemployment rates as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD forecast a 9.4 percent unemployment rate across the 37 countries that make up the group’s membership, a number that could go as high as 12.6 percent if these countries see a second wave of coronavirus cases. In releasing the data, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría called on wealthy countries to better protect the economically vulnerable across their societies. “In times of crisis, ‘normality’ sounds very appealing. However, our normal was not good enough for the many people with no or precarious jobs, bad working conditions, income insecurity, and limits on their ambitions,” Gurría said.

Rioting in Serbia (Reuters) Dozens of demonstrators and police were injured in overnight rioting in Belgrade, triggered when a crowd stormed Serbia’s parliament in protest at plans to reimpose a lockdown following a surge in coronavirus cases. Footage showed police kicking and beating people with truncheons while protesters pelted officers with stones and bottles, after thousands chanting for the resignation of President Aleksandar Vucic gathered outside the building. Vucic announced the new lockdown on Tuesday, saying it was needed because of the rising number of coronavirus cases.

Top U.S. general speaks on Russian bounty case (Foreign Policy) Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, has poured cold water on recent allegations, first reported by the New York Times, of a program run by Russian intelligence offering cash to Afghan militants for killing U.S. soldiers. McKenzie called the reports “very worrisome,” but said he couldn’t point to any U.S. casualties that could have had a direct link to the alleged program. McKenzie said that Russia’s actions in Afghanistan should, however, still be watched closely.

Japan battered by more heavy rain, floods; 58 dead (AP) Pounding rain that already caused deadly floods in southern Japan was moving northeast Wednesday, battering large areas of Japan’s main island, swelling more rivers, triggering mudslides and destroying houses and roads. At least 58 people died in several days of flooding. Parts of Nagano and Gifu, including areas known for scenic mountain trails and hot springs, were flooded by massive downpours.

‘We’re next’: Hong Kong security law sends chills through Taiwan (AFP) The imposition of a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong has sent chills through Taiwan, deepening fears that Beijing will focus next on seizing the democratic self-ruled island. China and Taiwan split in 1949 after nationalist forces lost a civil war to Mao Zedong’s communists, fleeing to the island which Beijing has since vowed to seize one day, by force if necessary. Over the years China has used a mixture of threats and inducements, including a promise Taiwan could have the “One Country, Two Systems” model that governs Hong Kong, supposedly guaranteeing key civil liberties and a degree of autonomy for 50 years after the city’s 1997 handover. Both Taiwan’s two largest political parties long ago rejected the offer, and the new security law has incinerated what little remaining faith many Taiwanese may have had in Beijing’s outreach. Some now fear even transiting through Hong Kong, worried that their social media profiles could see them open to prosecution under the legislation.

Millions of Australians brace for lockdowns amid Melbourne virus outbreak (Reuters) Five million Australians face a heavy police clampdown from midnight on Wednesday to contain a flare-up of coronavirus cases, with checkpoints to be set up around Melbourne to ensure people stay at home.

Suleimani killing “unlawful” (Foreign Policy) In a new report, Agnès Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, concluded that the January killing of Iranian Commander Qassem Suleimani by a U.S. drone strike was arbitrary and unlawful under international human rights law, citing a lack of any imminent threat posed by Suleimani in the lead up to the assassination. Callamard will present her findings to the U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday. The United States left the council in 2018.

Rising food prices in Lebanon (Worldcrunch) In Lebanon, the constant change of the dollar exchange rate and a plummeting Lebanese pound have led to a 190% increase in food prices within a year. Hit with exponential inflation, French daily Les Echos notes that the country is facing its most serious economic and currency crisis since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war.

Dozen of bodies found in Burkina Faso, and rights group suspects extrajudicial killings (Reuters) At least 180 bodies have been found in common graves in Djibo, a town in the north of Burkina Faso, Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a report released on Wednesday, saying that the killings were likely carried out by government forces.

