Category Archives: Black Lives Matter

The head of a national police action plan on race has said she has never personally seen an officer been racist.

Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Amanda Pearson said she couldnt readily think of an example of racism in the force, which saw an officer convicted of joining a neo-Nazi terrorist group this year.

She is leading a plan of action on inclusion and race announced by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) after the murder of George Floyd in the US sparked huge Black Lives Matter protests in Britain.

Speaking at a NPCC conference in Westminster on Friday, Ms Pearson was pressed on whether she had witnessed any incident involving colleagues being racist throughout her career.

Im being honest and saying I havent seen that, she said. Clearly there are incidents of racism that are happening in policing, all Im saying is that I havent personally seen them.

Ms Pearson said she was not suggesting that racism doesnt exist among officers, adding: We know there are individual acts of racism conducted by officers, weve seen officers dismissed from service for racist behaviour and I wouldn't deny there are disparities within policing.

An anonymous member of the audience, which included senior officers and police and crime commissioners from across the country, asked how an action plan on race could be led by someone who has never seen an act of racism in their entire career.

Ms Pearson replied: I dont profess to have the lived experience some of my colleagues will have had in policing but I think its beholden on all of us to actively pursue creating a police service that can be truly anti-racist.

She later said she had noticed that senior black and ethnic minority officers were not being given the same level of support that a white officer would have.

The action plan was announced in June 2020 but the conference was told that it was still in draft form and would not be released this year.

People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London, in memory of George Floyd who was killed on May 25 while in police custody in the US city of Minneapolis

PA

A girl wears a face mask during a Black Lives Matter rally in Parliament Square

AP

People are seen by a mural of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, Stevenson Square, Manchester

REUTERS

People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens

PA

Children pose for their family in front of discarded placards fixed on a wall in Piccadilly Gardens after a Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Manchester

Getty Images

People shout slogans during a Black Lives Matter rally in Parliament Square

AP

Demonstrators in Leicester

REUTERS

A demonstrator holds up a placard during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square

REUTERS

A demonstrator gestures during a Black Lives Matter protest in Manchester

REUTERS

A mounted police officer raises their baton as police horses ride along Whitehall, past the entrance to Downing Street, in an attempt to disperse protestors gathered in central London

AFP via Getty Images

People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Bute Park, Cardiff

PA

People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road, London

PA

Protesters hold up signs as they march along a road during a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Aylesbury

Getty Images

People climbing on top of the Queen Victoria Statue as they take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens

PA

Children pose for a photo during a Black Lives Matter protest at Parliament Square

Getty Images

Demonstrators hold placards as they attend a protest march to the US Embassy in London

AFP via Getty Images

Protesters demonstrate near the the US Embassy in Nine Elms in London

Getty Images

Protesters in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square

PA

Demonstrators wearing protective face masks and face coverings hold placards during a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester

Reuters

A demonstrator is seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square

REUTERS

Demonstrators are seen as police officers look on during a Black Lives Matter protest near Downing street in London

REUTERS

Demonstrators are seen wth police liaison officers during a Black Lives Matter protest in Luton

REUTERS

A protest at Parliament Square in London

EPA

A demonstrator in Leicester

REUTERS

People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square

PA

Demonstrators wearing protective face masks and face coverings hold placards during a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester

REUTERS

Demonstrators block traffic outside Victoria Station

AP

People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Custom House Square, Belfast

PA

Police on horseback in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London

PA

Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square

AFP via Getty Images

Demonstrators throw flares above a police line during a Black Lives Matter march in London

AP

People climbing on top of the Queen Victoria Statue as they take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens

PA

Demonstrators raise their hands facing police officers after scuffles during a Black Lives Matter march in London

AP

People are seen placing placards on a fence in London

REUTERS

A demonstrator is seen with a protective face mask during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford

REUTERS

A sign alternatively naming Wilson Street 'Rosa Parks Street' in Glasgow. Activists have put up names of black people and civil rights activists throughout history alongside street names around the Scottish centre as part of the ongoing worldwide demonstrations following the death of George Floyd

PA

Boxer Anthony Joshua is seen with demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford

REUTERS

Demonstrators gather outside Downing Street

AP

Demonstrators kneel facing police officers after scuffles during a Black Lives Matter march in London

AP

Demonstrators lay on the pavement during a Black Lives Matter rally at Trafalgar Square

AP

A protester stands on bus stop and raises their hand during a Black Lives Matter protest at Parliament Square

Getty Images

Protesters holding placards gather in Manchester

Getty Images

A man gestures during a Black Lives Matter march in in London

AP

Girls hold placards in London

AP

A demonstrator in Parliament Square

REUTERS

Continued here:

Head of police action plan on race has never seen an officer being racist - The Independent

This is a rush transcript of "Ingraham Angle" on November 11, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: And that's why we should all take a moment to always honor the heroism, the commitment that make this country safe and secure. Thank you to all of you who serve.

Let not your heart be troubled. Hey, Laura.

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: Well said. Sacrifice and selflessness, we need more of that all the way around in the United States.

HANNITY: Amen.

INGRAHAM: And the vets are the perfect example of that. I'll be talking to a Iwo Jima vet, Sean.

HANNITY: Oh, really? I will be watching for sure. By the way, you did a great interview with the family spokesperson last night. I was riveted to it.

INGRAHAM: Oh, now I saw Kyle's mom. I was like almost in tears. It was really moving. But we'll try to pick it up where you left off.

HANNITY: Well, you're a lawyer. You bring a lot to the table on this. I don't see a guilty verdict. I don't think they have made the case.

INGRAHAM: No way. Sean, awesome show. And we will see you tomorrow night.

HANNITY: I'll be watching.

INGRAHAM: All right. I'm Laura Ingraham. This is THE INGRAHAM ANGLE from Washington.

Now, when you look closely at where inflation is hurting Americans most, it might not come as a surprise that Joe Biden is initially brushing it off for a reason. Jim Jordan and J.D. Vance react.

And how the Kyle Rittenhouse trial and the January 6 aftermath outs the Democrats as the new authoritarians. Our own Tucker Carlson is here tonight to explain that.

But first, racial extortionist ride again. That's the focus of tonight's 'Angle'.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The brilliance and the impact of Black Lives Matter. History is going to show -- was an inflection point. Black Lives Matter has been the most significant agent for change within the criminal justice system.

BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: The hopeful positive message of Black Lives Matter is a positive forward looking message of righting a wrong and creating a true respect for people's value.

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To the young people who led us this summer, telling us we need to be better. You are this country's dreams fulfilled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Now, at the time the 'Angle' warned that their alliance with the BLM radicals was bound to backfire given the agenda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: It has nothing to do with racial justice. This is about raw power. And politicians in blue states, they've decided that the riots are helping them politically. The unspoken offer that I think Democrats are making the voters this November is the following: Vote Trump out of office, and we'll put an end to this.

