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Friday, June 5, 2020

Police looking for cyclist who attacked teens posting George Floyd posters

Maryland police are looking for a cyclist captured on video assaulting a teen girl as she posted flyers in support of the demonstrations over the death of George Floyd

The Maryland-National Capital Park Police have now turned to the public for assistance identifying the aggressive white male who confronted the trio along the Capital Crescent Trail in Montgomery County on June 1.

READ MORE: Klobuchar draws ire of social media for appearance at George Floyd’s memorial

In footage that has gone viral, the cyclist maniacally approaches the girl.

The person filming the confrontation is heard shouting, “Hey, leave her alone,” before he films the cyclist snatching the flyers from the girl. The flyers that infuriated the wanted man, according to ABC News, said “Killer Cops Will Not Go Free.”

As noted by The Hill, the flyers also read “A MAN WAS LYNCHED BY THE POLICE. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? Text “Floyd” to 55156 Use your privilege for good.”

 

A different female voice is also heard off-camera shouting, “Do not touch her.” However, the man ignores those warnings. He rages toward the child who stands petrified as he forcefully takes the flyers from her as while the two others plead for him “to just walk away.”

This only triggers the man more. The unnamed man charges after the teen who is filming.

The teen told NBCWashington, “He sees me recording him and sees the fact that I recorded him as he was doing that, and he grabs his bike and he runs it into me and pins me to the ground.”

The teen claims the cyclist cursed them out and accused them of inciting riots as protests continue to rage on across the nation over the killing of Floyd. 

“I’ve been putting up signs in my neighborhood and neighborhoods around mine to bring attention to the fact that a lot of these neighborhoods are in a position of huge privilege and can make a big difference in terms of both monetary donations and resources to fight against injustice,” the teen who took the video told NBC News. 

READ MORE: Trailer drives through peaceful protesters on Minneapolis interstate

Park Police tweeted Tuesday “We are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the below individual in reference to an assault that took place this morning on the Capital Creacent (sic.) trail.”

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The post Police looking for cyclist who attacked teens posting George Floyd posters appeared first on TheGrio.



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A Better Jobs Report Belies America's Breadlines

While Friday’s report showed improved employment numbers, things could still get so much worse.

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A Triple Threat Imperils Millions of People Across Africa

A “perfect storm” of ravenous locusts, flooding, and the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to create huge food shortages.

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Doctor handed suspended jail term for Patrick Ekeng death

The emergency doctor who was pitchside when Cameroonian Patrick Ekeng died in Romania in 2016 has been handed an 18-month suspended jail sentence for negligence.

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George Floyd’s 6-year-old Daughter Says Her ‘Daddy Changed the World’

George Floyd's 6-year-old Daughter

In a world of so much grief, George Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter found time to make a statement while smiling and remarked that her “Daddy changed the world” according to Today.

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who was friends with police killing victim, George Floyd, shared an Instagram post of Floyd’s daughter resting atop his shoulders. As Gianna Floyd smiles, she is shown raising her arms and saying, “Daddy changed the world.”

 

The video clip looks like it may have been taken either before or after a press conference earlier this week at Minneapolis’ City Hall, where Gianna’s mother, Roxie Washington, pleaded for justice for Gianna’s father.

“I wanted everybody to know that this is what those officers took from me,” Washington said with her daughter Gianna alongside her. “At the end of the day, they get to go home and be with their families. Gianna does not have a father.

“He will never see her grow up, graduate, he will never walk her down the aisle,” she continued. “If there’s a problem she’s having and she needs her dad, she does not have that anymore.

“I’m here for my baby and I’m here for George because I want justice for him. I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good,” she said, later adding that Floyd was a good father. “He loved her, he loved her so much.”

Jackson told Washington that he intends to be there for her and Gianna.

“There’s a lot of stuff you said that he’s gonna miss—that I’m gonna be there for,” he said. “I’m gonna walk her down the aisle. I’m gonna be there for her. I’m gonna be here to wipe your tears. I’m gonna be here for you and Gigi.”

“Floyd might not be here, but I’m here for her, I’m here to get justice, and we’re gonna get justice for my brother.”



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Goldman Sachs Establishes Fund for Racial Equity

Goldman Sachs, a multinational investment bank and financial services company, announced it has created a fund to assist minority organizations.

According to a released statement by the company, the effort will support the vital work of leading organizations addressing racial injustice, structural inequity, and economic disparity.

“We must stand up and support organizations dedicated to the fight for a more just and equitable society,” said David M. Solomon, chairman and CEO. “To honor the legacies of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, we must all commit to help address the damage of generations of racism.”

The fund will be launched with $10 million from Goldman Sachs Gives, a donor-advised fund that allows the firm and its current and retired senior employees to direct grants to support underserved communities around the world.

