Category Archives: Black Lives Matter

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM of Ireland (NMI) has said it wants to be a more inclusive museum and has cited the influence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Representatives from NMI will address TDs and Senators at the Oireachtas Tourism and Culture Committee today about plans for the post-Covid recovery of the museum sector.

A briefing note about these plans says the NMI needs to focus on inclusivity and our local and domestic communities not just international tourists.

The National Museum of Ireland is made up of four separate museum sites, three in Dublin and the Museum ofCountry Life in Castlebar.

In her opening statement, NMI chair Catherine Heaney will say that political engagementin our dialogue on an inclusive museum will need to set targets that go far beyond visitor numbers, adding that museums play a role in maintaining the well-being of communities.

As we move out of the pandemic, we want to bring more rigour and discussion to the concept of the inclusive museum. We know that cultural institutions play a critical role in creative place-making and are important elements of our overall cultural ecosystem, and in turn the health and wellbeing of communities.

The statement adds: The Black Lives Matter movement, which became an active voice in the pandemic, has highlighted that museums across the globe have a distance to travel.

The Black Lives Matter movement and the reckoning for racism it has brought has led to some museums around the world reevaluating some of the artefacts they display.

In the UK, for example, the British Museum removed a bust of its founding father, the Irish-born physician Hans Sloane, due to his links with slavery in the 17th century.

At todays committee, the NMI will say that cultural institutions will play an important role in the rebuilding of our society but that this must reflect the multiple identities of our communities.

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The NMI will also outline that museums need to rethink business models to ensure they are are more sustainable by servicing their local communities better, stating:

Museums as collectors; as curators; as spaces of well-being, as places of discussion about our future, and as instruments of community cohesion and education are all ripe for new consideration.

The NMI chair will also say that an enhanced online offering was a feature of its work during the pandemic but that this cannot be discarded in the future.

And while the museum worked very hard to reach audiences online during the pandemic, we know that building a high-quality online offering to complement physical programming will, in post pandemic life, be just as important in driving interest and outreach in our collections and work. There is a digital capacity gap in the cultural sector that will need to be bridged.

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National Museum of Ireland cites Black Lives Matter and says it wants to be 'more inclusive' - TheJournal.ie

Janae Spooner

Like a lit match to a pool of gas, a single murder sparked an explosion of outrage and change, furthering the Black Lives Matter Movement. Many people are probably familiar with the surge in support for the black lives matter movement. During the summer there were peaceful protests, rioting, violence, and a call for justice.

The murder of George Floyd broke the camels back and served as a catalyst of indignation. On May 25th, police officers took Floyd into custody and used excessive force in pinning him down, eventually leading to his murder. This murder was recorded and spread across the internet, leading to a strong resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. The social media presence of the movement exploded, spreading awareness to any listening individual. I asked Maya Spooner, a Black young adult fluent in social media about her experience with the movement on social media, I see the hashtag, I see all sorts of fundraisers related to BLM or black people in need regularly. I see discussions n what ppl would like BLM to do, I see discussions on what BLM has done, or what they dont do.

Although the recent surge in popularity is how many came to know about the black lives matter movement, BLM has a rich history of advocating against the oppression of black people in America. Starting as a simple hashtag, the growth of the BLM organization is definitely a sight to behold. Based mostly on social media, this organization relies on the internet to promote the black-centred political movement to the masses. Unfortunately, another act of violence was the motivation for the rudimentary beginnings of the movement.

In 2012, after the shootings of Trayvon Martin, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter began to grow in popularity as a protest against the acts of police brutality towards black people in America. In 2013, three women, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi started the political movement called #BlackLivesMatter. Since then, the project has only risen in popularity across the nation, gaining recognition, working towards the liberation of black people- even queer and disabled- in Americas oppressive system. They are accepting donations and support at the link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

A major moment in black liberation history was the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police. On May 25th, Floyd was taken into custody by Minneapolis police under suspicion of using counterfeit money to buy a pack of cigarettes. The police ended up using excessive force in order to subdue Floyd; kneeling on his neck as he called out for help until his inevitable death from suffocation. This entire ordeal was filmed by onlookers hoping to use the evidence to hold the officers accountable. This incident spread like wildfire, with people rightfully getting upset at the obvious misuse of power by the police force. Melinda Aaron, a black woman old enough to experience racism at its height looks back on her reaction to the announcement: I remember the worst thing that I heard about George Floyds death was the length of time that policeman had his knee on his neck.