But I'm telling you, if you reward this, you're going to get a lot more not a lot less of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Well, of course, the Democrats didn't listen and the rioters, the looters, the criminals, all learned the wrong lesson that Democrats would fold to their demands to avoid more chaos and threats of violence. So, zero consequences for criminality in other words. So that's why it made perfect sense that BLM thugs in New York City have already tried to intimidate and threaten newly-elected mayor Eric Adams.

Now, public safety is one of his top priorities. He wants to reinstate plainclothes police officers to reduce gun violence. That's smart. And it would have the added benefit of saving black and brown lives. That's something you would think BLM cared about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They think that they're going to go back to the old ways of policing, that we are going to take to the streets again. There will be riots, there will be fire, and there will be bloodshed. So there is no way that we are going to let some Gestapo come in here and haunt my people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: But this BLM radical wasn't done with his threats against Adams.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have people in city council who can create problems for him. We have people in the streets who can create problems for this administration by shutting it down. And make no mistake about it, I am not threatening anyone. I am just saying that as a natural response to aggressive oppression, people will react.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Well, the message is clear and the threats are pretty close to attempted extortion, which generally is defined as an attempt through coercion or threats to obtain a benefit or outcome often involving money.

Now, my question is, has a single prominent Democrat come out to denounce these BLM comments? Not that I've seen. Their silence speaks volumes. And now, we see the same threatening demand dynamic is at play in the Kyle Rittenhouse case. The press is really busy stoking racial anger by purposely misrepresenting the facts of the murder trial.

Now, the prosecution's case is collapsing. We all know that. And instead of honestly analyzing the record, the media just blame racism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you want to know why critical race theory exists, then look no further, in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: White privilege on steroids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A biased racist judge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does justice even mean in a system that was established to strip black people of their humanity, and has never really held white people accountable for murdering black people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: These people are incredibly irresponsible and dishonest, effectively excusing any unrest that follows a mistrial or acquittal. That's what they're doing. And what will that mean? That means more pain and suffering for the people of Kenosha. So more problems, not fewer for the minority community there as well.

Now, again, BLM, the journalists who support them, they don't care. They never cared. The Kenosha rioting that Rittenhouse stepped into was largely driven by the media outlets that refused to report the truth about Jacob Blake, the black man shot by the police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Unarmed, a black man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As of the government, what happened to Mr. Blake is not a crime, that someone can be shot in the back seven times in front of their children all unarmed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like unarmed individuals who come in contact with law enforcement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Preserving the anti-police narrative was more important than the truth to politicians and pundits alike, who chimed in to defend Blake. And even after Blake himself admitted to having a knife, the press just quietly corrected the record like the "Washington Post".

Did any of these people apologize to the people of Kenosha, who lost everything in the riots? No. Did any of them apologize to Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson? No.

Remember, they destroyed his life in 2014, even after authorities found insufficient evidence to charge him with murder or manslaughter. That's because they lied about everything from hands up, don't shoot, to whether Michael Brown was the aggressor. So mobs rage, they looted across entire city blocks in Ferguson. Remember, the businesses, they were ruined. Some residents moved out, never returned.

And seven years after all that needless racial unrest, Ferguson has one of the highest crime rights -- rates in America. Who's that helping? According to the crime tracking website NeighborhoodScout, '"One's chances of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 17".

Congratulations, Democrats. Coddling criminals and demonizing Police has predictably made America less safe and thugs more brazen. Now, because liberal politicians didn't suffer politically for backing the destructive BLM movement back in 2020, they may think that they can get away with it again. But that was before voters saw what defunding the police did to crime rates, that was before voters saw how critical race theory infiltrated their kids' classrooms.

Now, look at the vote in Minneapolis, people are just tired of this garbage. They want it to end. There is no negotiating with terrorists. And there's no placating anti-American Marxists who believe that it's better for a city to burn than it -- to continue with traditional policing, or quit a white teenager wrongly accused.

Will Democrats learn these obvious lessons before the midterms? If they had a strong leader, perhaps they could. But they don't, so they won't. And that's the 'Angle'.

All right. Joining me now is Larry Elder, host of 'The Larry Elder Show' and former California gubernatorial candidate. Larry, the left made a deal with the devil last summer. And now, it looks like they're trapped. Your reaction to the 'Angle' tonight.

LARRY ELDER, "THE LARRY ELDER SHOW" HOST: Well, they are trapped. And, Laura, the whole Black Lives Matter movement is based upon a lie and the lie is that the police are engaging in systemic racism. The police are using deadly force against blacks just because they're black. It is not true.

There have been study after study after study showing, if anything, the police are more reluctant, more hesitant to pull the trigger on a black suspect than a white suspect. The police kill more unarmed whites every year than they kill unarmed blacks, except when they kill an unarmed white, nobody cares.

And here's the consequence, the police accused of being systemically racist, pull back. Fewer traffic stops, few arrests, crime goes up. And as you pointed out, a disproportionate number of the victims of the crimes are black and brown people themselves. In New York, the population of black and brown people are roughly half the city. However, 95 percent of the victims and of the perps are black and brown.

So when the police pull back, the very people that Black Lives Matter claims that they care about are hurt the most. There's a black Harvard economist named Roland Fryer, in July of 2016, front page story in 'The New York Times'. He did a study, he just assumed that the police were engaging in deadly force against blacks just because they were black. He said the findings were the most surprising thing of his career.

Again, the police were more hesitant, more reluctant to pull the trigger on a black suspect than a white suspect. He did find, the police were slightly more likely to use nine deadly force. But in my opinion, that's because they didn't want to get to using deadly force. So again, people that are hurt by this lie are the very people that the black and brown -- people who are loving on black and brown, people with the left, claim they care about.

INGRAHAM: Now, New York City mayor-elect Eric Adams, as I mentioned, is not backing down amid all of these threats from the BLM types. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC ADAMS, MAYOR-ELECT NEW YORK CITY: There's very few things that intimidate me. There's very few things that frighten and scare me. New Yorkers are not going to live in fear. And we're not going to be intimidated by anyone. This city is not going to be a city of riots, it's not going to be the city of burning. This is going to be a city where we're going to be safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Larry, is he the right person to step up and take this on?

ELDER: I think so. But, Laura, it sort of doesn't matter. No matter what color you are, if you're black, and you're in a position of responsibility, and you do the right thing, somebody is going to accuse you of being a sellout.

I'm here in Los Angeles, and we elected a black female district attorney. And 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, a Black Lives Matter activist showed up at her house, because they didn't like some positions she had taken. And now this woman has been replaced by George GascA3n, a George Soros soft on crime DA.

