Category: Black Lives Matter
Texas voting law builds on long legacy of racism from GOP leaders
In the early 1960s, U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona, a Republican, challenged the GOP’s more liberal politicians to redefine the Republican Party as what newspaper editor William Loeb called “the white man’s party.” by Chris Lamb,…
Feds targeted BLM activists to foil racial justice protests
“The federalization of protest-related charges was a deliberate and cynical effort to target and discourage those who protested in defense of Black lives.” by Kenny Stancil, Common Dreams August 19, 2021 As Black Lives Matter protests…
Why Gil Scott-Heron’s ‘Whitey on the Moon’ still feels relevant today
Recent space flights by multi-billionaires highlight the extreme economic inequality in America. Joe Raedle/Getty Images A.D. Carson, University of Virginia Not long after the July 20, 1969, Moon landing, Gil Scott-Heron – a poet hailed as…
Poor People’s Campaign to march against Manchin obstructionism in West Virginia
‘We Are Coming’ “Manchin’s positions are wrong, constitutionally inconsistent, historically inaccurate, morally indefensible, economically insane, and politically unacceptable,” said the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. by Brett Wilkins, Staff Writer June 8, 2021 …
Ancient Christian thinkers made a case for reparations that has striking relevance today
Particularly notable is the fact that Tertullian makes the case for reparations to be paid to the descendants of the Israelites who had been forcibly enslaved centuries earlier. by David Lincicum, University of Notre Dame Sunday,…
Chauvin guilty on all counts, including murder of George Floyd
One racial justice advocate said that there are “no victories today,” for “justice would mean George Floyd is still with us.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Tuesday, April 20, 2021 After deliberating for…
‘Entire system is to blame’: Outrage builds after police union leader says officer killing of unarmed teen was ‘heroic’
“Ending this isn’t just about consequences for who pulls the trigger. It’s about admitting to and confronting an entire system that exists to protect, defend, and cover up state violence.” by Julia Conley, staff writer Friday,…
Footage of Chicago Police shooting 13-year-old Adam Toledo fuels outrage
“If you’re shooting an unarmed child with his hands in the air, it is an assassination,” said an attorney for the boy’s family. by Jessica Corbett, staff writer April 15, 2021 Editor’s note: The video…
Clogged pipeline for minority and women-owned businesses
by Wade Rathke March 15, 2021 Pearl River If the Jeffersonian story of America was the small yeoman farmer, the contemporary story of America is often of small businesses. These are the main streets…
There was a time reparations were actually paid out – just not to formerly enslaved people
by Thomas Craemer, University of Connecticut Friday, February 26, 2021 No guessing who in this 1864 depiction may have been compensated after slavery ended. API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images The cost of slavery and its legacy of…
How a mass suicide by slaves caused the legend of the flying African to take off
The flying African, despite a genealogy rooted in St. Simons, has no single point of origin. A shifting present continues to rewrite the past. These differences across versions only underscore the strength of the myth’s central…
Slave-built infrastructure still creates wealth in US, suggesting reparations should cover past harms and current value of slavery
by Joshua F.J. Inwood, Penn State and Anna Livia Brand, University of California, Berkeley Sunday, February 14, 2021 The Port of Savannah used to export cotton picked by enslaved laborers and brought from Alabama to Georgia…
Why a shootout between Black Panthers and law enforcement 50 years ago matters today
by Paul Ringel, High Point University Members of the Black Panther Party outside the High Point property raided by police. Sonny Hedgecock/High Point Enterprise, CC BY-SA In the early hours of Feb. 10, 1971, police surrounded…
AstraZeneca told to justify unequal vaccine pricing amid soaring profits
“Why is the global south paying more than rich countries for your #Covid19 vaccine?” Global Justice Now asks the pharmaceutical giant, which has pledged not to profit from the vaccine during the pandemic. by Jessica Corbett,…
Outrage and disgust as charges dropped for Buffalo police officers who fractured skull of 75-year-old peaceful protester
“Despite the video evidence of the officers’ misconduct, a grand jury has dismissed the charges.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Friday, February 12, 2021 Outrage erupted after all charges against Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe—the police…
People over 75 are first in line to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The average Black person doesn’t live that long.
Prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations for people 75 and up can leave out Black Americans, who tend to die younger than their white counterparts. In one majority-Black county, this age gap raises questions about how to make the…
“Sense of entitlement”: Rioters faced no consequences invading state capitols. No wonder they turned to the U.S. Capitol next.
Armed far-right mobs met little law enforcement resistance when they repeatedly attacked state capitols. You can draw a direct line from that kind of impunity to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6. by…
Bond modification sought after alleged Kenosha killer Kyle Rittenhouse drinks beer, flashes white power signs with so-called ‘Proud Boys’
“The defendant’s continued association with members of a group that prides itself on violence, and the use of their symbols, raises the significant possibility of future harm.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Thursday, January 14, 2021…
Black woman ‘heartbroken’ after vicious attack by racist MAGA Mob in downtown Los Angeles
“All of a sudden I’m just getting cornered by 30, 40 people,” said Berlinda Nibo. “That’s what started all of them to jump in.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Friday, January 8, 2021 Fears of racially…
Probe demanded after footage shows Capitol Police standing aside for pro-Trump mob
“The images of police officers calmly allowing barricades open, letting the crowd enter, and taking selfies inside the building with those who have stormed it cannot go without investigation and penalty.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer…
‘Justice was not served’: No charges against Kenosha cop who shot and paralyzed Jacob Blake
“We feel this decision failed not only Jacob and his family, but the community that protested and demanded justice,” said his attorneys. by Jessica Corbett, staff writer January 5, 2021 A Wisconsin district attorney announced Tuesday…
On Wounded Knee: We fight to mend the Hoop
“There was no honor in these murders,” says Manny Iron Hawk, whose grandmother survived the massacre at age 12 by hiding in a ravine. by Abby Zimet, Further columnist Wednesday, December 30, 2020 On this date…
Trump DOJ clears Cleveland cop who killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice
“The Rice family has been cheated of a fair process yet again,” said family attorney Subodh Chandra. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it has…
Civil Rights groups denounce Georgia officials for closing Early Voting Sites ahead of Senate Runoffs
“Restoring all early voting sites isn’t a concession—it’s restoring a baseline for voting access.” by Julia Conley, staff writer Thursday, December 24, 2020 Voting rights groups on Wednesday accused officials in at least two Georgia counties…