I cant breathe. Some of the last words of Floyd as he pleaded for his life; for mercy from the cop kneeling on his kneck. These words served to provoke the nation, effectively opening up their eyes to the atrocities acted upon black people by police. This lead to a series of several events as the masses attempted to get justice. I asked Brianna Cruz-Cortez what she remembered, a young adult who experienced this summer first-hand through social media, and she said: I think I found out [about George Floyds death] through social media probably like Instagram or one of twitters momentsand then I would see protests in posts

Much of the BLM movement was located on the internet, raising awareness through social media and the like. During the summer of discontent, fundraisers, infographic and petitions helped the cause by spreading information and allowing people to come together in a unified front. Cruz-Cortez recalls how she helped to spread awareness, a group of my peers and I would take turns to spread around petitions that were important, and wed try to educate each other on social issues that we thought were current to our time and where we could actively make changes by spreading this information. Many organizations for the movement have followed suit, using social media to reach out to the younger generation in the hopes of enlisting their help. Delaware State University has its own Instagram dedicated to diversity and acceptance on campus. At dsu_diversity on Instagram.

The aftermath after the surge in outrage in response to Floyds murder on May 25th was as follows: peaceful protests were observed all across America in an effort to bring attention to the injustice in the systemic oppression enforced by the police force. Similarly, violent riots broke out alongside these protests, adding an urgency to the matter, and pointing more attention to the cause. Cruz-Cortez Gives her opinion on the riots, I was all for the riots and even when they got violent I was still for them because I think it was their place to tear down the very infrastructure that was used to oppress them.

Now, the BLM movement is a well recognized and heavily supported movement by many across America. Although support seems to have waned, sadly, it is only a matter of time before another act of police brutality will incite more action. The cycle still remains that is actively oppressing black people in America with the use of the police force. We can only hope that eventually, change will come about to free black people in this nation. Until then, our actions and displays can serve as reminders for the people we have lost to this violence. We can all do our part for the better of the BLM Movement.

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The Black Lives Matter Movement of the Summer of 2020 - The Hornet

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A Utah school district has landed in the middle of the classroom culture war after explicitly banning LGBTQ pride flags and Black Lives Matter flags from being displayed in any of its buildings.

The spokesman for Davis School District in northern Utah says that administrators there believe the symbols have become too politically charged. And they want schools to remain neutral on all issues.

So no flags fly in our schools except for the flag of the United States of America, said spokesman Chris Williams. (He later clarified that some schools have flags from sports team or international countries that are unrelated to politics.)

The rule has emboldened conservative crusaders who, like Utah Board of Education member Natalie Cline, have suggested that classrooms are no place for identity politics. They see the decision as a win.

But it has touched off backlash from community activists, who say that flying the pride and BLM flags tells students from marginalized backgrounds that they are welcome. They argue that its about fostering belonging and community not displaying any political views.

And theyre worried that Black and Latino students or LGBTQ students will no longer feel like there are safe places they can easily spot in a school when they are the minority in the state.

These people who want to remove the flag, they dont understand what it means to us, said Amanda Darrow, the director of youth, family and education at the Utah Pride Center. That flag represents love and acceptance.

The rule in Davis School District, Williams said, has been in place for a few years. But it drew attention this month when it was sent out in an email reminder to teachers and administrators.

Screenshots swirled around on social media. One from North Layton Junior High said the rule on flags also extended to any other decorations, including stickers that a teacher might wear. No rainbow pins or pins listing pronouns, for instance, are allowed. It added: It does not matter what we have done in the past.

Williams said the district is just following state law.

Utah law doesnt specifically say anything about flags in the classroom. But it does instruct teachers to never mention their political or religious views. The ACLU of Utah also has said that an educators right to freedom of speech is limited in the classroom.

But interpreting those instructions and statutes has played out differently in different districts, when it comes to whats allowed to be pinned on the walls next to the ABCs or the periodic table. Some, like Davis, have taken a hard-line approach, casting a broad net over what they see as political.

Meanwhile, other districts let almost anything fly.

In Salt Lake City School District, Principal Nicole Palmer has probably 40 flags flying in the atrium of Rose Park Elementary where students first walk in each morning on their way to class.

She started with flags representing every country and nationality of the kids there; the population of the school on the west side of the state capital is 71% students of color. She thinks it would be even more important in most Utah schools where white students are the majority. Theres also a few Indigenous tribal flags that Palmer is working to get more of.

And at the very front are the rainbow stripes of the progress pride flag and the black polyester fabric of the Black Lives Matter flag.

You find yourself represented in one or more of the flags, Palmer said. Its intended to be comforting and reassuring and validating. I want students to see that they are wanted here and seen here for who they are every part of who they are.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The atrium of Rose Park Elementary in Salt Lake City, where an LGBTQ Pride flag and a Black Lives Matter flag hang along with flags of the United States, other countries, and local tribes, in 2020.

Its personal for Palmer. But it also hasnt gone without some pushback, which boiled over last fall.

Palmer has had a standard rainbow pride flag flying at the elementary for a few years, ever since the principal met a transgender student at the school who was transitioning. She wanted the student to know that they were welcome and recognized; she also designated a gender neutral bathroom.

The whole intent of hanging the flags is to communicate through symbols, Palmer said. You cant just hang a flag, though. You have to be a welcoming school through actions, too.

Last November, the principal upgraded the flag to the progress pride flag, which is more representative of all identities in the LGBTQ community, including individuals of color.

