Sherrilyn Ifill asked to give up seat ahead of MLK Day

For reasons still unknown, an Amtrak conductor tried to make Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, give up her seat, just days ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Worse yet, when Ifill demanded answers from Amtrak via Twitter after failing to get any from the conductors on the northbound train from Washington Friday night, train officials did not reply, that is, until long after public outcry became too great.

READ MORE: NAACP Legal Defense Fund tells Florida schools to stop policing Black hair

Ifill narrated her story on Twitter, according to the New York Daily News, which began with her being asked by a conductor to give up her seat because there were “other people coming who she wants to give this seat.”

So I’ve spoken with various officials at @Amtrak (COO, Last night’s incident is being investigated. They have apologized in private. But until a few moments ago I had not received an acknowledgment or public expression of concern – a courtesy routinely extended to customers.

— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) January 18, 2020

The train was general admission and was not full, Ifill noted, yet the conductor steadfastly refused to allow her to stay in her seat.

“I did wonder when she was carrying on – how far will I take this? And the immediate answer in my mind was “all the way,” Ifill wrote.

The next stop was Baltimore, her destination, and she was still asked to leave her seat. When Ifill got off, she spoke to another conductor at the station, tweeting Amtrak’s main account the whole time. The conductor in Baltimore said he had “no explanation” for the decision and apologized.

Meanwhile, followers noticed that Amtrak’s account was steadily replying to other travelers throughout and never replying to Ifill.

READ MORE: Sherrilyn Ifill named head of NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund

Ifill finally heard from an Amtrak official by phone, and via Twitter, on Saturday, and tweeted that the official was “respectful, forthright and apologetic.” However, she added, the situation warranted “a prompt, public response” which she clearly did not get.

Amtrak’s main Twitter account posted an apology Saturday afternoon, which Ifill posted.

Update. pic.twitter.com/Za4cPJzVgF

— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) January 18, 2020

The apology and response also came long after Ifill pointed out that she not only was a member of their highest-tier rewards plan, but a passenger on the 2015 train that derailed near Philadelphia, killing eight and injuring more than 200, according to PBS. She tweeted that she was “colossally disappointed in Amtrak for both this incident & the way it was handled.”

By later Saturday, Ifill had resumed tweeting about upcoming events for the Martin Luther King holiday and other topics of interest and illumination. But the unwelcome reminder of past disrespect to Black women in public transportation likely had left a bad taste in her mouth, and in those of the people following her ordeal online.

 

 

 

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Bloomberg pitches $70 billion economic justice plan to help Black voters forget stop-and-frisk

Michael Bloomberg put his money where his apology is, and he picked Tulsa, Okla., to place his bold wager.

The Democratic presidential candidate on Sunday announced a five-year plan to invest $70 billion into the 100 most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the country, and to create a Neighborhood Equity and Opportunity Office in the White House to oversee the plan.

disadvantaged from growth and opportunity.”

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Here is why Black educator Geoffrey Canada endorsed Mike Bloomberg

The goal, Bloomberg said, according to the New York Daily News, was “to tackle the neighborhood conditions that perpetuate poverty and exclude the historically

The site of this announcement was clearly no coincidence. Tulsa is the site of the infamous 1921 race riots that resulted in the deaths of some 300 Black people at the hands of whites, and the destruction of “Black Wall Street.’’ It was a tragedy that the former New York City mayor admitted he, like many, had never heard of until recently.

The timing was on-point as well: the weekend of the Martin Luther King holiday.

Bloomberg used the site of his speech as a jumping-off point for his plan, which would include the creation of 1 million new Black homeowners and 100,000 new Black-owned businesses, through several economic incentives and enforcing existing legislation.

“The exploitation worked exactly as it was designed to — slavery, sharecropping, Jim Crow, segregation and redlining,” he said. “For hundreds of years, America systematically stole Black lives, Black freedom and Black labor.

READ MORE: Bloomberg claims ‘Stop and Frisk’ was meant to help Blacks, but admits mistake

“Well, it’s past time to say enough — and to damn well do something about it.”

How convincing Bloomberg’s plan is to potential Black supporters, though, remains to be seen. Since joining the race in November, he has had to answer for his role in New York’s stop-and-frisk policing policy, and his answers have hardly been embraced by Black New Yorkers who saw and lived the results for years.