And out here in LA, crime has gone up, up 30 percent year-to-year. The city is 9 percent black, about 30 to 40 percent of the victims of the homicide are black people. Again, the very people that the people like that, who claim that they are backing black people, Black Lives Matter. These are the people that they claim that they care about. Those are the ones who are being disproportionately hurt.

By the way, virtually all of these shootings in depth, mostly all of them, Laura, could have been avoided if (inaudible) had the suspect comply. Comply, you won't die. And nobody wants to say that.

INGRAHAM: I mean, no one talks about the fact that the live from Ferguson, that destroyed Darren Wilson's life. I mean, I think he had to change his name and moves -- I mean, I don't know -- know what happened to him. But I mean, the lies just keep -- and the keep to this day being retold, the 'Hands up, don't shoot'.

All of that. They still have posters at various rallies, they still hold them up. So they are they are clinging to lies about facts, policing, specific events and specific shootings. And they just won't let them go, no matter what. I've never seen anything like this. This is true fanaticism, Larry.

ELDER: Yes. The lie, drive the narrative. They don't really care. Just like Donald Trump did not say, there are good Nazis and bad Nazis. He said. And I'm not talking about the white nationalists and the Neo Nazis, because they should be condemned totally. They don't care. The lie becomes the truth. It's pathetic.

INGRAHAM: Larry, it's great to see you tonight. Thanks so much for joining us.

And speaking of the Rittenhouse trial, things did not go well for the prosecution today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE SCHROEDER, KENOSHA COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE: I'm a little bit challenged when you say -- is there something that I'm saying that drives the face that you're making? Go ahead. Say what you have to say.

THOMAS BINGER, PROSECUTOR IN THE RITTENHOUSE CASE: I have to say, Your Honor, yesterday I was the target of your ire for disregarding your orders.

SCHROEDER: I was talking yesterday about the Constitution of the United States, and how the Supreme Court has interpreted it for 50 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Joining me now is David Hancock, spokesman for Kyle Rittenhouse. David, now that's kind of a unusual strategy, accusing the judge of being grossly unfair. It looks like that backfired.

DAVID HANCOCK, KYLE RITTENHOUSE SPOKESPERSON: Yes. And that's just what this prosecutor has been doing this entire trial. It's offensive. And truly a total miscarriage of due process for Kyle. It's just terrible.

INGRAHAM: I know you saw the tweet from LeBron James last night. We're going to put it up on the screen. A lot of people have seen this, but I wanted to get your reaction to this. He responded by saying that, Kyle broke down in tears on the witness stand and that was the tweet he's responding to. He said, '"What tears? I didn't see one. Knock it off. That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court." Had some laughing emojis there.

He's one of the most powerful richest athletes in the world. And he's attacking a teenager.

HANCOCK: Yes. I mean, he's attacking a 18-year-old boy, who was viciously attacked helping his community. I think LeBron James should focus a bit more on the Lakers and a little bit less on trying to get involved in these kinds of situations.

I talked to you about it before. That's just laughable. And I'm not going to be paying any attention to that anymore.

INGRAHAM: Now, Gaige Grosskreutz, who was shot by Rittenhouse after pointing his pistol at Kyle said this on CNN tonight about Kyle's testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAIGE GROSSKREUTZ, SURVIVED KENOSHA SHOOTING: I can't say that I was one particularly impressed, nor convinced. To me, it seemed like a child being upset because they were caught, not upset because of what they have done wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: David, your response to him?

HANCOCK: I'm impressed that he has the gall to go on a major news network and lie about what he said in court. Everybody saw the video and saw the images. That man pointed a loaded handgun at an 18-year-old kid who was in, quite possibly, the most vulnerable position ever on his butt. Come on. That's just discussing.

INGRAHAM: Now, Kyle's mom appeared with Sean Hannity earlier tonight. She's obviously incredibly emotional. I mean, one would expect nothing less about what's happened to her son. If you can, without violating any confidences, how are they getting through this? How have they gotten through this so far?

HANCOCK: They have a very strong support structure around them. They have the truth, they have the facts, they have the reality of what happened that night. And that's been coming out to America. So that's a pretty strong pillar they can lean on.

INGRAHAM: Would you, after watching what's happened at this trial, and what could happen still, I mean we don't know what ultimately will happen. Would you recommend that people get into these events, rallies, protests, to try to protect, or mix it up, or observe, or take video, given how things are distorted, and how situations can spiral out of control? Given what you've seen, would you recommend anyone you know to do what Kyle did?

HANCOCK: I would recommend from the sense of being an American that believes in the Constitution that anybody can protect their property. And if people want to be good, civic-minded individuals and go out into town and protect property and give first aid to people who might be injured, I would say go for it. Right? Go for it.

But I would also encourage the citizen, like journalists, to keep doing what they're doing. I mean, think about how this case would be if there wasn't hours of video from it.

INGRAHAM: You bet.

View original post here:

'Ingraham Angle' on Black Lives Matter, inflation - Fox News

Just about a year ago, global superstar Jennifer Lopez released two songs in tangent featuring Colombian singer Maluma. The songs, collectively referred to as Pa Ti + Lonely, are part of the soundtrack for the two celebs upcoming film Marry Me, due for release next year. The song Lonely contains a line that Lopez dialogues in Spanish: Yo siempre ser tu negrita del Bronx. It created a bit of firestorm in an already stuffy and heated racial climate, fueled by the conversations around racial justice, immigration, and identity that were already taking center stage.

For good reasons, too. The criticism against the lyrics were valid in many ways; and I say in many ways because some of it was, of course, just hateful for the sake of getting to tweet about it. It all centers on the perceived meaning of the word negrita within this context, perceived being the key word. Literally, the word translates as little Black girl. In other words, in a literal translation, what Lopez sings is: I will always be your little Black girl from the Bronx. The initial backlash was swift for obvious reasons. Its worth mentioning that it seems that those who first began calling Lopez out were other Latine people from the United States, who with even the most basic knowledge of Spanish, were able to quickly translate into English what the singer said.

But many also immediately came to Lopezs defense, explaining that the word negrita doesnt actually mean little Black girl in Spanish, but rather it is a word of endearment that would more accurately be translated as honey or sweetheart. Now, this is factually true. There were some who mentioned that negrita is a term of endearment for any light-skinned Black girls. But at least in Puerto Rico (where Lopez has roots) and in South America (where Maluma is from), the word negrita is a term of endearment used arbitrarily for any and every girl. The palest, blue-eyed blonde would be called negrita because within this cultural context, it just means honey.

But the root of the word negrita by its own merit is racialized, and thats also factually true. While contextually the word may be a term of endearment in modern use, its origin is still one mired in racist history, colonialism, and colorism; especially because the tone, social standing, and cultural context all play an important facet in how the word is perceived. And this truth is what sparked the biggest conversation around Latinidad, the anti-Black racism that is still prevalent in Latin America, and even who gets to claim Latinidad within the American framework.