At the same time, Palmer added the Black Lives Matter flag, feeling prompted to do so after a sixth grade student asked her about it in response to the nationwide protests against the mistreatment of individuals of color, including often at the hands of police.

Once they were up, she took a video and posted it to Instagram, tagging Rose Park Elementary. Palmer wrote: Welcome to our new flags.

The next morning, she was confronted with hundreds of angry calls and threatening emails.

Eric Moutsos, a prominent conservative activist in Utah, had shared the video on Facebook, calling on his followers to demand the school remove the flags, especially the Black Lives Matter one. In his own conversation with the principal, Palmer said, he told her that it was illegal to fly the flags in a school.

It caught me completely off guard, Palmer said.

She called the district to see if she had done something wrong. She had never hidden the flags. In fact, she had taken the superintendent on a tour around the school.

The superintendent called her back directly and said she had his support. Palmer let go of a breath she felt shed been holding in her chest.

Then-superintendent Larry Madden also followed up with an email to the district community, saying he was proud of the flags and hoped Palmer wouldnt take them down. He said the 3-foot-by-5-foot pieces of colorful cloth are not a political statement.

The decision to hang these flags is backed by policies in our district that bolster ALL students and specifically prohibit discrimination, Madden wrote. The flags show our students and families we love them and want them to succeed. Thats a goal I hope the entire community can support.

The new superintendent of the district, Timothy Gadson, told The Salt Lake Tribune that stance still stands under his administration, too.

Soon after, Palmer noticed that others were chiming into the comments on the Instagram post and sending her kind emails to counteract those protesting the flags. Some said they wished they had those flags up when they went to school. Others found the ones representing their counties and wrote things like, Go Kenya! Many in the LGBTQ community, specifically, thanked the principal; some said they believed the flags would save student lives.

Since then, more LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter flags have been popping up across the district. One administrator received a grant to buy more and distributed them to every school.

With Davis and Salt Lake City school districts at opposite ends of the issue, where does that leave other schools in the state? Which example can they or should they follow?

Mark Peterson, the spokesman for the Utah Board of Education, said it is up to each district or charter to set their own policy on flags.

There is no rule from the state board on flags outside of the American flag, which all schools are required to have. Schools are also instructed to have students recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning (which parents can also choose to opt out of). But thats it, Peterson said.

(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Students at Park Valley School say the Pledge of Allegiance in this file photo.

The Utah Legislature has not weighed in on the issue, so unless theres more clear direction there, districts have only to follow the fuzzy area of state law that prohibits educators from sharing their personal beliefs on religion or politics.

With that, it comes down to what school districts individually decide is too political. At Canyons School District, for instance, theyre trying to cut down the middle.

Teachers can only hang flags on their walls if its directly related to curriculum, said spokesman Jeff Haney, such as a Soviet era flag in a history class. But teachers can decorate their personal desk however they see fit including putting a pride flag or Black Lives Matter flag there.

If they want to put a statue of Buddha on their desk or a mug with rainbow there, then they can, Haney said.

He added that he believes districts are operating in an era where theres enhanced scrutiny of schools, with culture wars erupting over lessons about race and more students and parents filming things in the classroom. That has caused the district to try to be more cautious with its rules. Canyons, Haney said, wants to be neutral in both appearance and action.

His comments come after a Utah teacher left her job at Lehi High School this year after she was recorded sounding off to her students in a profane address that jumped from former President Donald Trump to the COVID-19 vaccine, climate change and the LGBTQ community. The prohibition on speech like that, though, is more clear cut in state law than flying a flag.

A video of the teachers talk was posted online by Moutsos, the same conservative leader who called the principal at Rose Park Elementary over the flags there.

And last year in Utah, one school came under fire for not doing enough to support the LGBTQ community after one student cut down a pride flag to cheers, while another school drew criticism for a teacher proudly wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt.

Its left many districts feeling afraid, Haney said, and like theyre stuck no matter what they do, open to the crossfire from both sides of the issue.

The Davis School District spokesman said the hope is that by having no flags, theyll avoid division and no child will feel alienated.

This direction is surely not something that slights anyone, he said. We have to be welcoming to every student that walks in the class. We cannot set up a situation where students walk in feel attacked or uncomfortable.

He added that all schools in the district have a gay straight alliance club; and students are still free to express themselves, wearing pride or BLM shirts if they want. And the police Thin Blue Line flag is also banned from being flown, he noted, suggesting theres no favoritism shown.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Demonstrators honk their horns as they drive in downtown Salt Lake City, during a rally for justice for George Floyd, in solidarity with Minneapolis, as Derek Chauvin's trial starts on Monday, the rally was sponsored by Utah Against Police Brutality, on Saturday, March 6, 2021.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Supporters of law enforcement gathered at City Hall in Salt Lake City for a rally in support of police hosted by the Utah Business Revival on Saturday, June 20, 2020.