#headlines #news

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justjokeswithtomhannigan · 4 years

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Jokes 7/19/2020

Rapper Kanye West is expected to cancel his bid for the Presidency of the United States. West is being urged to drop out because there isn’t room for third candidate who’s rich, out of touch, and goes into incoherent rants.

Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, revealed that her cancer has returned and that she wouldn’t be stepping down from the court. Republicans around the country urged for a second opinion on her well being, marking the first time a doctor’s opinion mattered to them in months.

Over the last week, the White House has been making an effort to discredit the work of leading infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, with many of the attacks focusing on how he is untrustworthy given how much he references “the numbers” and “facts.”

Earlier this week, the Washington Redskins announced that they will be retiring the teams name and logo. When asked what’s taking them so long to reveal their new name, a spokesperson said, “It’s really hard for us to think of non-racist ones.”

In an interview with Fox News today, President Trump touted his score on a cognitive test, with simple questions like “can you identify an Elephant” as a major achievement. A White House staffer said, “He doesn’t have much else going for him right now, so we’re letting have this one.”

Democratic Presidential Candidate, Joe Biden, currently has an impressive lead against President Trump. Many attribute Biden’s lead in the polls to him being unable to hold Rally’s and Town Halls around the country.

The United States has passed 140,000 deaths related to the Coronavirus outbreak. The recent spikes in cases forced the federal government to prioritize containing the spread of the disease by doing even less than before.

Mary Trump’s tell all book has sold over 900,000 copies. The book gives detailed accounts of how abusive the President was towards his family over the years, revealing that the cruelest thing he’s ever done is make them work for him.

CBS is reporting that it has cut ties with actor and comedian Nick Cannon, following anti-semitic remarks he made on his podcast. A spokesperson for CBS’s parent company, Viacom, said, “He was wild’n and now he’s out.”

Georgia Governor, Brian Kemp, has sued the Mayor of Atlanta, GA, Keisha Lance Bottom for implementing COVID-19 precautions throughout the city. Kemp’s suit is believed to be founded on his moral opposition to the greater good.

This week, Federal agents in unmarked vehicles were unlawfully arresting protesters all over Portland, OR. President Trump deployed the Federal Troops to show he’s serious about cracking down on protestors the only way he knows how to, illegally.

#Jokes #Poli #news #comedy #Trump #Biden

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icymp1 · 7 months

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The LYNCHING of Keisha White 🤬 Pay ATTENTION! You're Next. Don't Say I D...

#youtube #j4k #justice for Keisha White #medical apartheid #lucy letby #nurses who kill #pay attention #wake up #Trend #viral #viral post #Trending

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brooklynblerd · 4 years

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So You Want To Be An Ally

Over the last 2 weeks, I have been fielding many white-guilt questions at work and having very interesting conversations and Zoom calls. Overall, they have been well received, but I am not sure if anything will happen once this is no longer a hot topic. I hope we keep up the momentum, but the media and Politicians and other power holders will try to silence us as quickly as possible. All of the companies realizing that #BlackLivesMatter will inevitably fade away as well. WE HAVE TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON. So I made a list of talking points for the company that I work for, I hope they put it to use. I will begin sending this to anyone that reaches out to me to “talk” or “to see if I am ok”. While I appreciate the concern (if it’s genuine), I cannot continue being your only Black friend or the only Black person that you feel comfortable speaking to.

I saw this on Twitter recently, White privilege doesn't mean that your life hasn't been hard, it just means that the color of your skin isn't one of the things that makes it harder. I think this pretty much sums up what white people need to understand, what those people calling themselves our allies need to understand. Having Black pride & saying Black Lives Matter should not offend anyone. It does not mean that we are anti white people.

Black people are not a monolith. While we have all experienced racism in some form or another, we do not share the exact same experiences with it. To try and get an overall view of the different types of racism, you need to speak to many different Black people. Stop treating us as a collective, we are all individuals. Racism has permeated every single institution in this country. Education, Housing, Banking, Healthcare, Criminal Justice, Entertainment, etc. Racism is very much systemic, not always overt. There are also many different microaggressions that do not present as overt racism. Also, if we are going to have these discussions, please make sure that we feel safe, that we will be heard without reprimand or cynicism or disbelief. Our silence is the reason why this has gone on for so long. We want to be heard. We are no longer willing to stay invisible. Fear makes many of us stay silent, not willing to upset the status quo.

