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Category: Black Lives Matter

  • No Planet B: Teen Vogue’s New Anthology Offers Insights Into The Climate Justice Movement

    4 Mins Read Politically charged young adult magazine Teen Vogue recently published ‘No Planet B: A Teen Vogue Guide to the Climate Crisis’, a new anthology that sheds light on climate justice and the youth-led fight for our future. Compiled by politics editor Lucy Diavolo and released by Haymarket Books, the book, dubbed ‘No Planet B’, contains 28 […]

    The post No Planet B: Teen Vogue’s New Anthology Offers Insights Into The Climate Justice Movement appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The left is under the most extensive attack since the 1950s

    A former Labour MP has been tasked with examining left wing groups as part of a government review into UK ‘extremism’. But this move is just the thin end of the wedge. It is one part of a much wider assault on left-wing views and activity.

    Taken as a whole, we are witnessing perhaps the system’s greatest attack on us since the McCarthyism of the 1950s.

    John Woodcock: witchfinder general

    As The Canary‘s Tom Coburg recently wrote:

    In November 2019, home secretary Priti Patel appointed lord Walney (former Labour MP John Woodcock) as the government’s envoy on countering violent extremism. According to the Telegraph, Woodcock will be looking at “progressive extremism” in Britain. That includes how ‘far-left’ groups could infiltrate or hijack environmental movements and anti-racism campaigns.

    To be clear, ‘extremism’ is a nonsense term. As police monitoring group Netpol’s Kevin Blowe wrote for The Canary, it can mean a number of things: from being a member of a civil disobedience group to being part of a campaign that challenges corporate power. Moreover, the government hasn’t even defined the term extremism or extremist in law. So it allows the state, and its agents, to decide who gets labelled as one.

    The thin end of the wedge

    Already, the right wing in the UK is cheering Woodcock on. The Telegraph wrote with glee that he’d be looking at “anti-capitalist” groups. Woodcock himself stated that:

    I want to look at the way anti-democracy, anti-capitalist far-Left fringe groups in Britain like the Socialist Workers Party tend to have much more success hijacking important causes… than the far-Right, and the harm that may do.

    Woodcock’s review is the thin end of the wedge. Because it sums up what’s happening across society. He’s implying there is no alternative to corporatism (or “capitalism” as he incorrectly refers to it). Anything “anti” that is wrong and must be stopped. And in the wider world, this is already happening. It can be broken down into several areas.

    Un-social media: controlling the narrative

    Facebook and Twitter have been actively silencing dissent. This has now been happening for a while. In 2017, Facebook changed its algorithm to intentionally remove smaller, left-wing news outlets from people’s feeds. The Intercept reported last year that as Facebook was banning far-right, QAnon-related groups, it was doing the same to antifacist ones, too. It consistently shuts down pro-Kurdish accounts. Also, UK Twitter has repeatedly banned left-wing voices. And now, Facebook will be “depoliticising” its platform. In short, it’s looking to reduce the amount of news in people’s feeds. But campaigners say this will hit small, grassroots groups the hardest.

    Now, you could argue ‘it’s the algorithms what did it’. But someone designed those algorithms. And according to reports, CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally intervened to make sure left-wing sites were hardest hit. Why? It’s about control of the narrative. And it’s also about protecting powerful people and companies’ interests.

    Losing the internet

    The internet nearly caused control of the narrative to be lost. In the early days, it was a fairly open platform. But then, the dot com crash of 2000 came. The demise of countless new, smaller tech start-ups was a disaster capitalist’s dream. It paved the way for the domination of the internet by a few companies. And in turn, these companies have ended up being some of the biggest in the world.

    At first, this was about concentrating ownership. But after events like the Arab Spring, the system realised the power the internet could yield for the people. So, the shutting down began. But just recently, we’ve seen some tech giants openly go to war with governments. Most pointed in this is Australia. Its government is making companies like Facebook pay the media for its content. Facebook isn’t happy. In response, it has blocked all news content from its Australian site. Google, meanwhile, is so far going along with the Australian government’s plans.

    The situation in Australia sums up another problem. Namely the establishment corporate media. Because it too has massive control over the public narrative.

    Manufacturing consent, 21st century-style

    The Canary‘s Tom Coburg recently summed up the problem with the establishment corporate media. He wrote that:

    Professor Noam Chomsky co-wrote Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, which famously argued that the mainstream media’s role was all about suppressing criticism of the powerful. Now recent moves by media in the UK are about to see that ‘manufactured consent’ taken to a whole new level.