Latinidad can be loosely translated as Latin-ness. Its a term thats been around since the mid-1980s as a way to speak about Latine communities specifically outside of Latin America, especially within the U.S. Its an umbrella term of sorts, meant to facilitate the conversation about Latine peoples, culture, language, belief systems, etc. as they are practiced in the U.S. But as any umbrella term, it has its limitation. Because Latinidad is generally viewed within its American context, its oftentimes exclusionary because of the limited outlook that America itself has of Latine people.

In other words, because Latinidad seeks to create a unified Latine experience in the U.S, it undoubtedly ends up painting a monolithic view of what its supposed to be like being Latine in America. It inevitable gets corrupted to fit the American narrative; in fact, more modern uses of the word opt for Latinidades to try to cover the plurality of Latine peoples. And to be sure, there are myriad commonalities and shared experiences in being Latine in the US; but because Latinidad is framed within the American experiment, it brings with it the racial connotations that are inescapable in the U.S. along with Latin Americas own ugly racial history. And so Latinidad comes to mean that youre a hard worker, you have an immigrant story, you have strong family values, your Spanglish is smooth and fluid, you call your mother every Saturday and go to church on Sundays, and you have that idolized Latine look of Ricky Martin or of, yes, Jennifer Lopez.

Thats why its important to talk about Latinidad when we talk about Lopezs negrita affair and the intersections of discrimination against minority groups. Because, for once and for better or worse, Lopez does have that romanticized Latine woman look the straight long auburn hair, the always perfectly-sun-kissed skin tone thats not too light but definitely not too dark either. We do have to tread carefully and be fair here, because the point is that there isnt a perfect Latine look, and that Lopez embodies what we epitomize as the model Latine face and body speaks more to our culture and society at large than anything else. But because nothing exists in a vacuum, this is irrevocably part of the issue, or at least it informs some of the backlash that the lyrics generated. Lopez has never identified as Black, using this term so blatantly caused some anger, be it for the apparent clout to use an identity that was in vogue or because of Lopezs historied misuse of Black culture. And while the meaning of the word negrita within this cultural context is relevant, it too is relevant to the actual roots and real definition of the word.

Slavery and racism in Latin America has a long history, and its remnants are still everywhere and very visible, just as they are here in the U.S. Its no secret that anti-blackness and anti-indigenous racism still exists in Latin America and within the Hispanic populations at large, hard as we may try to sweep it all under the rug of brownish skin tones.

So the word negrita will always inevitably retain some of its original racial connotations because we just dont live in a post-racial world, and the semantics do matter. There is even a curious parallel here because just as some English words that were once slurs have been retaken and rightly appropriated by the Black community, so has the word negro/a taken different nuances in Spanish. At its core, the word negro/a means Black and it is an adjective that identifies a race, just as it is in English. But in Spanish, the word is also a noun. Historically, the noun form has been used as a pejorative, used to demean and dehumanize. And while that remains true, the noun has been slowly but surely taken back and repurposed.

Just go to any Latine house party and Joe Arroyos La Rebelin will undoubtedly be played a salsa by a Black Colombia singer that tells the story set in Cartagena sometime in the 17th century of a Black couple enslaved to a Spaniard who beats her. The song is truly ubiquitous in any Latine household whenever some dancing is involved, and Black Latine have since claimed it as an anthem of Black pride and identify, because this salsa is basically a draft of Django Unchained in song form (in case it wasnt apparent, the title of the song translates to The Rebellion). Same story with iconic Cuban singer Celia Cruzs La Negra Tiene Tumbao, which would loosely translate to the black woman has swag.

As exemplified by the above, the ever-shifting nature of language is also an integral part of this matter. As Spanish-speaking immigrants, our language is one of the purest vestiges of our culture that we get to keep (when its not being policed). So I must admit that when I first heard of this issue, my initial knee-jerk reaction was to say, But thats not what it means! Yall must be English-speaking Latine because you obviously dont know Spanish that well! And immediately after that, I thought, Wait so are they not allowed to call it out? Are they Latine enough or is that not even a thing?

Its not a thing.

But its worth mentioning because Lopezs own Latinidad has been questioned before as far back as when she played beloved late singer Selena. Lopez has been widely criticized for not speaking Spanish well enough. She may be Puerto Rican and claims those roots proudly, but she was born in New York after all, so her first language is English.

To what extent, then, can she claim the language and specially to use it within the deep cultural context in which the word negrita lives? I dont know that theres a specific barometer here or even if there should be one. Likewise, Christina Aguilera has not actively distanced herself from her Latine roots, but that didnt stop the criticism when she released a best-selling Spanish album even though she infamously doesnt speak the language; she even acknowledged that it may not sit well with some people. Aguilera recently returned to singing in Spanish, releasing a feminist-themed guaracha (a Cuban genre of music popular and beloved throughout the Caribbean) where she does sing with a marked accent. That Aguilera is a blue-eyed blonde doesnt mean she doesnt get to claim her Latinidadeven her last name is a dead giveaway. And for the record, iconic Mexican-American singer Selena didnt speak Spanish very well either.

So even if Lopezs lyrics were not meant to be offensive within the culture of Spanish speakers, it was at least tone deaf. In the music video, she even delivers the line while shes behind bars in a prison. In the end, it should all be about how we can better protect or unite with the most vulnerable. And it is important to maintain our cultural heritage, especially those that are so ingrained in us and prevailing like our language. But language evolves, as it should. We just have to evolve with it and either do away with some terms or be more mindful of the power that they still yield.

Author Bio:

Angelo Franco is Highbrow Magazines chief features writer.

For Highbrow Magazine

Image Sources:

--Ana Carolina Kley Vita (Flickr, Creative Commons)

--Rafael Amado Deras (Wikimedia, Creative Commons)

--DVSRoss (Wikimedia, Creative Commons)

----Anthony Quintano (Flickr, Creative Commons)

Read the original here:

Jennifer Lopez and Spanish Linguistics in the Age of Black Lives Matter - Highbrow Magazine

Teens contribute to Wall Therapy 2017

A trio of Rochester teen girls are showcasing the beauty in their differences in giant mural.

Shawn Dowd

A Black Lives Matter mural on Clarissa Street was defaced over the weekend with white supremacist graffiti.

Twenty-four hours later, the mural painted by Roc Paint Division alumnus Etana Browen, Nzinga Muhammad and Kaori-Mei Stephens was back to its original form.

More: Three teen girls, one big mural with a message

The painting a self-portrait of its three Black artists and part of WALL/THERAPY'S 2017 seasonvibrantly pops off an outerbrick wall at the Flying Squirrel Community Space.