Company employees donating to Fund for Racial Equity recipient organizations will have their contributions matched by the firm dollar for dollar. Donations of $25 and under will be matched 3 to 1.

Earlier this year the company created the Launch with GS Black and Latinx Entrepreneur Cohort and put a call out to company founders. After receiving 400 applications from founders in 37 states, Goldman Sachs selected 14 black and Latinx founders to participate in the inaugural cohort.

Margaret Anadu, head of the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group and Launch With GS lead investor, said in April, “The volume and quality of applications confirms our view that there is a strong pipeline of companies led by black and Latinx founders in the U.S. We’re thrilled to share the knowledge and convening power of Goldman Sachs with these founders as they take their businesses to the next level.”

Goldman Sachs has also committed funds to COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts, including its $30 million COVID-19 Relief Fund and $525 million commitment to small businesses across the country.



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Specialized Turbo Vado SL Equipped Review: Summer Fun Ride

The company's lightweight commuter electric bike amazingly doesn’t feel like an ebike at all.

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Can't Go Out and Protest? Here's How to Help From Home

Whether you're trying to maintain your social distance or just looking for other ways to speak up, here are some other ideas on how to contribute.

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The Police's Military Tactics Turn Peaceful Protests Violent

Research shows that calm and negotiation, not excessive force, reduces damage. So why are officers still turning to tear gas?

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Mark Zuckerberg Is an Arbiter of Truth—Whether He Likes It or Not

Plus: Facebook in its early days, reasonable speech on the internet, and an overdue decision in Philadelphia.

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New Report: 90% of America’s Sheriffs Are White Men

Sheriffs white men

Racial tensions between police and communities of color have reached a tipping point following the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers last week. The incident, which was captured on video, has incited a string of ongoing protests around the country and revived national discourse about police brutality and racial disparities in law enforcement. Amid growing calls for justice for Floyd and an overhaul of our criminal justice system, a new report published by the Reflective Democracy Campaign reveals that 90% of sheriffs across America are white men.

Titled Confronting the Demographics of Power: America’s Sheriffs, the report explores the racial and gender demographics of sheriffs as well as their impact on public health and safety. The report also highlights current and historical abuses of power by sheriffs along with the position’s unique lack of oversight and accountability. The most glaring finding, perhaps, is that 92% of elected sheriffs are white while 90% are white men even though 50% of people in jails are people of color. Meanwhile, just 5% of sheriffs are African American and 2% are women.

Sheriffs, who manage county jails and a wide range of law enforcement activities, operate with less oversight than local police chiefs or commissioners, according to the report. The nation’s 3,000 county sheriffs are elected into office in 46 states and often run unopposed.

“Sheriffs in America are singularly troubling. They have unparalleled autonomy and tremendous power, and that power is concentrated overwhelmingly in the hands of white men, who are 90 percent of sheriffs nationwide,” said Reflective Democracy Campaign Director Brenda Choresi Carter in a statement.

The report’s findings also include:

  • With white men comprising just 30% of the U.S. population, the overrepresentation of white male in sheriff’s offices surpasses even that of legislators (62%) and elected prosecutors (73%)
  • African Americans are confined to jail at over three times the rate of white Americans
  • Deep disparities in representation persist even in states with high percentages of people of color. For example, while California is 63% people of color, only 9% of the state’s sheriffs are of color

“As the primary law-enforcement officers for large parts of the country, they routinely make life-or-death decisions for their communities—especially communities of color, who are disproportionately affected, and too often abused, by law enforcement,” said Carter. “As policing in America faces a long-overdue reckoning, it’s time that we grapple with the role of sheriffs and make them far more accountable to voters and reflective of their communities.”



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President and COO of OneUnited Bank, Teri Williams, Talks COVID-19 Relief For Black-Owned Businesses

Teri Williams Cohee

Since the spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic, many small businesses have been struggling to stay afloat amid mandatory closures with state-issued stay-at-home orders. Now many nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups have been pushing for relief initiatives designated for African American business owners who have been among some of the hardest hit by the economic loss caused by the public health crisis. Another group that has been stepping up has been black-owned institutions in the financial world.

OneUnited Bank is the largest black-owned bank in the country and it has been working extra hard to provide its customers and other black-owned businesses with the resources they need to weather the viral outbreak. BLACK ENTERPRISE was able to talk with Teri Williams, president and chief operating officer of OneUnited Bank about the new initiatives it has for COVID-19 relief and advice on how black business owners can navigate this public health crisis.

In addition to PPP funding, Williams explains how the banking institution has been given additional funds as a minority depository institution to be used for black-owned businesses. Many of its new customers have been previously denied assistance at larger banks.