Bloomberg may have been hinting at that debt he owed Black communities when he said Sunday: “The crimes against black Americans still echo across the centuries, and no law can wipe that slate clean. Not here in Tulsa, or anywhere else. But I believe that this is a country where anything is possible. And I believe that we have the power to build a future where color and capital are no longer related.”

Is Bloomberg’s plan enough to sway the voters damaged the most by his previous policies? Do you, Grio fam, believe in either his plan or his apologies, or both? You can cast your own vote here.

 

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Video of Baltimore police being attacked underscores divisions in city leadership

When a video went viral on Saturday of a Baltimore police officer being kicked by bystanders while he wrestled with someone he was arresting, another kind of pile-on ensued. Police union leadership seized the moment to call for new city leaders.

State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, who was “disgusted” by the video of the attack on the officer, later lashed out at the city’s Fraternal Order of Police’s “continued inappropriate political rhetoric, fanning the very flames they then call on me to put out,” she said, according to The Baltimore Sun.

READ MORE: Marilyn Mosby confirms 25 Baltimore officers have been accused of using excessive force

“Their responses are relentlessly divisive, and they seem to lose no opportunity to misplace blame,” Mosby continued. “Our city desperately deserves better and needs to move past such divisive rhetoric, and hypocritical finger-pointing.”

The union and its president, Sgt. Mike Mancuso, issued a statement earlier in the day, Fox News reported, directly indicting Baltimore’s elected officials: “Crime in Baltimore is out of control, and until new leadership is elected and appointed, this lack of respect for the law and those who enforce it will continue and deepen.”

Mancuso and the union have frequently issued inflammatory reactions in recent years, as the homicide rate in Baltimore has climbed to record rates and elected officials, including former Mayor Catherine Pugh, have been accused of corruption (Pugh resigned last year and later pleaded guilty to federal charges). In addition, the police themselves have come under fire for their own corruption, including convictions connected to the Gun Trace Task Force.

Mosby seemed to have that in mind in her statement: “The same sense of outrage in this case should be expressed by the leaders of the police union when their officers are convicted of attempted murder, assault, and unlawful arrest against citizens.’’

READ MORE: Slain Baltimore salon owner feared for her ‘life and business’

Mosby came to prominence, and raised the ire of city police, in 2015 when she indicted six officers on charges in connection with Freddie Gray’s death in police custody, charges which followed several days of unrest after Gray’s death. None of the six were ever convicted, however.

Mosby, Mayor Jack Young and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison publicly condemned the actions on the video, but, among others, Mancuso and Gov. Larry Hogan had added on pointed criticism of city politicians.

To the mayor, Mancuso said in an additional statement: “We all know the truth is that you are way in over your head! Attacking me is just another attempt to take the heat off your failed leadership.”

 

 

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EXCLUSIVE: Here is why Black educator Geoffrey Canada endorsed Mike Bloomberg

Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg on Sunday garnered a coveted endorsement from education leader Geoffrey Canada after the candidate announced a bold $70 billion investment plan for Black America.

Bloomberg announced the initiative Sunday at the site of historic race riots in Tulsa, Okla., in the Greenwood community. The area, once known as the “Black Wall Street,” was destroyed by marauding racists in one of the worst incidents of racial terror in U.S. history.

Read More: Bloomberg claims ‘Stop and Frisk’ was meant to help Black, but admits mistake

Canada, founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City who has been a national leader in education and education reform, especially for some of the nation’s poorest children, called the plan a major game-changer. 

Bloomberg’s plan, “The Greenwood Initiative: Economic Justice for Black America,” proposes a $70 billion investment in 100 disadvantaged communities in this country. In addition, it sets goals to create 1 million new Black homeowners and 100,000 new Black-own businesses, largely women, in the next decade.

MLK and “True Equality”

“[A]s we celebrate the life of Dr. King, we remember that he not only marched for equal rights, he marched for economic justice, because they go hand-in-hand,” Bloomberg said in a statement released over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. “He knew that equality under the law was only the first step to true equality, and true equality is only achieved when there is no correlation between skin color and success.”