"Rather than give any recognition to hate, we want to highlight the mural and celebrate its powerful message once again," WALL/THERAPY wrote on their Instagram page Sunday.

In a 2017 report by the Democrat & Chronicle, Muhammad explained the message of the art is Black lives matter and within that, there are several perspectives.

Muhammad is Muslim, Kaori-Mei Stephens and Etana Browne are Afro-Asian and Afro-Caribbean, respectively.

Browne stated in the article; the piece also says, "no matter what you are mixed with, you are black and you are part of Black Lives Matter, and your life does matter."

The three artists all issued statements in the aftermath of the vandalism and prompt restoration.

"Our mural is a tribute to the beauty of Blackness and the diversity within our community and diaspora," according to Muhammad's statement. "It also serves as an artistic protest against the very injustice, oppression and bigotry that the tagger chose to display. However, there is no need to put a mural up with this kind of purpose in a place where injustice is not happening. Regardless of the Black judges, mayors, teachers, and leaders, we have in this city, racism is a sickness that has not yet been healed.

Browne's statement notes: "Our mural in Corn Hill was the biggest message we could put in the city, to reassure and bring power to our people and to show we're always ready to fight back. For white supremacists to try and destroy and defile our art just shows the real issue in the world that we work so hard to overcome."

"The best memory I have while creating this mural is when a little girl walked by, pointed up and said, 'that looks like me,' Kaori-Mei Stephens wrote. "At that moment, I understood the power that art has to uplift and inspire, and I felt so proud to be part of this work. Learning about the hateful vandalism, I was saddened but not surprised. What they did could and has already been undone. But what they can never do is take away our hope, our pride or our joy. In fact, this ignorant act only gives us another opportunity to talk about and celebrate Black diversity.

The disturbing hate symbols sprayed over the mural promoted violence against both Black and Jewish people.

"I am a Jewish person, and I am here to call out this senseless act of violence against our community," Alana Bowen, an organizer with the Rochester chapter of Food Not Bombs, wrote in a statement.

Bowen, who got a chance to see the symbols of hate Saturday afternoon, said shewas deeply saddened by the damage.

"The Flying Squirrel is a gem in this community," Bowen wrote."It has been a support to so many justice-making movements here in the city of Rochester."

The parking lot of The Flying Squirrel was once home to Pythodd Jazz Room, a world-famous music venue for iconic jazz musicians. Urban renewal policies uprooted the club and many other Black-owned establishments on the strip.

The Flying Squirrel community condemned the defacement of the Black Lives Matter mural on its their building, which served as the last stop of a walking tour of Clarissa Street, which once was home to a thrivingAfrican American community. The tour is ledby community elders who experienced that time in historyand by youth leaders from Teen Empowerment.

The Flying Squirrel says itcanceled a news conference slated for that Saturday afternoon so the significance of the walking tour, which ended in the parking lot that same afternoon,would not be overshadowed.

"These actions will not deter the Flying Squirrel Community Space from providing space and resources to people engaging in activism that centers racial, economic and social justice in Rochester," The Flying Squirrel wrote in a statement.

There has been an eruption of anti-racist street art popping up across the country in the wake of George Floyd's murder, according to researchers conducted by the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Researchers believe it could be "the largest global explosion of street art addressing one single event or subject in history."

In Rochester, there were several examples of anti-racist street art, including Shawn Dunwoody's "Enough" mural painted on the side of what used to be the City Blue Imaging building, now gone due to a fire.

More: Artists from WNY, CNY have their work showcased at the Memorial Art Gallery

Urban Art Mapping created a database that documents examples of art from around the world that have emerged in the aftermath of Floyd's murder.

Nzinga Muhammad said shebelieves the mural has done its job despite offensive opposition.

"It took four years for cowardly individuals to come out and deface a symbol of resistance and power," Muhammad said in her statement. "Thank you for showing us how important our message is and how four years later, it still stands as a relevant artistic demonstration of anti-racism and unity."

Contact Robert Bellat: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him onTwitter: @byrobbell & Instagram:@byrobbell

This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

The rest is here:

'Racism is a sickness.' Mural in Rochester defaced by racist graffiti - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

The prosecution has rested its case against the three men charged with murdering Ahmaud Arbery after presenting evidence it said shows that the defendants wrongly assumed that Arbery, a Black man, was the suspect of a crime in a mostly white southern Georgia neighbourhood.

Several witnesses testified on Tuesday, including Dr Edmund Donoghue, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiner, who said Arbery was hit by two of the three shotgun rounds fired at him.

Is there anything law enforcement or EMS could have done to save his life at the scene? prosecutor Linda Dunikoski asked the medical examiner.

I dont think so. No, Donoghue replied.

Arbery, who was 25,was running through a neighbourhood in Brunswick, a coastal community 480km (300 miles) southeast of Atlanta, on February 23, 2020.

Lawyers for the defendants Gregory McMichael, 65, his son Travis McMichael, 35, and neighbour William Roddie Bryan, 52 have argued that their clients were justified in chasing Arbery, who was Black, to enforce a citizens arrest.

A video showing the killing of Arbery leaked in early May of last year, sparking outrage and calls for justice that led to the arrests of the McMichaels and Bryan, who are white.

Arberys name was invoked during racial justice protests that rocked the country after the murder of George Floyd in late May of 2020 by a Minnesota police officer, whose killing was also recorded on video.

The video of Arberys final moments was played several times during court proceedings. It shows Travis McMichael shooting Arbery during a struggle. It was filmed by Bryan who had joined the McMichaels in their pursuit of Arbery and later told investigators he tried to use the truck to block Arberys path.

During the trial, prosecutors relied on the defendants statements to investigators, having witnesses read them out loud.

He was trapped like a rat, the elder McMichael told a detective hours after the deadly chase of Arbery. I think he was wanting to flee and he realized that, you know, he was not going to get away.

Local prosecutors had initially declined to charge the suspects in the Arbery case. Months later, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the probe after the video became public. The defendants were arrested and charged with murder.

Arbery had been seen entering a house under construction in the neighbourhood. The owner of the house says Arbery did not steal anything.

But the defendants said they followed him to stop him until the police arrived. At the time, Georgia had a law enabling citizens arrest; it was repealed after the killing of Arbery.

Defence lawyers say that the younger McMichael acted in self-defence when he shot Arbery, whom they say reached for McMichaels drawn shotgun.

Prosecutor Dunikoski has repeatedly said that the defendants acted based on assumptions when they went after Arbery without reasonable suspicion that he committed a crime.

They assumed that he must have committed some crime that day, Dunikoski said in her opening statement earlier this month.

He tried to run around their truck and get away from these strangers, total strangers, who had already told him that they would kill him. And then they killed him.