The Fraternal Order of Police union in Utah said it supports the decision. It put out a letter last year criticizing the teacher over the shirt for Black Lives Matter, suggesting that has become a political organization. Schools should be a neutral learning place, union President Brent Jex said.

Black Lives Matter, though, has said its group is not political, saying members want justice and fair treatment for people of color.

Some groups, including the Black Lives Matter chapter in Utah, have said they feel the American flag has become a political symbol. So where is the line drawn? And who gets to draw it? Can kindergarten classrooms not have rainbows on their walls now?

Darrow, with the Utah Pride Center, believes that as it stands, school administrators have too much power to choose what is or isnt considered political. And those decisions to not make some students feel uncomfortable, she said, prioritize those who dont come from marginalized backgrounds.

She said when she was in high school in Utah in the early 2000s, she had not yet come out as LGBTQ. She didnt feel safe.

Darrow remembers, though, a few teachers having a pride flag in their classroom then and instantly feeling like it signaled she was in a safe space. I was so afraid to be bullied for who I was, she said. But when I saw those flags, I would just smile.

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This Utah school district has banned LGBTQ pride and Black Lives Matter flags, saying they are 'politically charged' - Salt Lake Tribune

Ted Nugent was challenged by a Black man during a political rally in Centreville, Michigan, where the guitarist called Black Lives Matter a terrorist organization.

Only around 100 people attended Nugents appearance on Friday (September 17th) as part of the Jack Coleman Presents Ted & Shemane Nugent Constitution Tour. Apparently, 600 attendees were expected.

Nevertheless, a camo-clad Nugent took the stage to pontificate his right-wing views to the mostly white crowd. At one point, Nugent touched on Black Lives Matter, even goading the audience to challenge his opinions regarding the movement.

Arent there any BLM punks who want to come up and harass me? Nugent asked, as reported by local news station WWMT.

At that point, a Black man named Jalen Brown approached the stage, asking for the mic from Nugent.

Bravely, Brown stood directly in front of the stage and proceeded to speak in support of Black Lives Matter, despite a chorus of boos from the mostly white crowd.

Nugent then resorted to personal insults, calling Brown a varmint and saying black lives dont give a sh*t about black lives before calling BLM a terrorist organization.

Prior to leaving the stage, Brown reminded the crowd that were not here by choice and black lives matter, too, but again, the crowd berated him with chants of U-S-A! and the ultimate cry of ignorance, all lives matter!

Later, Brown told WWMT, As soon as he said Black Lives Matter was a terrorist organization, I took that personally.

One can only admire Brown for standing up to Nugent, considering the latters track record for racist sentiments. Over the years, hes asserted that it would have been best had the South won the Civil War in a Washington Times column and once said blacks were not hard workers while repeatedly using racial slurs.

Watch Jalen Brown confront Ted Nugent at the Michigan rally below.

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Ted Nugent Confronted at Rally Where He Called Black Lives Matter a Terrorist Organization: Watch - Consequence

QFC and Fred Meyer violated federal labor law when store officials prohibited workers from wearing union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons, according to a ruling by Region 19 of the National Labor Relations Board.

Seattle-based UFCW 21 announced in a Sept. 17 press release that the board informed the union of the ruling against both companies, which are owned by Kroger.

Specifically, Region 19 (Alaska, Montana, Oregon and Washington) found merit in UFCW 21s charges that Kroger violated the law by: 1) failing to bargain with the union over a change in workplace conditions in this case the practice of allowing the wearing of buttons at work; and 2) prohibiting workers from taking action together in this case, by wearing Black Lives Matter messages to protest racism in the workplace and in society, generally, according to the press release.

Seattle-based Region 19 will now seek a settlement agreement with Kroger, which would likely require a change to company policy, according to the union. If a settlement cannot be reached, Region 19 would typically issue a formal complaint and a trial would be held before an Administrative Law judge, whose ruling would be subject to an appeal to the NLRB in Washington D.C.

This is very uplifting, said Sam Dancy a front end supervisor at the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle. When workers were trying to speak out through these buttons and collectively say Black Lives Matter and Kroger said to take the buttons off, that was an insult. This decision is welcome news in our work to bring attention to social and racial injustice in the workplace and in our neighborhoods.

A QFC spokesperson issued the following statement in a Sept. 17 email to the Kent Reporter.

We look forward to reviewing the proposed settlement agreement, according to the spokesperson. Our company is unequivocal in standing with our Black associates, deeply listening and taking action to advance more diverse, inclusive and equitable communities.

UFCW 21 President Faye Guenther released the following statement.

In the wake of this welcome action by the NLRB, we are calling on Kroger to respect workers rights and take meaningful steps to address racial inequities in Kroger workplaces, Guenther said. Among other things, Kroger needs to do a better job of hiring and promoting African Americans at every level of the company and making it clear that it will not tolerate racism from customers or employees.

After Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on May 25, 2020, many UFCW 21 members working in grocery and retail stores chose to express their opposition to racism by wearing face masks (otherwise worn for protection from COVID-19) or other items bearing the Black Lives Matter slogan.

Although Kroger issued public statements expressing sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement, managers at Kroger-owned stores in Western Washington started ordering UFCW 21 members to remove Black Lives Matter masks in August 2020, according to the union press release.

UFCW 21 responded to the companys Black Lives Matter ban by collaborating with Fred Meyer and QFC workers to distribute union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons with the UFCW 21 logo. When managers banned the union buttons, UFCW 21 filed charges in September 2020 with the National Labor Relations Board.

UFCW 21 represents over 46,000 workers at grocery stores, retail, health care and other industry jobs.

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Grocery store workers have right to wear Black Lives Matter buttons - Mercer Island Reporter

Last year, amid the unrest in Philadelphia following the shooting death of Walter Wallace Jr., Rickia Young, a young Black mother, was ripped from her SUV alongside her 16-year-old nephew and beaten.

Now, the city of Philadelphia has reached a $2 million settlement with Ms. Young and serves as an appalling note of the continued brutality that Black people face routinely by the police.

I will not forget what those officers did to us that night, Young said at a news conference last Tuesday. I hope that the officers responsible will never have the chance to do something like this to another person ever again.

Young was driving home last October and when protesters surrounded her vehicle, a pack of Philadelphia police officers suddenly and without warning, according to her lawyers, descended on her car and yanked both Young and her nephew into the street and beat them. Significant injuries were caused and while the police tried to dismiss the incident, video of the encounter was recorded from a building down the street and went viral.

Young was taken to a hospital and separated from her 2-year-old son, who was in the back seat of the SUV throughout the duration of the confrontation.

Soon after, a social media post featuring a Philadelphia officer comforting Youngs son in her absence amplified the story, yet also boosted an inaccurate pro-police stance as it was shared by the National Fraternal Order of Police.

This child was lost during the violent riots in Philadelphia, wandering around barefoot in an area that was experiencing complete lawlessness, the caption on the since-deleted post read. The only thing this Philadelphia Police Officer cared about at that moment was protecting this child.

WATCH: Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martins mother, shares her story and reflects on Black Lives Matter

Young and her lawyers are planning to sue the National Fraternal Order of Police for $50,000 in damages in a new suit. Her attorneys said Young has endured harassment, anxiety, depression, and a damaged reputation as a result of the social media post.

For them to portray me as the type of mom who wouldnt know or care where her child was while chaos was happening all around is very hurtful, Young said during the news conference.

The National Fraternal Order of Police didnt immediately offer a rebuttal to the comments, but in a statement to USA Today, the group blamed the caption on conflicting accounts of the circumstances under which the child came to be assisted by the officer.

According to the New York Times, two officers were fired after a review of the incident; 14 others are awaiting disciplinary hearings.

TOPICS: abolish police Black Lives Matter

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Philadelphia Reaches $2M Settlement With Mother Police Injured During Black Lives Matter Protests - Essence

Nadine Seiler saved hundreds of items once attached to an infamous Trump White House fence. Now, she's finding homes for each of the Black Lives Matter artifacts.

WASHINGTON At the end of a concrete corridor, inside a simple storage space the size of a small sedan, the artwork, signs and photographs once lining a White House fence still bloom with life, memories of the sinew and struggle of a moment now hidden from public view.

A giant, "YOU'RE FIRED," poster comes into view. "BLACK LIBERATION," is printed on a sign placed gingerly between two towers of boxes.

They are the items and artifacts from the much-loathed H Street fence, a boundary built to separate the Trump White House from Black Lives Matter Plaza.

The Biden Administration dismantled the barrier earlier this year, but not before Nadine Seiler saved more than 700 mementos attached to each section of steel.

We were lucky that the Library of Congress took some pieces, and Howard University took some pieces, Seiler said in an interview. But the vast majority of the collection remained with us.

Seiler is referring to fellow fence guardians, friends who camped alongside what they eventually named The Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence.

Seiler and fellow fence guardian Karen Irwin are now finding homes for each item, asking interested businesses, non-profits and organizations to contact them via their BLM Memorial Fence Facebook page.

Ideally, the Black Lives Matter community would like the pieces to stay in the hands of Black organizations, ideally, Seiler said. But personally, any organization that would give these treasures a safe home, and recognize their value, they should reach out as well.

Baltimores Enoch Pratt Free Library is engaging in a massive parallel effort to scan each item, creating a virtual collection of what Seiler has managed to save. The meticulous scanning began in April, as Seiler drove items in batches of 100 to the librarys facilities. The effort will continue into 2022, Seiler said.

Enoch Pratt is going to have a partnership with the D.C. Public Library Foundation, The Peoples Archive, where they will host the digital collections, Seiler offered. With the generosity of this, and other people finding homes for these items, it will mean they will be around for the next 100 years for people to see.

