By Bashir Muhammad Akinyele — “In order for us to move forward, we must look back.” -Sankofa proverb (A saying from the Akan people of Ghana) “Black Lives Matter” -The Peoples Chant Against Racial and Police Violence As many of us march in the streets of America and the world for justice for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and all victims of racial and police violence in the Black community; I…
Global outrage at the killing of George Floyd expresses the abiding international conviction that the U.S.’ self-promoted image is at odds with its reality. By Akbar Shahid Ahmed, HuffPost — Thousands of people around the world are sending a dual message to Americans as they protest the death of George Floyd, the latest casualty of the systemic violence against Black residents of the U.S. Their message: We see your pain…
By Adria Watson, CalMatters — The anger and frustration that flooded more than 20 cities in recent days will likely put pressure on the state to conduct a thorough examination of historic and continued discrimination of African Americans — even as civil unrest continues. Although racism — both institutional and cultural — is a national stain that bleeds hundreds of years deep, some suggest California should account for its share of mistreatment….
By Michael J.A. Davis — “To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time. ” – James Baldwin I had trouble getting out of bed this morning. I abashedly moved my 9 o’clock meeting with my boss to give myself time to rise. I almost did what many Black folks joke about in private, yet often need…
By Zamira Rahim and Rob Picheta, CNN — Protesters have marched in the US for six consecutive nights over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. Their anger over the killing of the unarmed black man has now spread worldwide. Over the weekend demonstrators gathered in London, Berlin and Auckland, among other cities, to protest against police brutality in solidarity with the US crowds. Britain In London, protesters rallied…
By Jay Reeves, AP News — Many African Americans watching protests calling for easing restrictions meant to slow the spread of the new coronavirus see them as one more example of how their health, their safety and their rights just don’t seem to matter. To many, it seems that the people protesting — who have been predominantly white — are agitating for reopening because they won’t be the ones to suffer the consequences.
“Nothing about this movement is really black friendly.” By Nick Charles, NBC News — As protests erupt over stay-at-home orders and the clamor to reopen the economy becomes louder, the coalition of people storming state Capitols — some armed with semi-automatic weapons and most not wearing masks or observing social distancing guidelines — have had one thing in common: Almost all of them are white. African Americans, for the most…
When the shuttered economy reopens, how many black Americans will be left out in the cold? By William M. Rodgers III — As the COVID-19 pandemic worsened in April, many Americans were shocked by the extent that black Americans were being disproportionately impacted: higher infection rates, more deaths and greater job loss. But many black Americans were not surprised. This is not new. The same dynamic has been going on at times of…
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called for coronavirus reparations for minorities, claiming higher numbers of COVID-19 fatalities in low-income communities stems from underlying inequality. By Ebony Bowden, New York Post — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called for coronavirus reparations for minorities, claiming higher numbers of COVID-19 fatalities in low-income communities stems from underlying inequality. “COVID deaths are disproportionately spiking in Black + Brown communities,” Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeted to her 6 million…
Pre-existing health conditions leave one group particularly vulnerable. By Charles M. Blow, NYT — Early Monday morning the email arrived. The subject line began, “ALARM AT THE GATE,” written in all caps. Someone had died. That is always what that phrasing means. The message came via a group email list maintained by the fraternity I joined in college some 30 years ago. A younger member, a rising chef in his…
By Donne Levy, AlterNet — America is a deeply divided nation. That fact may be the only thing that Americans of all racial, ethnic, and political groups can agree about. A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll conducted in late 2017 indicated that 70 percent of the American people think the country is “as divided as during the Vietnam War.” This division manifests itself in political ways exemplified by the partisan impeachment proceedings and gridlock. The Democratic-led…
In this conversation, moderated by the Dream Defenders’ Rachel Gilmer, Black women activists explain their support for Sanders’s campaign. By Teen Vougue — Senator Bernie Sanders has attributed his success in the 2020 presidential campaign to his “multigenerational, multiracial coalition” of supporters. Sanders’s win in Iowa has been credited in part to his support among the minority and immigrant voters who turned out to the “satellite” caucuses set up for those who couldn’t make it to…
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