The trial is seen as the most high-profile test of racial justice since Derek Chauvin was convicted in June for the murder of Floyd. Eleven of the 12 jurors are white, though the judge has said potential Black jurors were dismissed for legitimate reasons unrelated to race.

Kevin Gough, a lawyer for Bryan, caused an outcry last week when he complained about the presence of civil rights leaders in the courtroom, saying we dont want any more Black pastors coming in here.

Gough argued that the presence of pastors who are not related to the family may improperly influence the jury.

On Monday, Judge Timothy Walmsley denounced Goughs remarks as reprehensible. He also rejected a request to have Reverend Jesse Jackson leave the courtroom.

Defence lawyers will continue to present their case to the jury in the coming days before closing arguments.

Read more:

Prosecution rests in US trial over Ahmaud Arberys killing - Aljazeera.com

Sudbury -

Two Sudbury women are being honoured as part of YWCA Sudburys 15th annual Women of Distinction award ceremony Jan. 21.

Raanaa Brown, the 25-year-oldco-founder of Black Lives Matter Sudbury, is one of them. She is currently pursuing a PhD at Concordia University and said there's still a lot of work ahead.

"Were gonna write a whole dissertation on art and activism and the black community in Canada," said Brown. "Theres so many new and incredible things happening theres just not a lot of folks documenting it.

Being recognized by the YWCA is a great honour, she said.

"To be recognized for the work Im doing in the community Im just so thankful for all of this, Brown said.

The ceremony celebrates women who have influenced women and girls as a role model, mentor or through direct accomplishments in many different fields.

We are so resilient and we are strong and we have so much capability and power within us," she said.

"There are so many beautiful women in my life who have motivated me and given me the strength to get this far and all I hope in turn is that I can motivate and give strength to women, as well, along my journey.

Arthmise Camirand-Peterson, long-time volunteer and creator of the New Sudbury Historical Society, will be recognized in the community action category. She spent five years collecting information and wrote a book called 'New Sudbury, Not as New as You Think.'

Arthemise Camirand-Peterson has won a Women of Distinction Award. Nov. 17/21 (Lyndsay Aelick/CTV Northern Ontario)

"Knowing that it had never been, you know, documented, I thought, oh this is good, I love doing this research," said Camirand-Peterson.

As president of the New Sudbury Community Action Network, she was a driving force behind projects such as the welcoming street sign toppers across the area, whose art was created by local students after learning about New Sudburys farming history.

She also helped resurrect the Ridgecrest Park Association, and together with city staff began the work of installing new equipment, a splash pad, updating the field house, landscaping and ensuring the park was accessible to all.

Angela Vendette will be recognized for her work as a radiation therapist at the Northeast Cancer Centre, as well as her volunteer work with the Sudbury Minor Hockey Association.

Lisa Long, executive director of the Samaritan Centre, will be awarded in the COVID-19 Hero category. Michelle Ross will be recognized for her role as an elder and Life Group director at All Nations Church, as well as her extensive volunteering.

Rene Fuchs will be awarded in the Social Justice category for her work as a fluently bilingual family and criminal defence lawyer with Legal Aid Ontario. And Stella Holloway will be recognized in the Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology category for her work in the mining industry.

The awards will be handed out virtually on Jan. 21.

Tickets are available for $45 on Eventbrite until Dec. 31, after which they will be more expensive.

Funds raised from the gala go toward YWCA Sudburys youth programming, specifically the Power of Being a Girl and Boys for Real Conferences. The conferences are delivered to Grade 7 and Grade 8 students from local schools and aim to help them develop leadership and critical thinking skills and provide a safe place to discuss relevant topics.

Here is the original post:

2021 Sudbury Women of Distinction awards announced | CTV News - CTV Toronto

The conservative majority on Newbergs school board tripled down last week on its controversial policy to ban so-called political symbols like the Pride Flag and Black Lives Matter from classrooms and campuses.

The board voted 4 to 3 to oust the popular superintendent who helped steer the exurban district to financial stability in recent years.

Its the latest surprising step from a school board of elected volunteers, but Newberg isnt alone. Its part of a broader movement.

On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we hear from Ryan Clarke and Eder Campuzano. Ryan just joined The Oregonian/OregonLive last week and broke countless stories about the controversial policy this summer as a reporter for the Newberg Graphic. Eder covers Portland Public Schools and education for The Oregonian/OregonLive.

We talked about last weeks remarkable meeting, what students of color and LGBTQ+ students are saying, where the story may go from here and how Newberg fits into the larger American narrative today.

Heres the full episode:

Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen

Subscribe to Beat Check on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Here is the original post:

The latest from Newbergs school board and what it means: Beat Check podcast - oregonlive.com

Raneem Hamad did not think she would make it out of the protests of summer 2020 alive.

We really thought our lives were in danger, she said.

The last time the Iowa Freedom Riders hosted a protest was September 2020.

Hamad, a founder of the Iowa Freedom Riders, attributed the pause in protests to safety, after Gov. Kim Reynolds passed the Back the Blue act on June 17 laws that provided extra protection for police and more limitations for protesters.

Hamad said as a Black woman in a leadership role, she felt like she had a target on her back. She said she would come home from protests to find police stationed outside her home.

Id come home back from the protests and there was just a cop car waiting outside my house, she recalled. It just drives away once I start looking at him and taking pictures of the license plate. Cops would follow my car everywhere I drove downtown.

The fear Hamad felt began long before the first vigil to honor Floyds death in May 2020. To this day, she said she still cannot completely watch the horrific video.

She said she and Mohamed were with friends when the news of Floyds death broke.

Hamad remembered feeling anger but also numbness, and she asked herself why things like this continued to happen with no consequences.

I feel like every other emotion I had already felt before, I already went through before, she said. Anger was all I had.

All the anger Hamad and others felt was channeled into the protests and gatherings. However, she said, the creation of the Iowa Freedom Riders was organic.

Its beautiful and remarkable and it says something that a lot of the leaders of this movement were primarily Black women, young Black women, she said. That in itself says a lot. Black women, we bear the brunt of a lot of the work, the transformational change in our communities.

Looking back over the last year, she said the biggest shock to her was the disconnect between Black youth and older Black leadership in Iowa City.

She said it was difficult to hear patronizing comments, whether from city council leaders or older Black activists, about the Iowa Freedom Riders lack of knowledge when the groups leaders would suggest changes to local government or police policies.

Of the many requests the Iowa Freedom Riders advocated for in their list of demands to the city council, abolition defunding and dismantling the police system and diverting resources from the police to local community organizations were two main goals.

I was consistently dealing with this, like Your ideas arent good because you dont know anything. You dont know how the government works or how the city works, Hamad said. Weve lived in Iowa City all our lives, we grew up in this system, we know how sh happens inside day in and day out.