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Help find homes for +700 BLM Plaza fence artifacts. This Fence Guardian is saving them in her DC storage space - WUSA9.com

SOUTH BEND As the school board prepares to decidewhether to continueor end their relationship with local police departments, those opposed to the school resource officer program urged the board not to renew the contract during the comment portion of Monday's board meeting at Washington High School.

All but one of the people who spoke about the SRO program during the hearing of visitors portion appealed to the board not to renew contracts with the South Bend Police and the St. Joseph County Police departments to provide armed officers to the schools.

Superintendent Todd Cummings said the administration is working on a newcontract, which was first signed in 2012, which will be presented to the board with a recommendation to continue or end the program at a future meeting.

South Bend: Schools adjust to new start times amid local and national bus driver shortage

Cummings said the administration will also make public the results of a survey that asked members of the public for their opinions on the SRO program during that meeting.

"We shared it broadly," Cummings said, after the meeting. "We shared it with the NAACP, and we shared it with other folks to let them have a look at it first.

"We'll share our data when we come back to the MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the city."

Black Lives Matter, South Bend;the NAACP and other SRO critics who spoke during the meetingrepeated their claims the administration's surveywording was biased.

"We believe the survey distributed in its current content systematically favors an outcome that supports having SROs in school," said Trina Robinson of the NAACP.

Both Jorden Giger of Black Lives Matter, South Bend and Drew Duncan of the NAACPsaidtheir workgathering petition signatures from members of the public who want the program endedput them in contact with students who have concerns about the presence of armed police in schools.

"We've heard from students at various high schools in particular who talked about students being tased by police officers, particularly at Clay High School,"Giger said.

Police in schools: South Bend leaders to review a new agreement next month

Giger also pointed board members of a presentation earlier in Monday's meeting about staff training on diversity, equity and inclusion that was done earlier in the meeting to make the point the $500,000 the district spends on the SRO program could be used to initiate programs toaddress the root causes of the problems confronting many of the district's students.

Duncan agreed, noting the money could be used to hire 12 to 13 employees at $40,000 a year who could be trained to perform many of the functions done by the SROs.

Maya Marosz, a student at Washington High School, said she attends a school that does not have apolice presence and she feels more comfortable with the unarmed security guardsemployed at Washington.

Maya, a junior at Washington, said she tranferred to the South Bend schools from John Glenn, a district that employs SROs. And while she never had a problem with the officers while at John Glenn, their presence was always a constant source of worry, she said.

Catrina Baker, who attended the meeting with her daughter Kyla Henderson, said she spoke as a parent believes there are better uses for the $500,000.

"This irks me that we are spending half a million dollars on the police department instead of giving our youth who are in trouble that funding," she said. "Yes, we need behavioral intervention. Yes, we need restorative justice."

Linda Lucy, the president of the National Education Association-South Bend teachers union, was the only member of the public to speak in favor of keeping the SRO program.

"I think that they are very important," she said. "I don't think the SROs deprive the kids of an education."

Most of the board members saidthey are still studying the issue. Oletha Jones, though, said she planned to vote against renewing the contract, while Leslie Wesley spoke favorably about the SRO program, noting that people regularly interact with law enforcement in a variety of places.

Email South Bend Tribune reporter Howard Dukes at hdukes@gannett.com

Follow him on Twitter:@DukesHoward

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Community groups, members of public urge South Bend board to remove police from schools - South Bend Tribune

YPSILANTI, MI After a Black Lives Matter mural was found covered in white paint, organizers hoped it would strengthen the fight against racism.

In a way, an organizer was almost glad it happened.

Everybody thinks we go around (complaining about racism), that were the problem, Trische Duckworth said.

No, this the problem, she told MLive on Sunday, Sept. 19.

A Black Live Matter mural in Ypsilanti was vandalized with white paint. (Photo by Chris McCall)

Vandals painted over the words, Black Lives, on the 260-foot mural, with 18-feet tall lettering at the entrance drive for Riverside Park in Depot Town. The word Matter was untouched.

A similar mural, on South Washington Street, off Michigan Avenue, was not touched. Surveillance cameras downtown may have kept vandals away.

Duckworth, executive director of Survivors Speak, a community organization, was joined by city officials and others who were outraged.

It was an ugly display of hatred, Duckworth said.

A Black Lives Matter mural in Ypsilanti was defaced with paint. (Photo by Chris McCall).

The vandals had painted the name of a group identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a white nationalist hate group.

Duckworth said that no matter who defaced the mural it showed that racism and white supremacy are not a thing of the past. Its alive and active.

She said that the vandalism is a blatant reminder of the need to fight racism. Some suggested repainting, with some of the white paint left behind so people will understand what happened here, a reminder of how hard we need to work, she said.

(Racists) do what they do, we do what we do. What they dont know is, we wont stop. There is an outpouring of support and love coming here. We are greater than this hate, she said.

The vandalism was despicable, Mayor Lois Allen-Richardson said.