Revamp your hiring strategy/quota. People and organizations tend to conflate diversity and inclusivity. They are NOT the same. While there are many women, LGBTQIA members, Black and other People of Color, the Executives, Sales Management, and HR do not reflect this.

Conversations about race and other social justice issues are uncomfortable. Having these conversations without any Black and People of color present is pointless. Make sure you have Black people and other People of Color in any discussions you have regarding race relations and any other social justice issues. Empathy and sympathy is great, but it will not replace an actual experience.

Understand that the current state of the world has been a long time coming. George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel's back. The only difference is that everyone has a camera now and the police aren't doing themselves any favors by brutalizing everyone who is protesting police brutality.

Acknowledge your privilege. Acknowledge that the system is built to benefit you more than it does us and that it always has.

Saying "I'm not racist" isn't enough anymore. You have to be anti-racist. You have to stop the jokes, stereotypes, etc amongst your circle of friends and family members. This will be hard. But Black and Brown lives have to matter more than offending anyone that is unwilling to change.

Racism is not up to Black people and other People of Color to solve. This wasn't created or instituted by us and as we remain the "minority" in positions of power, we are unable to change it. We only have the ability to fight it, to rise up and demand change. To show that we will no longer take it. We will no longer be silent. We were all taught to be quiet and hold our feelings in to make sure that white people are comfortable. To make sure that we don’t appear threatening or angry. That is changing. Things will not go back to the way that they were.

Books to read in your journey of becoming an ally:

How To Be An Antiracist - Ibram X. Kensi

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - Robin Diangelo

So You Want To Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo

Me and white Supremacy - Layla F. Saad

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness - Michelle Alexander

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - Ibram X. Kendi

Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates

Notes of A Native Son - James Baldwin

Born A Crime - Trevor Noah

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower - Brittany Cooper

Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth - Dana-Ain Davis

Racism without Racists: Colorblind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States - Edwardo Bonilla-Silva

Towards the Other America: Anti-Racist Resources for White People Taking Action for Black Lives Matter - Chris Crass

Two Faced Racism: Whites in the Backstage and Frontstage - Leslie Picca and Joe Feagin

How To Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy and the Racial Divide - Crystal Fleming

The Ethnic Project: Transforming Racial Fiction into Ethnic Factions - Vilna Bashi Treitler

Race and Racisms: A Critical Approach - Tanya Golash Boza

Racist America: Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations - Joe Feagin

White Rage; the Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide - Carol Anderson

Black Americans - Alphonso Pinkney

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to Present - Harriet Washington

The Hollywood Jim Crow: The Racial Politics of the Movie Industry- Maryann Erigha

Code of the Street - Elijah Anderson

The Wretched of the Earth - Frantz Fanon

The Mis-Education of the Negro - Carter Woodson

UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol.1 - Joseph Zerbo

UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. 2 - G. Mokhtar

Black Wealth/White Wealth - Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiro

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race - Beverly Daniel Tatum

Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice - Paul Kivel

Witnessing Whiteness - Shelly Tochluk

Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race - Derald Wing Sue

The Emperor Has No Clothes: Teaching about Race and Racism to People Who Don't Want to Know - Tema Jon Okun

Understanding White Privilege: Creating Pathways to Authentic Relationships Across Race - Frances Kendall

The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics - George Lipsitz

Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race - Debby Irving

How I Shed My Skin: Unlearning the Racist Lessons of a Southern Childhood - Jim Grimsley

Everyday White People Confront Racial and Social Injustice: 15 Stories - editors = Eddie Moore, Marguerite W. Penick-Parks & Ali Michael

Understanding and Dismantling Racism: The Twenty-First Century Challenge to White America - Joseph Barndt