One of the most significant challenges she faced, she said, was feeling as though there was a lack of support from Black leadership.

The sad thing is I started my journey into activism with Royceann Porter, Hamad said. Porter is a Johnson County Supervisor and founder of the Black Voices Project. She kind of helped me get into this stuff, and just realizing that, you know, theres a saying that we have, that Not all skin folk are kinfolk. So not every Black person is actually going to be truly, truly for Black causes at all times.

The Daily Iowan reached out to Porter for comment, but she declined.

Hamad was one of the original supporters of the citys Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission a commission created to address racial disparities within the city that came out of a 17-point racial justice resolution passed by the city.

Passed in June 2020 after weeks of protest, the resolution was touted as a landmark for the city, outlining its commitment to addressing police disparities and racial inequity in the city.

Eventually, she became a commissioner herself, but Hamad said she is happy she resigned after issues arose between the commission and the council and among the commissioners themselves.

I tried so hard to get so many community stakeholders to work together to make this something that was transformational in our community, she said. Its kind of sad the leadership in our community doesnt trust the people of Iowa City that what they want is good for them.

At the end of all of this, Hamad said what she came to understand is that change is incremental. She said Mohameds idea of building power within the people is something she chooses to focus on moving forward.

The existence of the Peoples Truth and Reckoning Commission, a community-driven committee created by the Iowa Freedom Riders in April to address racial injustice in response to perceived failures of the citys Truth and Reconciliation Commission, spoke volumes to Hamad on how the community can come together for support.

All we would do is just come together in a park and talk about our issues in that moment and brainstorm ideas of how to solve them, she said. And somehow, that was doing more and effecting more change in our community.

The group paused the committee in July, saying in a statement the meetings had veered off from their original goal and become a place for white people to come and discuss their issues.

Summer 2020 took a huge emotional toll on Hamad, she said.

Looking back, would I put myself through that again? she said, tearing up. The answer is yes, I would do it all again. I really love my community I love fighting for my community and every single Black person in Iowa City deserves a better life than what we have now.

While Hamad distrusts city institutions to enact bold change, she hasnt given up on the people.

I think our people power can do so much, and it has done so much, she said. Weve changed the conversation, weve changed the dialogue, and that in itself is powerful.

She added that she discovered how to know when to step back and focus on what is best for her.

Learning sometimes to call it quits and put my energy toward other things, and making sure that me, as a Black woman in this world, I am doing OK and I am being successful, whether its emotionally, physically, or mentally, Hamad said. That in itself is fighting the good fight.

See the original post here:

Iowa City community leaders look back at how their activism has evolved over a year after Black Lives Matter protests - UI The Daily Iowan

By the time he was 30, Ashley Banjo had spent nearly a decade in the public eye. Having pipped Susan Boyle to the Britains Got Talent (BGT) title with his dance group Diversity in 2009, he completed seven UK arena tours before transitioning back to television, with a slew of judging gigs on television dance shows, including Dancing on Ice, Got to Dance and Dance Dance Dance.

Nothing, however, could have prepared him for the backlash that followed Diversitys appearance on BGT last September. The performance featured backing dancers in riot gear and the image of a white man standing on Banjos neck, a reference to the murder in Minneapolis of George Floyd, and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests that followed.

To date, it has racked up more than 30,000 complaints to the media regulator Ofcom, earning a spot as one of the top five most complained about moments in UK TV history.

People were very quick to label it the Black Lives Matter performance but I wasnt trying to make a political statement, says Banjo, 33. I wasnt trying to cause reform or change policy, I was just bringing the conversation to a place that is natural for me: a stage. Without the BLM element, he says, it wouldnt have been too political or too sad, or not right for light entertainment. What was wrong is that I brought in Black Lives Matter.

In doing so, he pushed his troupe into unfamiliar, politically charged terrain, and unleashed a torrent of online threats and abuse. As the face of the operation, Banjo became a particular target. On social media, he says, racial slurs were just sitting there untamed in stark contrast to the platforms crackdown on Covid-19 misinformation or women who even hint at showing a nipple.

Banjo holds less resentment against people who expressed disapproval respectfully, including those who complained to Ofcom. Listen, theres a lot of ignorance but I dont think the 30,000 people are racist, he says. Thats such a sweeping generalisation. Probably a lot of those people are racist. But theres a lot of people who felt uncomfortable, or who didnt even see it and complained because their mate in the pub was complaining. Ive had personal conversations with people who have apologised when they realised where they might have gone wrong.

He also received encouragement from a few people he wouldnt normally hear from following the BGT performance: Elton John contacted him, as did the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They called when everything was going on, just to check in and offer their support. [Meghan and Harry] understood racism in Britain and what it felt like to have a certain level of backlash In the sea of negativity, it was a huge help.

I meet Banjo on a boat, moored outside an east London studio, where he is being photographed. Weary after a day of trying on outfits, he is now wearing the biggest item of clothing I have ever seen: a fluffy, grey fleece that drowns his heavyweight boxer physique. His dad actually was a heavyweight boxer: Its much harder to dance when youre big, says Banjo, who is 6ft 6in. I was naturally born to be a boxer but dad wasnt having it he said I could put my face to better use.

Banjo was born in Leytonstone, east London, but grew up in Essex. His Nigerian father, Funso, originally moved to Scotland to attend boarding school before settling in Forest Gate, while his mother, Dani, a dance teacher, was born and raised in Ilford. I was in a buggy in the corner of the studio from when I was born, he says. I was a little kid seeing my mum at the front, putting everyone through stretches, being the sergeant major. She has always been that figure in my life, he says of the woman who not only trained him as a dancer, but is still his manager.

At 14, Banjo started teaching dance himself. We were an old-school circus family, he beams. He met his wife, Francesca Abbott, two years later, teaching at his familys Rainham studio. She also now works for Diversity Dance, the management company behind the troupe. As a 20-year-old, knowing that if your ideas arent good enough, your brother, your mum, your wife dont eat, thats a life-shaping responsibility, he says. It was also a responsibility he felt most intensely during the pandemic. Unable to tour, and with a one-year-old and a newborn baby to look after, he says he fell into a dark hole. You cant see any of your family, your businesses and jobs are crumbling around you. It was tough.

As a child, he attended private school in Billericay, Essex, where he was academically successful and also head boy. But, he says, he grew up straddling two worlds: being the only Black kid [at school] before spending his evenings at the dance school where everybodys making ends meet you mix that with being mixed-race, he says. My mums white, my nans white, my wifes white, one of my kids has blue eyes, blond hair. You dont like to think about it because they are my family, but we are not the same.

At school, he experienced his fair share of bullying (I was a young, mixed-race boy who danced and didnt play football) but because he was so much bigger than everyone else, the intimidation was never physical. He remembers an incident where a white pupil approached him bragging about beating up Black and Asian people at the weekend, like as a hobby. If he ever wanted to react violently, his boxer fathers warnings would ring loud in his ears: People might think he was like, Give him the right hook but my dad was the opposite. He always taught us to turn the other cheek.