“The first round [ended up] turning out exactly as we [suspected]…they gave the larger banks, it’s sort of a heads up to offer the program quickly and the funds were taken by their large customers quickly…so we were glad to see that this second round, they actually did put some funds aside for us,” said Williams. She also says she sees an increase in older customers asking about online resources like mobile banking as they shelter in place.

“Customers are becoming more comfortable with online and mobile banking as we’ve been forced as a community to stay home,” said Williams. “We’ve had a lot of older customers come in to have us help them get set up on mobile banking so that they can do their banking from home as opposed to taking the health risks of coming into the branch.”

One of her biggest pieces of advice is for customers to get more comfortable utilizing more online resources to make working remotely easier and more efficient. “[A] recommendation is to definitely view online and social media as your friend to try to figure out ways to take advantage of online offerings and social media because people are becoming much more comfortable with doing business online.”



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Big Tech’s Role in Policing the Protests

This week, we discuss how tools developed in Silicon Valley are being used to erode the privacy and safety of citizens protesting police brutality.

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AI, AR, and the (Somewhat) Speculative Future of a Tech-Fueled FBI

A view of the Washington. DC, of tomorrow, excerpted from 'BURN-IN: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution.'

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Weed Sales on the Dark Web Sales Surged Early in the Pandemic

Research shows that as Covid-19 lockdowns spread people turned to internet dealers for their pot fix.

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The Best Samsung Galaxy S20 Deals (and Which Model to Pick)

Should you buy Samsung’s Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, or S20 Ultra? Here's what you need to know before you shell out a grand.

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Schools Turn to Surveillance Tech to Prevent Covid-19 Spread

Administrators hope tracking beacons will identify where students congregate and who should be isolated if someone contracts the coronavirus.

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The Role of Fantasy in Times of Radical Unrest

Protest is not solely about fighting for a new world—it is about the ability to envision the right one. This time, it will take a sustained belief in black futures.

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FGM: Egyptian father 'used coronavirus lie to trick daughters' into procedure

The girls were cut after their father said they were receiving a coronavirus "vaccine", reports say.

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Coronavirus in Africa: Living life under lockdown in Kenya

Two Kenyans share their experiences during lockdown and changes they have had to adjust to.

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Kenyan giants Gor Mahia turn to fans for financial bailout

Kenyan premier league champions Gor Mahia have turned to fans to bail them out of a financial crisis that has seen players go without pay for at least five months.

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Thursday, June 4, 2020

Host Amanda Seales Leaves ‘The Real’ After 6 Months Citing Lack of Black Executives

Amanda Seales

Amanda Seales is a multitalented comedian and an actress. Last year she became the new host on The Real with Loni Love, Jeannie Mai, Adrienne Hougton, and Tamera Mowry-Housley. However, in a recent Instagram Live video this week, she revealed that she would be leaving the daytime television show after only six months.

Seales revealed the news this week in an interview with actor Brandon Victor Dixon in an hourlong conversation where she brings up why she decided to leave the Emmy Award-winning show. Deadline reported that Seales was offered a new deal, but declined to stay.

“My contract is up … and I didn’t renew it because it doesn’t feel good to my soul to be at a place where I cannot speak to my people the way they need to be spoken to,” Seales said during her interview. “And where the people who are speaking to me in disparaging ways are not being handled,” she added.

Seales continues to say that one of her motivations was due to the lack of diversity among senior-level executives that were making decisions she didn’t always agree with.

“I’m not in a space where I can, as a full black woman, have my voice and my co-workers also have their voices and where the people at the top are not respecting the necessity for black voices to be at the top too,” Seales said.

Seales also went on Instagram in another video to clarify that her exit had nothing to do with any of her co-hosts. Loni Love reposted her video thanking her for her statement.

“Do not try to create some false dissension between me and the co-hosts of The Real. Y’all so fucking corny,” she said. “There is a whole pandemic and an uprising going on, and you still can’t find s*** else to do but try and create some kind of conflict that doesn’t exist? … What I gotta do with my business ain’t got nothing to do with them sisters.”



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Cities make deep COVID-19 budget cuts but not to police departments

The coronavirus pandemic has brought both health and economic devastation to the world. Because of that, it has forced state and city governments to make difficult choices about budgets and funding.

READ MORE:  Appeals court restores some claims in 2011 New York police shooting of veteran

Cities and states were previously improving their bottom lines with a wealth of commercial, retail, and residential development, the popularity of restaurants and live music venues, among other attractions. Now they are faced with a loss of taxes, consumer spending, and the fallout from closed retail businesses.

As it often goes, budget cuts come at the expense of the most vulnerable populations. In cities like Philadelphia, summer job employment programs, cultural organizations, and public school services are being cut.

But according to Fastcompany, budgets that are remaining intact are for the police.