Beyond the Pale: White Women, Racism, and History - Vron Ware

Charleston Syllabus: Readings on Race, Racism, and Racial Violence - editors = Chad Williams, Kidada E. Williams & Keisha N. Blain

We Have Not Been Moved: Resisting Racism and Militarism in 21st Century America - editors = Elizabeth Betita Martinez, Matt Meyer & Mandy Carter. Forward by Cornel West. Afterword by Alice Walker & Sonia Sanchez

killing rage: Ending Racism - bell hooks

Acting White? Rethinking Race in Post-Racial America - Devon W. Carbado and Mitu Gulati

Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-Racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement Building Strategy - Chris Crass

White Like Me: Reflections on Race form A Privileged Son - Tim Wise

White Trash: Race and Class in America - editors = Annalee Newitz & Matt Wray

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces - Radley Balko

Race Traitor - editors = Noel Ignatiev & John Garvey

Feeling White: Whiteness, Emotionality, and Education (Cultural Pluralism #2) - Cheryl E. Matias

Disrupting White Supremacy

Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power: Community Organizing in Radical Times - AmySonnie, James Tracy

For White Folks Who Teach in The Hood...and the Rest of Y'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education (Race, Education, and Democracy) - Christopher Emdin

Benign Bigotry: The Psychology Subtle Prejudice - Kristin J. Anderson

Subversive Southern: Anne Braden and the Struggle for Racial Justice in the Cold War South (Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century) - Catherine Fosl

How Jews Became White Folks and What That Says About Race in America - Karen Brodkin

America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America - Jim Wells

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge

Living Into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America - editor = Catherine Meeks

Promise And A Way Of Live: White Antiracist Activism - Becky Thompson

What Does It Mean to Be White?: Developing White Racial Literacy (Counterpoints #398) - Robin Diangelo

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unsparingcritic · 2 years

Video

youtube

I really wish reporters would ask victims if they support BLM and defunding the police.

Mace Windau 23 minutes ago I really wish reporters would ask victims if they support KKK and open carry laws. That’s how you sound

@Mace Windau Not at all: The people who are doing the robbing, carjacking, smashing-and-grabbing, beating, shooting looting and vandalizing aren't wearing hooded white sheets; people who carry guns aren't doing it, either. Instead, it's lawless blacks whose lawlessness white middle- and upper-middle-class liberals have encouraged by all their talk of "criminalizing poverty" and a "white supremacist" justice system.

See, last summer when Antifa and hordes of lawless blacks were burning, looting, vandalizing, and shooting, I didn't see white elites calling for law and order. I didn't see owners of luxury goods businesses exercising their power in the Chamber of Commerce to force Jenny Durkan, Ted Wheeler, Jacob Frey, London Breed, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Eric Garcetti, Lori Lightfoot, and other miscreant mayors to increase police powers and restore order.

I want to know whether these suicidal white elites have had enough, whether they are willing to concede that they were wrong–I want to know if the chickens have come home to roost for them. If not, if they are willing to be robbed, burglarized, carjacked, beaten, shot, invaded, and so on, and still maintain that criminals should not have to pay bail, be prosecuted, sent to prison, and so on, because they are "black," then we are all fucked.

More than a thousand people have been killed so far in Chicago; are you so fucking indifferent to that carnage that you are willing to say that the KKK is behind it? You insult all the black men and women whom the KKK did terrorize before the CRM, and all those who have been murdered, raped, stabbed, robbed, beaten, and brutalized by the thugs and criminals and monsters in their neighborhoods.

You probably live some pampered existence in which you don't know anybody who owns a business, you don't know anybody who has been robbed, carjacked, beaten, invaded, or shot. You look at whites who suffer at the hands of lawless blacks and applaud; since you don't care about law-abiding black people who suffer at the hands of lawless blacks, or even about the lawless blacks who suffer at the hands of other lawless blacks, you work yourself up into indignation over the idea that the KKK still terrorizes blacks.