    Coburg argued that UK media is already dominated by a few players. People like right-wing Rupert Murdoch control huge sections of it. But Coburg wrote about how it’s about to get worse. He said that:

    in February 2021, Ofcom was reported to have given its approval for Murdoch and Brooks to launch News UK TV, an outlet that will undoubtedly reflect the political leanings of its owner.

    Meanwhile, it’s understood that former editor of the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre, is rumoured to become the next chair of Ofcom [the broadcast media regulator].

    Dominating the narrative

    And then:

    In January, it was reported that Richard Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker who donated an estimated £416,189 to the Conservative Party, is to be chair of the BBC’s board of directors.

    In short, the corporate media was already run by a few, right-wing people. Now, it’s about to get worse. The new Australian rules are all the more concerning, too. Because with Google and Murdoch now in financial cahoots, power over the narrative is even more concentrated.

    Overall, the left wing is being shut down on social media. It’s actively deplatforming our news sites. The establishment corporate media is more and more dominant. So, we all better get back to protesting on the streets, yes? Well, we are facing a clampdown there as well.

    Co-opting climate chaos

    Whatever you think of Extinction Rebellion (XR), it’s gotten a name for itself. Its protests in London and around the world have been high-profile. But the system is determined to shut the group down. UK home secretary Priti Patel called its members “criminals”. She said its methods were a:

    shameful attack on our way of life, our economy and the livelihoods of the hard-working majority.

    Billionaire tech mogul Bill Gates said XR was not “constructive”. And Woodcock will be including the group in his review. So, why are the establishment attacking XR? It’s about control of the climate change narrative.

    In short, we’re seeing corporations and those in power co-opting the green movement for their own benefit. Gates is one example. Elon Musk is another. Shell, one of the world’s largest oil companies, is another; rolling out low carbon fuels. The system and its proponents know that we’ve screwed the planet. They know it needs fixing. But in the process, these disaster capitalists also see a money-making opportunity. Plus, if the system fails, so do they. So, XR and its people-led approach needs stopping. And the UK’s increasingly authoritarian police are central to this.

    Increasing authoritarianism

    Police monitoring group Netpol recently wrote that the UK government:

    is planning to introduce major changes to public order legislation to crack down on protests, under a new “Protection of the Police and Public Bill” planned for 2021.

    It’s looking to increase police powers over protest. These include police being able to control where they happen and using stop and search powers on protesters. Netpol says it comes in the wake of not only XR but also Black Lives Matter (BLM). Patel accused the latter of “hooliganism and thuggery”. Little wonder, when its call for defunding of the police is, like XR, a threat to the system. BLM’s drive for equality and social justice is the same. Corporate capitalism needs inequality to function. Any true levelling of the playing field would be too damaging for it.

    So, what if the police do arrest and charge you over a demo? At least lawyers will be able to help you. Or so you’d think.

    Battering the law

    The government is also attacking the legal profession. As former Green Party leader Natalie Bennett recently wrote for Bright Green:

    It’s not just that the government has drained away the resources of legal aid: the annual legal aid budget is now £1.6bn a year, £950m less in real terms than it was in 2010, or removed all support for large areas of work under the 2013 Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO).

    It’s also that the government has actively attacked the role of lawyers in upholding the rule of law: Priti Patel attacked “do-gooders” and “lefty lawyers”, her Home Office tweeted (although after an outcry deleted) an attack on “activist lawyers” and even produced a video with the same theme (also eventually deleted).  Marina Sergides, a barrister at Garden Court, testified to the APPG: “We are public servants but we are not treated as public servants… we are actively attacked by the government”.

    That attitude permeates throughout government action. Just this weekend, Paul Powlesland tweeted that while assisting, pro bono, anti-HS2 protesters at Euston, he was slapped with a £200 Covid regulation fine. He said he’s confident of being able to fight it in court – but what a pass we’ve come to when police are acting against legal protection.

    So, the left is becoming increasingly squeezed. We’re unable to operate effectively online. Our media outlets are impaired. The corporate news is all the more dominant. Physical protest is becoming more and more restricted. And our right to legal recourse is also under threat. So, we’d best hope that Generation Z is going to save us then?