A Black Lives Matter mural is painted on South Washington Street off Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.Jacob Hamilton | The Ann Arbor News

Racism has raised its ugly head, she said. Its a shame theres still people in the country and the city that dont want to admit there is racism. Its all around us.

She said that the vandals may have been part of a group who stopped by a showing of the documentary, Walking While Black: L.O.V.E. is the Answer, on Thursday as part of an outdoor movie series.

While organizers initially planned to repaint the mural on Monday, the Ypsilanti City Council is expected to discuss next steps this week, Duckworth said.

The City Council approved the murals in February. Volunteers, using paint donated by Ace Hardware, painted the murals on June 5.

Similar murals have been painted in cities across the country. Flint, Kalamazoo and Jackson have such murals, too.

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Ugly display of hatred: Black Lives Matter mural covered in white paint - MLive.com

By September 2020, police officer Robert Black was at his wits end.

Over his year of service in the department of Millersville, Tennessee, Black had allegedly been subjected to sexual harassment, including from a female officer who used a racist slur while grabbing his genitals. The police chief, whom Black suspected of harboring Ku Klux Klan ties, had allegedly made disparaging comments about Blacks biracial son. The assistant police chief was under investigation for allegedly assaulting his wife during a dispute over an alleged affair with a drug suspect. Through it all, management allegedly silenced officers complaints by instructing them to support the thin blue line.

Nobody would listen to what was going on up there, Black told The Daily Beast. Nobody cared.

So Black made a fake Facebook profile, reached out to Black Lives Matter organizers, and blew the whistle on his department. Days later, he was fired. At least two other officers who allegedly clashed with management departed soon thereafter.

In a new lawsuit, first reported by Nashvilles NewsChannel 5, Black and former Millersville Police sergeant Joshua Barnes describe a culture of harassment and intimidation in their former department. Both men cite a pattern of alleged racist behavior from the departments leadershipdirected at Barnes because he is Black, and at Black because he is white with a biracial son.

The lawsuits three defendants are Millersville Police chief Mark Palmer, assistant chief Dustin Carr, and the city of Millersville. Carr did not return The Daily Beasts request for comment. Palmer stated that, although he would like to address the suits allegations, all comments must be directed through the city and its manager. Millersvilles city manager did not return requests for comment.

The case is not the first time Palmer and the city have faced a lawsuit from within their ranks. In 2015, two men who had previously been Millersvilles only Black officers sued Palmer and the city, alleging racial discrimination.

In their lawsuit, which was dismissed with prejudice in 2016, both men claimed Palmer had told each of them that I dont like n-----s. One of the former officers, Anthony Hayes, claimed Palmer took him on an unexplained visit to a former KKK leaders home, where Hayes was subjected to an extended conversation in the presence of KKK memorabilia. Hayes also accused Palmer of placing a copy of a KKK magazine in Hayes locker, with a sticky note that read this was left for youdont let your subscription run out. In their response to the lawsuit, the city denied the allegations against Palmer. (The plaintiffs included in their lawsuit an email from the city manager stating that Palmer would be disciplined in the magazine incident.)

Hayes and the other former officer, Brian McCartherenes, claimed to have been forced out of their posts after they accused the department of racism. Hayes claimed he was forced to resign following a punitive shift change. A police memo shows that McCartherenes was fired for alleged racist conduct, because he told a new Black officer that at the end of the day, remember you are Black.

This KKK publication is not something you can go get at the library. You cant go buy it at the 7/11. These publications are like, homemade...

McCatherenes claimed he intended the statement as a warning about the risks of being a Black officer in a small town. That new officer was Joshua Barnes, one of the plaintiffs in the latest suit against Millersvilles police brass.

Barnes claims he soon encountered a culture of racism firsthand. Palmer called Black people n-----s, monkeys, and animals, Barnes alleges in his suit, adding that Palmer invoked racial stereotypes about Barnes always want[ing] to get some fried chicken and watermelon.

Barnes claims the legacy of Millersvilles previous Black officers lingered over his own employment. Assistant police chief Dustin Carr informed Sgt. Barnes that Millersville did not want to hire Black people because they may sue the City like Anthony [Hayes] and Brian [McCartherenes] did, the lawsuit alleges. Barnes claims the department hired only one other Black person during his tenure: an officer whom Palmer allegedly joked was related to O.J. Simpson. The officer lasted a few months before he left out of frustration due to Mark Palmers racist comments, the suit reads.

When Robert Black joined the force in June 2019, he had been unaware of its reputation. That changed quickly, he claims, when Palmer learned that Blacks son is biracial. The lawsuit claims Palmer expressed dissatisfaction with Black, telling another officer that Robert is a little different. Hes not one of us. When the other officer asked what Palmer meant, the chief allegedly replied well you know, his kid and all Hes just not one of us.

Black told The Daily Beast that Palmer started treating him with hostility around the time of the alleged comments. Other Millersville officers also allegedly turned against Black. A female officer allegedly made repeated unwanted advances toward Black. At one point, according to the lawsuit, the officer allegedly grabbed Blacks genitals through his pants. When Black told the colleague to leave him alone, she allegedly responded why? Because Im not a n----r?