But do you think you're exempt from crime? You think the public places you frequent and the business you patronize will never be hit? You think that, because you live miles away from the ghetto, lawless blacks won't invade your part of town? You think that, because you shout "BLM," no black hoodlum will ever rob you? You think that, because of your political beliefs, no lawless black will ever cross your path and fuck you up? What kind of perverse, hate-filled monster are you that you don't expect black people to abide by the law?

You must think they are your moral inferiors or, if you are black, that you are morally inferior to all other races, because you don't expect blacks or yourself to want to live in a decent, orderly society, where criminals and predators, whatever their race, are put in prison.

But my bet is you're white—know why I think that? You've got one of those "genderless" first names that only middle-class white people give to their daughters, and that have three purposes: to indicate that this is a white girl, not a black girl; to indicate that this is a white girl from a privileged family, not white trash; and to try to deflect "sexism," even though everybody knows white boys don't have such stupid names—they all have clearly masculine names.

But really, "Mace"? How fucking perverse of your parents to name you after a chemical weapon.

But by all means, tell me that I sound absurd. No matter how many people around you are mugged, robbed, burgled, knifed, shot, run over, no matter how many people have their businesses ruined, you will be fine.

Enjoy your delusions, you racist.

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dipulb3 · 3 years

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The number of Black women mayors leading major cities to reach historic high. Here is why they are winning

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/the-number-of-black-women-mayors-leading-major-cities-to-reach-historic-high-here-is-why-they-are-winning/

The number of Black women mayors leading major cities to reach historic high. Here is why they are winning

Her victory came just two weeks after Kim Janey was appointed Boston’s first Black female mayor following the resignation of Marty Walsh, who is now the US Labor Secretary. Janey recently announced she would run for a full term in this year’s mayoral election.

With the ascension of Jones and Janey, there will be a historic high of nine Black women serving as mayors of the nation’s 100 largest cities. Other major cities led by Black women include Atlanta, San Francisco; Chicago; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; New Orleans; Washington, DC; and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Political observers say the growing number of Black female mayors signals they are gaining electoral strength and appealing to voters in races that have been historically won by White men. They say Black women have proven they are relatable with an ability to lead, organize and engage new voters. Black women are also speaking out against the racial disparities in their communities at a time when the nation is having to reckon with systemic racism and police violence against Black people.

Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a visiting practitioner at the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University, said as more Black women rise to political power, the electorate is seeing the importance of having diverse voices making decisions.

“Black and brown women are running with a message that is a totality of their life experiences, which transcends race or gender,” Peeler-Allen said. “And there are people who are saying ‘she may not look like me but I know we share the same experience, because she is wrestling with credit card debt, or she has a family member with addiction or she’s a small business owner, she’s a veteran.'”

Peeler-Allen said she believes the advancement of Black women in all levels of government could also be inspiring more to run for office.

In the last few years, Kamala Harris became the first Black female vice president, Ayanna Pressley became Massachusetts’ first Black woman elected to Congress, and Tish James was elected New York’s first Black female attorney general.

Stacey Abrams narrowly lost her bid to become the nation’s first Black woman governor in 2018, but is now a powerful advocate for voting rights for people of color. Some political analysts view Abrams as a viable candidate for Georgia’s gubernatorial election in 2022.

Creating equity in St. Louis

Both Jones and Janey have vowed to make racial equity a priority while reflecting on their own lived experiences as Black women.

Jones said during her victory speech that she would not stay silent or ignore the racism that has held St. Louis back.

She told Appradab she wants to address the exodus of Black residents in recent years and why they don’t feel welcome in St. Louis. The city’s Black population dropped from 51% to 45% in the last 10 years.

Jones said she wants to revitalize the northern part of the city where she grew up because the neighborhoods have been neglected.

“I am ready for St. Louis to thrive instead of just survive,” Jones said on Appradab “New Day” earlier this month. “We need to provide opportunities for everyone to succeed, no matter their zip code, the color of their skin, who they love or how they worship.”

Kayla Reed, executive director of the grassroots racial justice group St. Louis Action, said she believes Jones can relate to the plight of Black people in St. Louis because of her lived experience as a single mother from a marginalized neighborhood.