For example, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has proposed a new budget for the 2021 fiscal year that includes just a 0.39% reduction in the NYPD’s $6 billion dollar annual budget. Yet the city’s Department of Education will see a budget cut of $827M, which represents 3% of its annual budget. The  Department of Youth and Community Development, which oversees services including summer youth programs, would lose a whopping 32% of their budget.

READ MORE: Morehouse, Spelman students are traumatized by Atlanta police encounter

In Los Angeles, which was hit hard by the coronavirus, the proposed city budget includes a $123M dollar increase, some of which will include bonuses for police officers with college degrees and pay increases, Fastcompany reports. This is despite many other city workers who are facing pay cuts.

NYPD officers block the entrance of the Manhattan Bridge as hundreds protesting police brutality and systemic racism attempt to cross into the borough of Manhattan from Brooklyn after a citywide curfew went into effect in New York City. (Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images)

In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed during an arrest, a budget passed last December allows for the hiring of up to 30 new police officers in a total budget of $193M. That is 60% higher than the $119M that has been allotted for the city’s Community Planning and Economic Development Department, which helps low-income residents find housing and jobs, among other services.

This kind of budgeting is reflected in other major cities, which policymakers and community organizations say don’t necessarily make those cities any safer.

READ MORE: Dallas protester loses eye, teeth after police shoot him with unknown object

“Study after study shows that a living wage, access to holistic health services and treatment, educational opportunity, and stable housing are far more successful in reducing crime than police or prisons,” says a 2017 report from the Center for Popular Democracy. an organization that links policymakers with grassroots organizations.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

 

 

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Dallas protester loses eye, teeth after police shoot him with unknown object

A 26-year-old Dallas man lost his eye, seven teeth, and had the left side of his fractured after being hit with an unknown object by police during a peaceful protest.

The incident happened on Saturday, May 30 as Brandon Saenz was looking for a friend during a protest when he says, he heard a “Boom!”

READ MORE: ‘More Black cops’ and other BS myths for combating police brutality 

A tweet says that it is possible that Saenz was struck with a wooden round. The poster wrote that there is another video of officers singing, “America, F**k yeah!” That video has been deleted.

Daryl Washington, Saenz’s attorney, said that “Brandon was out peacefully protesting police brutality and now he’s a victim,” Washington said. “We can’t continue to have innocent individuals injured by police officers who have taken an oath to serve and protect.”

Washington also represents the family of Botham Jean who was shot and killed by Amber Guyger, an off-duty police officer who shot and killed Jean in his own apartment.

According to The Dallas Morning News, internal DPD policies state that less-lethal ammunition such as rubber or pepper balls should “never be used to intentionally target the head, neck, face, eyes, or spine unless deadly force is justified.”

Washington said that Saenz was interviewed by police, but no charges have been filed, and no officers responsible have been identified. Saenz, his family, and attorneys are calling on Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall to denounce the incident and identify the officers responsible.

“I just want my justice,” Saenz said Wednesday at a press conference.

READ MORE: Obama addresses George Floyd protests, police brutality at MBK town hall

The young man’s father, Andre Ray, told The Dallas Morning News that there is irony at his Black son being injured at a protest against police brutality. “They weren’t doing anything abnormal other than protesting,” he said. “Why do we handle young men this way? Why do we use aggression? Why do we use violence?”

Brandon Saenz’s attorneys said they have identified at least three other people with similar injuries.

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Virginia governor plans to remove Confederate Robert E. Lee statue

An iconic monument of the Confederacy, a prominent statue of General Robert E. Lee is coming down in Virginia.

Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, announced plans on Thursday that he will remove the statue which stands in a prominent place in Richmond.

READ MORE: Mississippi governor declares April ‘Confederate Heritage Month’

According to CNN, the governor will order the statue to be moved from its massive pedestal and placed in storage until Northam’s administration finds a new place for it.

The statue is one of five Confederate monuments on a street called Monument Avenue in the National Historic Landmark District. The monuments have been sites of protests in Virginia in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. The monuments have been tagged with graffiti including messages of “end police brutality,” and “stop white supremacy.”

The Richmond city government also announced on Wednesday that the city’s mayor and a city council member will — on July 1 — introduce an ordinance to bring down all the Confederate monuments on Monument Avenue in the former capital city of the Confederacy.

The removal of Confederate monuments was one of the catalysts for the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA where far-right, white-nationalist militias marched and chanted statements like, “Jews will not replace us,” and “blood and soil.”

White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the “alt-right” (L) clash with counter-protesters as they enter Emancipation Park during the Unite the Right rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The rally took place in 2017 and one counter-protester, Heather Heyer, was killed during the event.