    Indoctrinating the youth

    In 2020, the UK government issued new education guidance. Vice reported that it:

    told leaders and teachers involved in setting the RSE curriculum that anti-capitalism is categorised as an “extreme political stance”, comparable to the opposition to freedom of speech, antisemitism and the endorsement of illegal activity.

    Of course, this would mean students would not hear any opposing views on capitalism. But it could also mean erasing huge parts of history. As George Monbiot said in a Twitter thread:

    Behind these histories lies an even bigger and more sacrilegious truth. It’s that the system we call capitalism… is really a system of global theft… Let’s imagine there’d been no theft. No gold, silver and land stolen from Native Americans, no people stolen from Africa, no wealth stolen from India and the other colonies, no ransacking of our life support systems. How successful would this system we call capitalism have been? How rich and powerful would nations like ours have been? I would guess: not very. Capitalism is not what it claims to be. It is not the great success story its beneficiaries proclaim. It is the ideological structure we use to shield ourselves from brutal truths.

    So, the system has to erase valid criticism of it for it to continue to evolve. And it’s embedding this further, too.

    Cancelling cancel culture

    We’re also seeing a “twin” attack on so-called “cancel culture”. The UK government has just said it’s ‘strengthening’ free speech at universities. Education secretary Gavin Williamson said:

    I am deeply worried about the chilling effect on campuses of unacceptable silencing and censoring. That is why we must strengthen free speech in higher education, by bolstering the existing legal duties and ensuring strong, robust action is taken if these are breached.

    In short, the UK Tories are targeting students trying to shut down transphobes, racists, and misogynists.

    Also with this comes a government focus on ‘heritage’.

    The “war on woke”

    The government is bringing together 25 of the UK’s biggest heritage bodies and charities in an attempt to whitewash British history. Third Sector said that the government has “summoned” them:

    to a summit where Oliver Dowden [the culture secretary] is expected to tell them “to defend our culture and history from the noisy minority of activists constantly trying to do Britain down”.

    It is being seen as an escalation of the government’s “war on woke” against so-called “cancel culture”, amid concern at senior levels in the government over what it sees as attempts to rewrite Britain’s past.

    It’s an obvious attack on BLM and the removing of slave trader statues. But moreover, it’s an attempt to shore up the false nationalist history peddled by the establishment that has led the system to the point it’s at today.

    So, you’d be hard-pushed to find somewhere the system wasn’t attacking the left. These individual cases are nothing new. But what seems new this time is the sheer scale of it. And a freelance journalist has compared this to another time in history.

    A new McCarthyism?

    Tim Fenton said that much of this is a new form of McCarthyism. Historically, it’s not far off in terms of the current system’s MO. Woodcock’s review is the same as a ‘Salem Witch Trial’. That is, in the context made famous by Arthur Miller in his play The Crucible. Miller’s Salem witch trials were a metaphor for the clamp-down on communists during the 1950s in the US. But Fenton’s point is also useful in seeing why this is going on.

    In the 1950s, two forces were pulling the world apart: communism and capitalism. Human society was at a crossroads of ideologies. It could have gone either way. Fast-forward to the 21st century, and we are in a similar position. Except this time, the forces are not communism and capitalism. They are corporatism on one side and humanity on the other. This isn’t just a UK phenomenon, either. It’s been the same in the US. And it’s the same in France. It’s the same in Australia. Power is now highly concentrated. And those with it want to make sure it stays that way.

    But in the UK, Woodcock’s review isn’t the end of the story.

    The left wing: being dunked, Tory style

    The government will soon be introducing the Online Safety Bill. As I previously wrote for The Canary, this proposed legislation is peak Tory government. It’s dressing up an overarching attack on freedom and democracy as something that’s good and protective for us. Put this authoritarian piece of law in tandem with Woodcock’s review. Then, tie in all the other crackdowns mentioned above. And what you have is perhaps the greatest attack on the left since McCarthyism in the 1950s. In fact, it may end up being even worse.

    With the advances in technology have come more and more ways for activists to organise. But consequently, traditional methods have been lost. Our lives and our human interactions are now dominated by tech. This leaves us exposed to governments and corporations exerting more power than ever before over them. My late father was a prominent member of the communist party in the 1950s/60s. He used to have a favourite story to tell. When they held meetings, the chair would always end his opening speech by saying:

    And finally, a very special welcome to our friends at the back of the room.

    He was referring to undercover police. But the meeting would still go ahead. Now, we live in the age of virtual organising. And our right to even discuss having a meeting may end up being curtailed. Our freedom to object to, and protest against, what the system is meting out has never been under such a threat. It’s up to all of us to push back – before it’s too late.