The city, Reed said, struggles with segregation, disparities in education, employment and housing, overpolicing and violence in the Black community.

Reed said Jones has embraced the demands of a racial justice movement that started in 2014 when unrest broke out in nearby Ferguson following the police killing of Michael Brown. Ferguson elected its first Black woman mayor Ella Jones last year.

Jones is listening to the concerns of organizers and giving them a seat at the table, Reed said.

“She understands the unique inequality that our communities face,” said Reed, who campaigned for Jones and sits on her transition team. “And it gives her an advantage to think through creative, innovative solutions to shift outcomes and conditions.”

Breaking the ‘steel wall’ in Boston

In Boston, Janey has promised to answer the call for equity in a city with a reputation of being racist.

Boston struggles with an enormous wealth gap, unequal economic opportunity, neighborhoods that are segregated along racial lines and disparities in access to education.

The median net worth for White families is nearly $250,000 compared to just $8 for Black families, according to a 2015 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

There is also a racial disparity in city contract awards, with a recent study showing that only 1.2% go to Black and Latino-owned businesses. Black and Latino workers also face higher unemployment rates than White workers in Boston.

Janey wrote in a Boston Globe op-ed that she will tackle these inequities with new policies and creative solutions.

She also reflected her experience with racism as a child on the frontlines of school desegregation in the 1970s. Janey said rocks and sticks were thrown at her bus while people yelled racial slurs.

Janey told Appradab that she believes there is an added burden to being the first woman and the first Black person to serve as mayor of Boston.

“I know there is a perception and a reputation that Boston has, but I think what is important is that the reality and the opportunities that we create for residents here is one that is focused on equity, on justice, on love and ensuring that there is shared prosperity in our city and shared opportunities,” Janey told Appradab’s Abby Phillip. “It’s not to say that we’ve solved everything when it comes to racism, but I think we have come a long way.”

Tanisha Sullivan, president of the Boston NAACP, said civil rights leaders have spent decades advocating for diversity in city leadership.

Black people have been able to win seats on city council and Rachael Rollins was elected the first Black female district attorney of Suffolk County in 2018. However, Black Bostonians have hit a “steel wall” with the mayor’s office before now, Sullivan said.

“There has been more of a concerted effort and focus on breaking through with the belief that having more diversity in that office leading the way would result in public policy that was intentional about racial equity and so many other quality of life measures that would be good for our city as a whole,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said racial justice advocates are now hoping Janey will create momentum around electing a woman of color as mayor in November.

There are two Black women — Janey and Andrea Campbell — and one Asian woman, Michelle Wu, running for mayor.

Sullivan said it is past time for a Black woman to win the mayor’s office in Boston.

“We have for generations now been the engine behind the ascension of so many others to political office,” Sullivan said. “It has been our strategy, it has been our sweat equity, it has been the soles of our shoes that been worn out for others. It is not only our time, we have earned our spot.”

Black women mayors are a force

Jones and Janey are joining the tide of Black women mayors who have emerged onto the national stage in recent years.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed gained national attention when she was one of the first to lock down her city when the Covid-19 pandemic hit US soil last year.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was one of the top contenders to be President Joe Biden’s running mate. She was also lauded for her assertive response to protesters looting in city streets during uprisings last summer and speaking out against Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to lift Covid-19 restrictions last spring.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has made headlines for defending her city and standing up to sharp criticism from former President Donald Trump who threatened to send in federal law enforcement officers to fight violent crime there.

Black women in New York are also hoping to join the short list of Black female mayors making history.

Both Maya Wiley and Dianne Morales, who identifies as an Afro-Latina, are vying to become the first Black woman to lead the nation’s largest city.

Wiley has garnered the support of Black female celebrities including Gabrielle Union and Tichina Arnold. Rep. Yvette Clarke announced earlier this month that she was endorsing Wiley.

Some activists say the success of Black women in mayoral offices is creating a pipeline for them to run for state and national office in the future.