Historians have noted that the preservation of Confederate statues wrongly honors long-deceased supporters of the enslavement of Africans in America. However, others argue that they should not be destroyed, but somehow become lessons for the country to learn from the ugliness of the past.

READ MORE: Alabama Supreme Court ruled Birmingham cannot move nor change Confederate monuments

Confederate memorials across the south became a hot-spot in the Black Lives Matter movement after Dylann Roof murdered nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Del. Jay Jones, a Black lawmaker said he was overcome with emotion when he heard the statue was coming down, “That is a symbol for so many people, black and otherwise, of a time gone by of hate and oppression.”

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Morehouse, Spelman students are tramautized by Atlanta police encounter

Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young have made a mark on the world.

The young students at Spelman College and Morehouse College, respectively, have become faces of the Black Lives Matter movement since being aggressively snatched out of their car by police last weekend.

READ MORE: Atlanta cops who assaulted Spelman and Morehouse students fired, put on desk duty

The two students were in their car stuck in traffic as people in Atlanta protested the police killing of George Floyd. Both students have stated that they are traumatized by the event.

“It’s probably one of the hardest moments that I’ve had to face in my life. I just can’t even fathom what happened,” Young said on CNN, “At this point, I’m just so far gone, it’s like I’m trying to remove myself from that situation, but it’s really hard to cope with.”

Young was injured with a fractured wrist, bruised ribs, and 20 stitches in his forearm.

“I haven’t even processed the situation and everything that happened,” Pilgrim said. “I don’t want this to continue to happen and have more victims who are traumatized that can’t sleep, can’t eat. I don’t want that for anyone else. This is disgusting. This isn’t right.”

The symptoms Pilgrim described are consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.

Pilgrim and Young were snatched out of their car, their windows were broken and each student was tased last weekend as officers alleged they had a gun. The students told CNN they were filming police during the spontaneous protests in Atlanta.

“I heard officers say gun two-three times,” an officer wrote in a report. “Not being able to see the hands of the passenger and being that she was in my immediate sight I deployed my city-issued taser to defuse the situation.”

READ MORE: Twitter cancels Trina after she calls protesters ‘animals’

“As we’ve seen in the past, (there was an) attempt to assassinate the character of these young people to say there was a gun. There was never a gun,” said Young’s attorney Mawuli Davis.

All six officers involved in the incident have been charged. The charges include aggravated assault, simple battery, and criminal damage to property. Two of the six officers were terminated from their positions.

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As George Floyd Is Laid to Rest, There Is No Peace in Sight

George Floyd memorial

The first of at least three services honoring the life of George Floyd, the father of two daughters whose brutal videotaped death in police custody has sparked worldwide unrest, will take place this afternoon at North Central University in Minneapolis.

Memorial services generally celebrate lives. This one will also no doubt condemn a death that has inspired people throughout the world to risk their own lives by marching for justice for Floyd and too many other black men and women unjustly killed, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Millions have now watched with horror as Floyd—trapped and immobilized, hands cuffed behind his waist, his anguished face pushed into the filthy pavement as the life is crushed out of him—pleaded for the officers to stop.

“Please, please, please, I can’t breathe,” we have all heard Floyd cry out.

Even when Floyd goes suddenly silent and still, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, dispassionate and unrelenting, keeps his uniformed knee pressed into the soft fold of Floyd’s neck.

Even when Floyd’s entire six-foot-four-inch body goes slack, the expression on Chauvin’s face is unmoved and, seemingly, unconcerned.

Not one of the officers present shows any interest in preserving Floyd’s rights, his dignity, or his life. In fact, the only aid seen given is to Chauvin, whose fellow officers are recorded assisting him as he physically dominates the man suspected of trying to pass a possibly counterfeit $20 in a Cups Foods grocery store.

Not one officer is seen questioning Chauvin’s force or attempting to help Floyd. His final cry of “Mama!” broke me.

Breathless, Drained, and Raw

I have been the daughter, wife, and mother of black men and I have found myself in the last week nearly gasping for air myself as Floyd’s last words echo in my head.

I am breathless with fury at the white teacher who told my already shaken 13-year-old cousin that while Floyd’s killing was unjustifiable, “most black people still die because of black-on-black crime.” (Yes, the teacher and school are now on notice, as if her mother needed THAT on top of everything else.)

I am breathless with worry (laced with pride) when my son insists upon participating in protests and when he’s forced to rush home after a curfew is suddenly announced giving him less time than he needs to get there.

I am breathless with despair when my daughter calls on any of her unwoke followers to unfriend her: “The news is draining,” she posted after a weekend of riots. “This country is draining. Your (because he certainly isn’t my) president is draining. I don’t know why we have to continuously remind ya’ll that black lives matter. Why do I, a black woman, have to remind you that I deserve to be alive as much as anybody else?”