Canada, who spoke exclusively to TheGrio, said such an investment in Black communities is long over due.

“I know from experience that simply raising salaries is not going to improve the outcomes for poor children around this country and we need a massive investment in community infrastructure if we’re going to save children,” Canada said. “Our communities are way overdue for a massive reinvestment in community infrastructure necessary for communities to be successful.”

As a respected advocate for poor Black and Brown kids, Canada knows that he will be asked how he can support Bloomberg who is well-known for his “Stop and Frisk” program, which disproportionately impacted people of color. 

READ MORE: Michael Bloomberg campaigns against voter suppression at voters rights summit in Georgia

The Problem with “Stop and Frisk”

“Mike and I have this interesting relationship because he will admit I am one of the people who told him he was wrong about “Stop and Frisk” and he debated back and forth with me on this. He believed what his criminal justice people were telling him about broken windows and why this was really going to be a successful crime fighting strategy and homicide were decreasing. And I argued that this was a discriminatory practice. And we simply debated this, and he refused to move on this point. And it was a mistake. And I told him it was a mistake. And I told him it was going to undermine the good work he had done in the city, in particular supporting education and other issues in the Black and Brown community.”

Canada shared that he also sounded the alarm about the negative impact President Bill Clinton’s infamous crime bill would have on people of color. “I have video of me testifying in front of Joe Biden, and telling them that this crime bill, which was a focus on punishment and no support, was going to be a disaster in our community.”

Unable to undo the past, Canada said “For me, the issue is who is going to give our community the best opportunity to recover from that damage that was done by those laws and those police laws. And, for me, that’s Mike Bloomberg.”

True economic investments for African Americans 

Asked about his endorsement for Bloomberg over Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, a former educator who is polling strong for president in 2020, Canada was frank about seeking an economic infusion for African Americans. 

“My issue is not on whether or not someone believes in education or has an interest in education or wants to do something significant. I wanted somebody who was prepared to make a massive financial investment in poor communities. Not, you know, a hundred million dollars, a couple of hundred. I’m talking something big enough so we thought it could do the job and there’s no other candidate who’s come up with anything even close to that. This to me is very important for our community that, in the end, we know someone’s going to be president who is going to be prepared to do the kind of investment in our communities that have happened in other communities. 

“President Trump got in, he took care of all the businesses. He made these tremendous tax cuts for them. They’re all doing great. That’s terrific. That’s who he supports. I want somebody who’s prepared to do something as significant for our community and Elizabeth Warren or none of the others have come on that I see with a plan that approaches the kind of scale that I think is necessary if we’re really going to make a difference in the entire country.”

 

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Delbert Orr Africa, member of MOVE 9, freed after 42 years in prison

Delbert Orr Africa had already been arrested, convicted and imprisoned as a member of the MOVE activist group, when Philadelphia police in 1985 notoriously ended a conflict by dropping a bomb on their home base, killing 11 people and burning dozens of surrounding houses.

Orr Africa on Saturday was released from Pennsylvania state prison, according to The Guardian. He was one of nine MOVE members convicted in the wake of a siege that left a police officer shot to death.

READ MORE: ACLU Sues FBI For Sealed Documents That Label Black Activists A Domestic Threat

Now, 73 years old, he was one of the last of the “MOVE 9” still imprisoned. One still remains; Orr Africa is the sixth to be released, and two have died, according to KYW radio. Orr Africa had been jailed since 1978.

The nine had originally been sentenced to 30 years to life in the killing of the officer. But, Brad Thomson, who is part of Orr African’s legal team, told The Guardian that releasing him “affirms what the movement to free the Move 9 has been arguing for decades: that their continued incarceration is unjust.”

Orr Africa’s arrest was captured on video, the Guardian reported, that showed him leaving the Philadelphia house under siege with his arms outstretched, a police rifle pointed at his neck, then being slammed to the ground and kicked in the head.

He described the arrest in an interview with the Guardian last year: “I went down, and after that I don’t remember anything till I came to and a dude was dragging me by my hair and cops started kicking me in the head.”

