Tag: Black Lives Matter
How a Key Federal Civil Rights Agency Was Sidelined as Historic Protests Erupted
Launched by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, the Community Relations Service has been without a director and short-staffed during recent unrest. The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to eliminate the agency. by A.C. Thompson and Robert…
Stone Mountain, Georgia: The flashpoint now at center of Confederate monument removals
The mountain, known for its massive Confederate memorial carving, was the location of the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915. by Common Dreams staff Sunday, July 5 The planet’s largest Confederate monument—Stone Mountain outside…
Corporate sponsors join Native American call for Washington Redskins name change
Investor coalition worth $620 billion pushed FedEx, Pepsi, and Nike to change stance, prompting team owner to announce a review of the name. by Julia Conley, staff writer Friday, July 3 Washington Redskins owner Dan…
US Military confirms bayonets were issued to troops responding to George Floyd protests
“It is insane to issue bayonets to soldiers for crowd control.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Friday, July 3 “Are they supposed to stab protesters?” That was Rep. Ted Lieu’s (D-Calif.) response Thursday to a letter…
Reparations qualifications and confusion
by Wade Rathke New Orleans As a Nikole Hannah-Jones fan, I followed her arguments carefully and approvingly in a recent piece in the New York Times as she demolished one quick fix after another that…
Dismantling the false paths to equity
by Wade Rathke New Orleans I’ll never forget the surprise on a colleague’s face who was working to build a nonprofit community development organization in the Mississippi delta several years ago when we first met….
Signs of Caution and Hope from Conservative Critics
by Wade Rathke New Orleans Watchwords for all of us in this work have always included “know your enemy” and “keep them close.” It is impossible to keep up in these days and times with…
Graphic video from April police killing of Carlos Ingram Lopez in Tucson draws outrage
“Carlos Ingram Lopez should still be alive today.” Huge demonstrations into the night in Tuscon on Wednesday by Eoin Higgins, staff writer Thursday, June 25 Video of the police killing of Tucson, Arizona resident Carlos Ingram…
Reparations vs. Greenwashing
by Wade Rathke New Orleans A common occurrence on the road to freedom from the “peculiar institution” of slavery, as some termed it, was yet another promise broken. General Sherman’s promise of “40 acres and…
ACLU demands lawmakers act after Michigan man wrongfully arrested ‘Because face recognition can’t tell black people apart’
“It’s past time for lawmakers to prevent the continued use of this technology. What happened to the Williams family should never happen again.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Wednesday, June 24 The ACLU on Wednesday urged…
Boston City Council bans facial recognition surveillance
“Boston should not use racially discriminatory technology that threatens the privacy and basic rights of our residents.” by Eoin Higgins, staff writer Wednesday, June 24 The Boston City Council on Wednesday unanimously voted to ban the…
Poll shows overwhelming US support for police reform, increased accountability.
86% say require police to behave or send them to jail. Among other major changes, large majorities of the American public want clear standards for police misconduct and prosecution of officers guilty of excessive force. by…
IG to investigate violent police clearing of Lafayette Square
“The White House narrative is contradicted by video evidence, eyewitness accounts, and even its own past statements. Frankly, it has no credibility at this point.” — Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) by Andrea Germanos, staff writer…
Secret Service forces press to leave the White House as police use pepper spray and batons to beat back protesters
“The move to force members of the media off White House grounds is highly unusual,” CNN reported after two of its journalists were removed. by Jake Johnson, staff writer Tuesday, June 23 Without initially offering an…
New Amnesty International map documents ‘shocking extent’ of US police violence against black lives matter protesters
Denying people’s constitutional rights “with physical violence, tear gas, and pepper spray is a hallmark of repression,” said one Amnesty researcher. by Jake Johnson, staff writer Tuesday, June 23 An extensive new report released Tuesday…
We are all protesting in Hong Kong now
We need to follow the lead of our brothers and sisters in Hong Kong and make masks, hats, and even googles semi-standard wear for protests and demonstrations. by Wade Rathke Pearl River The big reveal…
Six Trump Campaign staffers setting up for Tulsa rally test positive for Covid-19
The news comes just hours before the president holds a campaign event in the city. by Common Dreams staff Saturday, June 20, 2020 The public health impact of President Donald Trump’s Saturday rally in Tulsa,…
Trump threatens violent police crackdown against ‘any protesters’ who gather to denounce him in Tulsa
“The president expresses his intention to violate the Constitution by denying Americans’ First Amendment right to peacefully assemble.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Friday, June 19, 2020 President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that “any protesters, anarchists,…
From grandfather to grandson, the lessons of the Tulsa race massacre
“More than 1,000 businesses and homes were burned to the ground, scores of black families were herded into cattle pens at the fairgrounds, and one of the largest and most prosperous black communities in the United…
Longshoremen shut down West Coast ports for Juneteenth: ‘The loudest voice we have’
“A movement requires sacrifice, and that’s what we’re doing as longshoremen.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Juneteenth — Friday, June 19, 2020 Longshoremen and women across the West Coast are set to use “the loudest…
Juneteenth is having its day
It’s time that Juneteenth got its due. We need a formal holiday that is centered around our national original sin, slavery, and especially one that celebrates its abolition. by Wade Rathke Junteenth — Friday,…
Fractured skulls, lost eyes: police often break own rules using ‘rubber bullets’
Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News and Jay Hancock, Kaiser Health News and Kevin McCoy, USA TODAY and Donovan Slack, USA TODAY and Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY June 19, 2020 Warning: Graphic images and video below. Megan…
‘Just Make It Home’: The unwritten rules Blacks learn to navigate Racism in America
Cara Anthony June 18, 2020 ST. LOUIS — Speak in short sentences. Be clear. Direct but not rude. Stay calm, even if you’re shaking inside. Never put your hands in your pockets. Make sure people can…
‘Now is not the time for more studies’: Sanders rips weak GOP bill and demands end to police immunity
“Now is the time to hold racist and corrupt police officers and police departments accountable for their actions.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Thursday, June 18 Slamming the GOP’s newly unveiled policing reform bill as inadequate…