While this nation has become more rigidly divided in recent years, not merely over politics, but over race, the details recorded of the last minutes of Floyd’s life are virtually undebatable. And so, the fact that it took more than a week for criminal charges against Chauvin to be right-sized from third- to second-degree murder, adds insult to injury.

That thousands had to take to the streets of this country before Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (who is black) arrested and charged the other three fired officers who were videotaped being actively complicit in allowing—arguably even causing—Floyd to die, rankles the nerves of a nation that has already borne more than any civilized citizens in a democracy in 2020 should have to. This is, of course, especially true of black people—and is intensified by the heightened racial disparities in healthcare, education, housing, employment, and, yes, policing, inflicted on our community during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, here we are. And there’s no turning back now.

Black Lives Matter Goes Global

In a June 3 written statement released on social media, Floyd family lawyer Ben Crump called the new charges “a significant step forward on the road to justice.” He added that the timing—on the eve of Floyd’s memorial service—was a “source of peace” for the family in the midst of its pain.

But, to be clear, the pain continues. It is raw and ragged and widespread. It is exhausting and enraging and it has served as a wake-up call to many beyond the black community in ways that, despite an unbroken chain of black killings at the hands of police and vigilantes, little to this point in history has.

My son’s first protest followed the murder of Trayvon Martin. He was around Martin’s age and displayed similar taste in clothes and snacks. My son is 23 today and, like many of his generation, has been non-stop marching for the same cause since.

The world—from Canada to Mexico, Nigeria to South Africa, London and Germany to Sydney and New Zealand—is protesting in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. And neither the pain nor the protests will stop until justice is served and we succeed in not only transforming race relations but in dismantling structural, systemic racism in this country.

These are difficult days. They have also been inevitable. Such is the course of history when a nation steadfastly refuses to honor the promises it makes to its people, and when all one needs to understand the devastating depths of the hypocrisy and its costs is to make like a sports commentator and go to the videotape.

No doubt, many more cameras will be present at Floyd’s memorial service today, as Reverend Al Sharpton eulogizes another black man who should be alive and well, and an enrapt world watches to see what happens next.

I pray that what it sees is real progress in the weeks and months ahead. I pray we bear witness to justice served because, as we know too well, charges and convictions are not one and the same. I pray most of all that not another black life is snuffed out by a white person who brazenly believes that one’s right to live is dictated by the color of their skin. Sadly, that’s an old prayer, passed now to another generation that includes Floyd’s youngest daughter, Gianna, who is just 6 years old.


The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author’s and not necessarily the opinion of Black Enterprise.

 



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Marquette University Revokes Admission Due to Racist Social Media Post About George Floyd’s Death

Marquette University

An incoming freshman student at Marquette University has had her admission and scholarship offers revoked after she posted on Snapchat that the police killing of George Floyd was acceptable because of Colin Kaepernick’s protests during the national anthem according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The unnamed lacrosse player remarked, “Some ppl think it’s ok to (expletive) kneel during the national anthem so it’s ok to kneel on someone’s head,” the incoming freshman’s post read. “come at me. y’all brainwashed.”

Officials at Marquette University had learned of the Snapchat post last week and that the student had also used racially offensive language in other posts.

Marquette spokeswoman Lynn Griffith confirmed the incoming freshman’s offer to attend the university had been rescinded.

“Following an internal review involving the Division of Student Affairs, Undergraduate Admissions, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, and Intercollegiate Athletics, and in alignment with our Guiding Values, Marquette University has made the decision to rescind the incoming student’s offer of admission and athletics scholarship, effective immediately,” Griffith said in a written statement.

“As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, we are called to build a nurturing, inclusive community where all people feel safe, supported, welcomed, and celebrated.”

Marquette students Breanna Flowers and Lazabia Jackson, who are, respectively, president and vice president of the university’s Black Student Council, issued a joint statement supporting the university’s decision.

But they also mentioned that the university has a long way to go in making Marquette a place where black students truly feel they belong, calling the campus a “mini-suburbia.”

“The university sits in the middle of a predominantly black city, with only having 4% of black students at the university, who they are direly struggling to maintain,” Flowers and Jackson said. “This is not because black students are not as intelligent …The issue is they are not recruiting in an equitable manner.

“It’s time for Marquette to wake up and abide by their Jesuit values and treat their black students like they matter,” the students said.



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Fashion Designer Aurora James Creates The 15% Pledge To Help Black-Owned Businesses

Aurora James, founder of Brothers Veillies

The call for justice sparked by a viral video of an unarmed black man named George Floyd has now led thousands around the country and the world to come out and protest racial violence at the hands of police officers. The movement has mobilized many in the community not only stand in solidarity with protesters but also empower others within the black community in other fields. Now, a prominent black designer within the fashion industry is stepping forward to create a new pledge aimed to bring millions in revenue to the black-owned business. 