Although Black claims to have reported his colleague, his supervisors allegedly refused to pursue the matter, with Carr allegedly making his own sexualized comments about Black. (Black told The Daily Beast that Carr gave the nickname Tripod in the office. It made me feel very weird, Black said, adding that other officers picked up on the name before he learned it was an innuendo.)

Carr, meanwhile, was facing other accusations of impropriety after he allegedly began a relationship with a Millersville woman who was charged, but never convicted, on multiple drug counts. Carr was married at the time. In April 2020, according to Barnes and Blacks lawsuit, Carr allegedly assaulted his wife when she accused him of infidelity. Carr began bringing his new partner into the office in May much to the chagrin of some officers, the lawsuit alleges.

That month marked another flashpoint for law enforcement. The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer set off nationwide protests, allegedly enraging Palmer. In the lawsuit, Barnes claims to have witnessed Palmer watching a video of a protest in Nashville, during which Palmer allegedly called the demonstrators n-----s and animals. Let these motherfuckers come to my house, the lawsuit claims Palmer said. Ill shoot em and string those fuckers up in my front yard.

In August 2020, Nashvilles WSMV reported, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation began investigating Carr for alleged domestic violence. (A TBI spokesperson told The Daily Beast the investigation into Carr remains active and ongoing.)

Barnes and Black allege that Carr and other police leadership became convinced that officers were leaking details to investigators. According to the lawsuit, and an October 2020 report by NewsChannel 5, Millersville Police pressured officers not to cooperate with the TBI investigation. Chief Palmer berated Barnes about the thin blue line, and the need to cover for other officers, the lawsuit alleges.

But while Palmer allegedly warned officers against speaking to TBI officials, Black was ready to go public with a growing dossier of complaints. Following Palmers alleged remarks about Blacks son, Black had read up on Hayes and McCartherenes 2015 lawsuit, particularly Hayes account of finding a KKK magazine in his locker.

This KKK publication is not something you can go get at the library. You cant go buy it at the 7/11. These publications are like, homemade, produced on someones printing press. Its hate literature, Black told The Daily Beast.

The rarity of the publication, plus Palmers alleged field trip with Hayes to a former KKK house, led Black to suspect the police chief had current or former Klan ties of his own.

You cant find this anywhere, Black said of the magazine. Thats why I hit up BLM [Black Lives Matter] reps. I was like, hey yall

Nobody would listen to what was going on up there. Nobody cared.

Black said that in September 2020, he made a pseudonymous Facebook page and began seeking out Nashville-area Black Lives Matter activists. I started letting them know: hey guys, maybe you want to look into the police chief up here. Its a small city and everyones so focused on Nashville. This guy was apparently in a KKK lawsuit by a Black cop five years ago.

Activists decided to host a mid-September protest against Palmer. Black said he wanted to promote the protest using his pseudonymous Facebook account, but didnt know how to share the event information. Frustrated, he said he asked a room full of officers, who either appeared to support him or actively helped him share the post.

My sergeant closed the squad room door, Black recounted. A detective said heres how you do it. He grabbed my phone from me and started sending out the messages. (The Daily Beast was unable to reach the detective for comment.)

His success was short-lived. On Sept. 11, 2020, the city fired Black, citing his promotion of the protest.

These posts have been shared multiple times, and there is no way we can know at this time whether a large crowd will in fact show up at City Hall this coming Thursday evening, an email from Millersvilles then-manager reads. As a result of your actions, the City has been forced to incur expenses and devote resources to prepare for a potentially large and unruly mob of angry protesters. Your conduct has put the lives and property of our citizens in danger. (The protest took place several days later, without any such mob or arrests.)

Blacks firing was the first in a wave of departures. In his lawsuit, Black claims the citys then-manager told him to tell everyone who is involved in this [BLM protest] that we are coming after them next!

An officer who witnessed him send the protest invitations resigned the day of Blacks termination, he said. The lawsuit also describes Barnes and another officer as being forced out in the following weeks. Barnes, who claims to have been moved onto another shift in punishment for his ties to Black could no longer deal with the stress from the Defendants constant retaliation, and on October 2, 2020, he resigned from his position, the lawsuit reads.

Another officer was allegedly instructed to pick a side and chose to resign in October. A NewsChannel 5 report that month cited at least four officers as leaving the department over the previous weeks.

Black said he hopes his lawsuit will clear his name so that he can one day return to policing.

I tried to do my job. I tried to learn, I tried to do the right thing, he said. It seems like if youre a good guy in this type of work and youre willing to do the right thingits almost like if you dont toe the line, youre going to be dealt with, one way or another. And if you do toe the line, youre going to be living with the moral conflict of doing things you may not agree with.

Link:

This Police Department Is So Bad, a Cop Reported It to Black Lives Matter - The Daily Beast