“We still have not had a Black woman governor, we still have not had a Black woman who has been speaker of the house, there is not a Black woman now in the US Senate,” Reed said. “So, there are gaps, but I’m confident that with the election on the local level, not only are we changing things but we are building a pipeline to answer those questions.”

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yessadirichards · 3 years

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Atlanta shootings expose fears of Asian-American community

ATLANTA - The shooting of six women of Asian origin in Atlanta has laid bare the fears of an Asian-American community already on edge over a spike in hate crimes because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The suspect in the attacks in the US city in Georgia was to make his first court appearance on Thursday as a House subcommittee held a hearing to address the rise in violence against Asian-Americans.

"For many Asian-Americans, Tuesday's shocking events felt like the inevitable culmination of a year in which there were nearly 3,800 reported incidents of anti-Asian hate incidents," said Representative Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee.

Anti-Asian incidents have grown "increasingly more violent over time as the Covid-19 pandemic worsened," Cohen said.

The surge, he said, had been fueled by references to the "China virus" -- a term often used by Donald Trump although Cohen did not cite the former president by name.Robert Aaron Long, 21, faces eight counts of murder and one charge of aggravated assault for Tuesday's shootings at three Atlanta massage parlors, in which six of the eight people killed were women of Asian origin.The authorities said Long, who is white, has admitted carrying out the attacks but claims he was not motivated by racial hatred.Instead, he told detectives he is a sex addict who wanted to "eliminate" the "temptation" of massage parlors and had previously frequented such establishments.Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Long's claims should be taken "with a grain of salt" and it was "difficult to ignore" that most of the victims were of Asian descent.Sarah Park, president of the Korean American Coalition-Metro Atlanta, said racism was clearly a factor."Yes it is a hate crime against Asian-Americans," Park said, criticizing what she sees as the reluctance of the authorities to go after violence that targets women working for low wages and who often speak little to no English.- 'Latent anti-Asian prejudices' -Among those testifying before the House panel were four members of Congress of Asian origin: Senator Tammy Duckworth and Representatives Doris Matsui, Judy Chu and Grace Meng."Asian-Americans must not be used as scapegoats in times of crisis -- lives are at stake," said Chu, a Democrat from California. "It's critical that Congress takes bold action to address this pandemic of discrimination and hate."Cohen, the subcommittee chairman, said Asian-Americans have been subjected to "verbal harassment, being spat at, slapped in the face, lit on fire, slashed with a box cutter or shoved violently to the ground."He said the coronavirus pandemic, which has left more than half a million Americans dead, had exacerbated "latent anti-Asian prejudices that have a long, long and ugly history in America."The ranking Republican on the panel, Chip Roy of Texas, said the victims of the Atlanta shootings deserve justice but expressed concern about "policing" the right to voice criticism of China's leadership.Roy's remarks drew an angry response from Meng, a Democrat from New York."Your president, and your party, and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want, but you don't have to do it by putting a bull's eye on the back of Asian-Americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids," Meng said."This hearing was to address the pain of our community and to find solutions and we will not let you take our voice away."- 'Must stop' -Vigils were held in several US cities on Wednesday to mourn the victims of the Atlanta shootings and condemn racially-motivated violence.President Joe Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all US public buildings until sunset on Monday, as a mark of respect for the Atlanta victims.Biden said Thursday that while the motive for the attacks has not yet been fully established "what we do know is that the Asian-American community is feeling enormous pain.""The recent attacks against the community are un-American," he tweeted. "They must stop."Tuesday's rampage began with an attack at Young's Asian Massage in Acworth, an Atlanta suburb, where four of the victims were killed and a man was wounded.Police said four women were subsequently killed in attacks on two neighboring spas in the northeast of Atlanta.Long was arrested after a brief pursuit about 150 miles (240 kilometers) from Atlanta, officials said.The state of Georgia, of which Atlanta is the capital, is home to nearly 500,000 people of Asian origin, or just over four percent of its population, according to the Asian American Advocacy Fund.

#yessadirichards

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