Aurora James is the designer behind the luxury fashion brand, Brother Vellies, and has made a name for herself in the world of high-end fashion as one of the few black designers in the space. The Toronto-born New York City transplant recently unveiled on Instagram her new initiative called the 15% pledge, a call for major corporations to commit 15% of funds to black-owned businesses. James names companies like Whole Foods, Target, Sephora, Net-A-Porter, and others to take in the call to action.

All those I tagged specifically should be able to come to the table with what they’re willing to contribute. Just doing an IG post and saying your heart is breaking is not enough,” James said to Fast Company. “I know how to do this. I started my business from scratch. I know how to be a vendor with one of their companies. Every roadblock, I’m willing to sit down and figure out. And there are a whole slew of people that will also help make this happen.”

“So many of your businesses are built on black spending power,” James wrote in her Instagram caption. “So many of your stores are set up in black communities. So many of your sponsored posts are seen on black feeds. This is the least you can do for us. We represent 15% of the population and we need to represent 15% of your shelf space.”

 

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Black-Owned Businesses are the heart and soul of our communities and they are closing right before our eyes at a rapid pace. They are the most vulnerable and have received the least amount of economic support. All while businesses like @wholefoods @target @walmart thrive. Economic Equality means enacting real change. Taking the @15percentpledge is ONE thing retailers can do to help • . I am calling on businesses of all sorts and consumers to look at this economic pledge in 3 parts: . 1) Auditing and taking stock of where you are at. Look at your existing shelves, hangers, boardrooms and receipts. How many Black-Owned businesses are you buying? How many Black Women are in your C-Suite? Do that work. . 2) Take ownership of where you’re at – ideally publicly. Maybe only 2% of your staff is black, 1% of your content, whatever it is just own it. Accept it. Take accountability. . 3) Commit to growth. What is your strategy to get to a minimum of 15% and how do you plan to be held accountable? . I am not saying this is easy. I’m saying this is necessary. #15percentpledge . Graphic by @monachalabi @15percentpledge

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Best Pet Supplies and Tips for Kittens and Puppies (2020)

Shelters across the country are emptying as people adopt pets while stuck at home. We've rounded up the gear you'll need for a smooth transition.

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Tesla’s Cybertruck Could Be Ripped, Mean, and Super Green

Elon Musk has a chance to create the world's first “circular car.”

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Eric Garner’s Mother on Her Son’s and George Floyd’s Last Words: ‘It was Dรฉjร  Vu All Over Again’

Eric Garner's Mother

Nearly six years after Eric Garner uttered his last words, “I can’t breathe,” after being choked to death by New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo, his words have come back to stun America after George Floyd died saying the same three words. Hearing those words all over again for Gwen Carr, Eric Garner’s mother, was daunting.

In a recent interview with NBC News, Carr said, “It was dรฉjร  vu all over again. It’s like a reoccurring nightmare.”

In response to the video of Floyd, “I don’t see any justification,” she said. “To put your knee on someone’s neck, you are obstructing their breathing. That is completely a no-no.”

Related: Minneapolis Police Have Used Neck Restraints in Over 200 Arrests Since 2015, Leaving Dozens Unconscious

In July of 2014, Garner was recorded on the cell phone video camera of a bystander who documented his encounter with NYPD. During his last moments, he said, “I can’t breathe” 11 times as he was in a chokehold. Garner’s death sparked national unrest and outrage as protestors took to the streets. His last words went on to become chants at rallies around the world and the sentiments of how black people feel living under oppression in America.

Garner’s death was a part of what some considered to be a Red Summer.

Right after he lost his life, John Crawford was killed in Beavercreek, Ohio on August 5. Michael Brown Jr was killed in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. Ezell Ford was gunned down in Los Angeles on August 11. And, Dante Parker was slain in Victorville, California, on Aug.12.

As history repeats itself and people take to the streets, it is the hope of many that Floyd’s death and the civil unrest will prompt the justice system and the nation to change.

Carr’s hope is that Floyd’s family receives justice more expeditiously than she and her family did for Garner.



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10 Ways Employers Can Support Their Staff’s Mental Health Remotely

Black women entrepreneurs

Many reports and predictions during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic show that there is a silent wave we must fight off–the mental health wave.

Because of the effects of the coronavirus, global-scale lockdowns, and quarantines, people have become prone to anxiety, depression, and even suicide, especially in the wake of a global recession and mass layoffsAnd with 90% of minority businesses locked out of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), there can be added worries and concerns among employees.