READ MORE: Black Activists have been unnecessarily monitored by Top Government Agencies

The members of MOVE all took the surname “Africa.” After the 1978 arrest, they reassembled at a new headquarters, the one that eventually was the location of the 1985 police standoff, which ended with police flying a helicopter in to drop an incendiary device on the roof.

One of the five children killed in the attack was Orr Africa’s then-13-year-old daughter, Delisha.

Of the original MOVE 9, only Charles “Chuck” Africa remains in prison.

 

 

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Meghan and Harry give up titles in epic break with royal family

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have relinquished their titles of His and Her “Royal Highness.” They also gave up their rights to public funds as part of a deal that allows them to end their roles as royals, Buckingham Palace announced Saturday.

The announcement capped off nearly two weeks of rumor and speculation about the couple’s next move. The two, however, will retain their titles of Duchess and Duke of Sussex, according to The Associated Press.

READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth releases official statement on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s future

The pair’s announcement earlier this month that they wanted to withdraw from the intense media and public scrutiny – a large part of which was racism directed toward Meghan by England’s tabloids – shook the palace and the country accustomed to throwing a bright spotlight on the royals. Meghan, the longtime star of the TV series Suits, Harry and their infant child Archie are expected to live part-time in Canada.

They did agree to repay the $3.1 million in U.S. dollars in renovations to a home they were to share near Windsor Castle. That expense, The AP reported, was part of the public uproar from the announcement that Meghan and Harry wanted to withdraw from the public portion of their royal duties.

In the official palace statement, Queen Elizabeth said: “I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life … It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.’’

“Peaceful” was a term that hardly applied to the relationship between the British press and the then-royal couple, particularly Meghan – dating back to their engagement and their 2018 marriage witnessed by a worldwide audience.

READ MORE: How Meghan Markle exposed racism in the British media (then bounced)

The bitter feud with the media reached new depths in October when Meghan launched legal action against a newspaper for publishing a letter she wrote to her father. Prince Harry has taken his wife’s side unconditionally in the face of the blatantly racist undertones in some of the reporting. The tensions have also contributed to a rift between Harry and older brother William, second in line to the throne behind their father, Prince Charles; the details of the rift, however, have not been made public.

Is the split with the British throne the best move for Meghan’s peace of mind, and for her still-new family? Weigh in on it, Grio fam.

 

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Libya civil war: Rivals to join major powers in Germany

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Trump administration announces plans to ‘roll back’ Michelle Obama school lunch rules

On Friday, the Trump Administration announced its proposal to further “rollback” the standards of healthy lunches that were put in place by former first lady Michelle Obama – on her birthday.

According to The Hill, the Agriculture Department addressed the changes in a press release to give schools a flexible option “because they know their children best.” 

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdu said in the press release that food waste is still an ongoing problem, stating, “Schools and school districts continue to tell us that there is still too much food waste and that more common-sense flexibility is needed to provide students nutritious and appetizing meals. We listened and now we’re getting to work.” 

READ MORE Barack Obama shares tender birthday message to wife Michelle

Under the executive order from the Obama administration, the school lunch plan was started as the former first lady’s “Let’s Move!” healthy living campaign with the initiative to tackle childhood obesity and to provide healthier requirements such as fruits, vegetables, lower trans-fat, reduced-sodium levels, and the option of skim or low-fat milk. 

Due to the new changes from President Trump, the new rules will give schools the liberty to “reduce the number of fruits and vegetables required at each meal” in addition to the previous rollback of milk and sodium restrictions in 2019, as stated in the article. 

Juliana Cohen, a nutrition professor at Harvard University’s School of Public Health also commended Mrs. Obama’s efforts in The New York Times. She declared that “improved the diets of millions of children, especially vulnerable children in food-insecure households.” 

READ MORE Michelle Obama announces new Instagram TV series

In an op-ed for The Hill, Dr. Rachel Borton, director of the Family Nurse Practitioner online program at Bradley University, said altering the standards of healthier options for students will lead to unhealthier choices.

“They may turn to low cost, processed foods that are high in calories but sparse in nutrients. Immediate effects of this type of diet include weight gain and poor physical health. Long-term impacts range from increased risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and a slew of other unfortunate health outcomes,” Borton wrote.

The former First Lady has not addressed the proposed changes to her signature initiative.

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