Banjo says he formed Diversity by accident. In the mid-2000s, the only boy dancing on screen was Billy Elliot and so, feeling embarrassed, he and the other boys at his Rainham dance school would retreat into a backroom to practise their own cool routines. Two years later, they won BGT. It was all organic; Ive never held an audition, he says.

But in 2009, inexperience wasnt the only thing between them and the BGT title: Susan Boyle had already been in The Simpsons, he explains. She was world-famous at that point, which took the pressure off. Diversity, however, won the public vote, leaving a young Banjo to face the disappointed media scrum waiting to greet Boyle. There was press there from around the world: America, Asia it was her crowning moment. From the beginning, the first question was: Why you? But I remember sitting there, thinking: This is going to change my life completely. Banjo took time off from his degree (in physics and biology) to compete on BGT and, 12 years later, has yet to return to it. In a way, I hope I dont but I would also love the chance to finish my degree, he says.

Last summer, Banjo returned to BGT as a judge when Simon Cowell broke his back after falling off an electric bike. The competition is sometimes viewed as one of the softer reality shows, with only three performances demanded of participants in total, but Banjo acknowledges that many of the issues around the exploitation of vulnerable contestants and the lack of psychological support available, both on set and after filming, remain. Youre still exposing ordinary people to the public Diversity have been blessed. Its very rare that big groups win those things; normally, youre on your own. It sounds so dramatic, but it can honestly destroy you. Thats the only way to describe it.

Did he feel any trepidation about working for Cowell, given the recent allegations of bullying and racism on the set of Americas Got Talent, which NBC has denied? Personally, no, he says. Im a sceptic of woke culture to the point where its cancel culture and the speed of allegation is 100 times quicker than the speed of investigation. Its very dangerous to be able to point a finger and change someones life.

His latest project is an hour-long ITV documentary, Ashley Banjo: Britain in Black and White. There will be a lot of assumptions, but I didnt want to poke the hornets nest, he says. Indeed, the show is not quite the journey into the dark heart of British prejudices that you might expect. Rather, he was driven to make the programme after people saying to me, Ive never really thought about racism before or I didnt really know it existed.Im learning too, but I have a platform which means that I can do it with people watching, he says.

His commitment to promoting Black history is also something of a personal crusade: I want to get to a point when it is no longer [considered] Black history, he says. I want this to be stuff that people just learn. In the documentary, this, specifically, is the New Cross fire in 1981, in which 13 young people died in a house fire at a 16th birthday party. No one has ever been charged in connection with the fire, but the slogan 13 dead, nothing said became a rallying cry for political action in part due to the work of activists such as the writer and editor Leila Hassan Howe. Meeting Leila was one of the most educational, eye-opening experiences of my life, says Banjo. The sheer hate was so overt back in the day, to the point where people were being murdered in fires. Were only talking about a generation ago; it cant just evaporate.

Its Banjos name in the title, but the documentary is almost a two-hander with the historian David Olusoga, whose production company, Uplands TV, was involved in making it. I wanted to educate and inspire, says Banjo. But I wanted to come from a place of knowledge and historical context, not finger-pointing and assumption, which is why he was keen to share the screen with the academic.

We wanted to do something about now, and about how the past and the present have combined in this moment were living through, says Olusoga. This is Ashleys story but it was also a moment that millions of people followed and were affected by ... Ashley understands the unique place he occupies in British culture. I think a lot of people are going to see a different side to him in this film.

It clearly irks Banjo that his contentious appearance on BGT has become known as the BLM performance. Weve never given it a title, but I would call it The Great Realisation because thats what happened to me personally. If he had known how much backlash the piece would provoke, would he have tempered his approach? I still would have done it, he says. But I would have been scared.

I didnt intend to be an activist, but somehow here I am, he says. Ive learned to believe in my own choices.

Ashley Banjo: Britain in Black and White, 19 October at 9pm on ITV and ITVHub.

See the article here:

Ashley Banjo on Black Lives Matter, backlash and reality TV: Im a sceptic of cancel culture - The Guardian

Israel just marked a grim milestone with the killing of 44-year-old Salim Hasarma from the northern village of Ba'ana, the 100th Arab Israeli citizen lost to community violence in 2021 alone. The number of deaths continues to climb.

Why is community violence such an issue?

Violence has been a problem in the Arab community for decades. Unlike in Jewish neighborhoods for example, in Netanya, where Israeli authorities intervened to stop local crime the police have been accused of turning a blind eye to Arab-on-Arab crime.

In addition to police apathy toward the Arab community, lawmakers have also been slow to act. Not only have the authorities failed to investigate killings and bring perpetrators to justice, they have also failed to stem the flow of illegal weapons.

However, the real driving factor behind this epidemic is the high unemployment rate among Israel's Arab community. With some 40 percent of Israels young Arab citizens jobless, the lack of opportunities pushes some into crime and gangs. Easy access to illegal weapons further compounds the situation.

What has the state done?

Only recently has the government started to seriously discuss steps to stem the violence. Israels cabinet has voted to expand police powers to fight crime, including giving police the right to search homes without a warrant. However, this broad expansion of powers would apply only in Arab communities, not Jewish communities.

There have been talks as well about involving Israels Shin Bet security service, which is chiefly used for intelligence and anti-terrorism purposes. Critics say both proposals would undermine the rights of Arab citizens, encourage further enforcement based on ethnic background and reinforce already existing prejudices that portray Arabs as a security risk.

How is the Black Lives Matter movement different from Arab Lives Matter?

Black Lives Matter was founded in the aftermath of the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of his killer. The movement aims to bring attention to and eradicate police brutality and systemic violence inflicted on Black communities.

Arab Lives Matter, while also aiming to bring attention to systemic racism, aims to raise public awareness of community violence not at the hands of the police, but due to police inaction.

While the movement says more policing will not solve the core problems, it calls for police action, including taking steps to strengthen relations between the Arab community and law enforcement.

What steps are community leaders and activists calling for in order to effectively reduce violence?

In order to effectively tackle the problem, community leaders and law enforcement must work together to build trust and mutual understanding. More thorough probes into killings that have already taken place, as well as tightening restrictions to make illegal weapons less accessible, would make it more difficult for gangs to thrive.

Ultimately, the biggest obstacle is the governments attitude toward the Arab community as a whole. In addition to placing equal value on the safety of Israels Arab citizens, more investment in the community is necessary. The government must create equal opportunities for education and employment in the Arab community.

Go here to see the original:

Why is #ArabLivesMatter trending and how is it different from Black Lives Matter? - Haaretz