For businesses that now work remotely, it can be even more challenging to become a champion for employees’ mental health. But it doesn’t take much effort to do so. All employers need to do is follow these 10 tips to support your remote employees’ mental health.

10 Tips to Support Mental Health of Remote Employees

1. Do regular face-to-face check-ins

In this 2020 State Remote Work report, loneliness is still ranked as one of the biggest challenges that a remote worker faces in their everyday life. In the United States, loneliness is considered an epidemic– and the risks are heightened when people are discouraged from going outside amidst a global pandemic.

So one way to show remote workers you’re there for them? Doing regular non-work-related check-ins.

Use your online collaboration tools to schedule a time to meet, either one-on-one or as a group. Strike a balance between checking in with employees individually and as a team. 

If you’ve never done this regularly, it may be a little awkward at first. So, ease everyone in with some virtual icebreakers to lighten the mood and get everyone out of work mode.

2. Offer added benefits and perks

Can you perhaps offer additional benefits or perks for employees during these trying times? Some employers are now considering health plans that include mental health services for employees to enjoy– and it can be a good benefit to add if you can’t hand out raises as often as before.

If changing your company health plan isn’t an option, you can give smaller, one-time perks instead. For example, help your remote team build their dream productive workspace at home by subsidizing expenses for certain office supplies or equipment.

3. Send a mental health survey

Sometimes employees can’t open up about their mental health concerns in a virtual meeting. Some might find it easier to evaluate their wellbeing if they’re sent a guided survey or form to express where they’re struggling.

A mental health survey tells you as the employer where you can support your employees more in a very specific way. Encourage employees to be very honest when answering this survey, especially if it means it will help you support them emotionally and mentally in and out of work.

4. Encourage employees to take leaves from work

Sometimes remote employees may feel they aren’t entitled to take leaves because they already work from home and have greater flexibility. But everyone needs to take a break from work, even for a few days. Encourage employees to take their paid leaves or apply for unpaid leave whenever needed. 

An effective way to encourage employees to do this? Model the behavior yourself: take leaves from work and show employees that rest is an essential part of their work lives.

5. Share mental health resources in a dedicated newsletter or channel

Sometimes sharing resources like articles or videos about mental health are enough to show employees you’re thinking about their wellbeing. Regularly send new resources to help them manage stress, reduce anxiety, or get over relatable work issues like being “always on” or being afraid of taking breaks from work.

Share these in a dedicated Slack channel for mental health, so everyone knows where to find them. Or send them in a company newsletter each week.

5. Create a company exercise calendar

There are strong links that support physical exercise being one of the most effective ways to alleviate stress and boost the spirit. As a business owner, try to find ways to get everyone to stay active, even if they’re stuck at home.

One fun way to do this is creating a company exercise calendar, or scheduling different physical activities anyone can do. For example, you can schedule a weekly dance party or invite instructors for a fun company yoga session online.

6. Express gratitude often

Gratitude is one of the only things you can give away without losing anything in return. And when it comes to your employees, expressing gratitude can help boost morale and make them feel appreciated.

Work gets stressful for everybody, but you should still reward good work and employee presence with praise. Thank everyone individually for their contributions and even praise teams for jobs well done in public Slack channels or company newsletters.

7. Put up extracurriculars and team-building activities

Give employees something to look forward to each week or month with extracurriculars they can join outside work. Encourage teams to start book or film clubs, get everyone together for a team talent show, or just have a good time playing virtual games with each other. 

You can even encourage ownership of these tasks by getting volunteers to manage these activities. It can be a great way to empower employees to contribute in ways outside work and really highlight their personal strengths.

8. Host or sponsor mental health seminars

Try inviting mental health coaches to come aboard one day and give intimate seminars to the company. This can be a space for your remote employees to talk to real professionals in the mental health industry about actual issues and concerns that may be bothering them. 

These seminars may also benefit you, since you can see areas to support employees in more intimate or much-needed ways. The mental health industry constantly sees changes and improvements in their research and studies, and it doesn’t hurt to stay informed.

9. Empower employees to help their communities

Sometimes we can uplift ourselves when we uplift others. Inspire a sense of community and contribution within your company by starting a volunteer program or fundraising campaign, especially in causes that matter most to your employees.

For example, Diishan Imira of Mayvenn, an online platform that helps hair stylists connect and gain new clients and customers, started a #SaveTheSalon fundraising campaign

She and her company sought to help displaced hair stylists whose incomes were severely cut because of the recent COVID-19 measures that closed down several industries, including salons, out of safety risks.

10. Put employees’ well-being first

When you take care of employees, your employees take care of business. This maxim is especially true in a remote workforce that eliminates in-person interactions.

 

Follow these 10 tips to help you become champions of your remote employees’ mental health, and you’ll see a happier, healthier workforce who’ll stay with you for the long haul.



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