    Featured image via Rupert Colley – Flickr and Sky News – YouTube

    By Steve Topple

    This post was originally published on The Canary.

  • More Policing Is Not the Solution to Anti-Asian Violence

    Oakland Deputy Chief of Police Chris Bolton, center, looks at a street vendor while visiting businesses around Chinatown in Oakland, California, February 16, 2021.

    Asian Americans are crying out against an escalation of anti-Asian attacks in San Francisco, San Jose, New York, and all across the United States. In light of the scant media coverage, Asian American celebrities like Daniel Dae Kim, Daniel Wu, and cast members from the blockbuster film Crazy Rich Asians have taken to social media to raise awareness of Asian elders who have been brutalized and killed. While calling out anti-Asian racism and violence is vital, the violence that Asian Americans experience is deeper than just hateful attitudes or interpersonal racial bias, it is also a story of state violence, including police-perpetrated violence– a truth that has received even less public attention.

    Christian Hall, a 19-year-old Chinese American, was killed by the police on December 30, 2020. Hall was experiencing a mental health crisis when confronted by Pennsylvania state troopers. The troopers alleged that Hall had a weapon in his hand, although footage shows he had his hands up with no weapons in sight, which is when the police shot and killed him. Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney who represents the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, is now representing Hall’s family to demand justice. Meanwhile, the celebrities drawing attention to anti-Asian attacks are not demanding justice for Christian Hall or his parents, Fe and Gareth Hall.

    In 2017, Tommy Le, a 20-year-old Vietnamese American, was shot in the back by deputies in Washington State. The sheriff’s office claimed that Le was brandishing a knife and charged at the officers. The sheriff’s office would later admit that Le was not holding a knife, but a Paper Mate ballpoint pen. Le was supposed to graduate from high school the day after the police killed him.

    In 2006, Fong Lee, a 19-year-old Hmong American was fatally shot eight times by Minneapolis police. In 2020, when the Minneapolis police garnered national attention for killing George Floyd — after a white officer placed his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck – Fong’s mother, Youa Vang, expressed her support for Floyd’s family. In speaking out, Vang expressed her solidarity with the Black community, and connected the police violence that killed her son to the Black Lives Matter movement and the struggles of so many Black families.

    We can also look to the story of Yong Xin Huang, a 16-year-old Chinese American teen, who was shot and killed by New York City Police Department officers in 1995. Huang was at a friend’s house. Huang’s friend, who witnessed the officer shoot and kill Huang, later testified in court that when the officer shot Huang at close range, Huang had his back to the officer and was not resisting arrest.

    How many more families are grieving in the shadows? And what are we prepared to do about this violence?

    Lessons From Black Lives Matter

    The Black uprisings of 2020 can teach all of us some important lessons on demanding justice, accountability and real change. As a society, many of us have been taught that the police keep us safe, and that the police, prosecutors and judges will dispense justice through the criminal legal system. However, the Black Lives Matter movement has exposed this lie time and again when the police are the ones continuously brutalizing and killing Black people in the U.S. There is little to no justice or accountability to be found in the same criminal legal system and policing apparatus that killed George Floyd, Breonna Taylor or Tommy Le, Fong Lee, and now Christian Hall.

    Black abolitionists such as Mariame Kaba and Andrea Ritchie describe how arrests and prosecution of individual police officers lead to dead ends and disappointment. Unsurprisingly, Christian Hall’s father, Gareth Hall, posted on social media that the troopers who shot his son “are back on the job.”

    If we are to understand the police violence that killed Christian Hall during a mental health crisis to be systemic, then we must know that our collective response must also be systemic in nature. Kaba and Ritchie write: “We need to use our radical imaginations to come up with new structures of accountability beyond the system we are working to dismantle.” Instead of snake oil, abolitionists offer up collective movements and a broader vision of justice to transform the systems that produce and reproduce harm and violence. This is a vision of justice — of freedom — that requires a long-term commitment to constant struggle.

    Despite ongoing calls for cross-racial solidarity, there are forces that play into racial divisions and readily pit Black and Asian Americans against one another. While the Movement for Black Lives is demanding that jurisdictions across the United States defund the police, some Asian Americans are seeking more policing and prosecution in response to anti-Asian attacks.

    The pro-police approach has highlighted political tensions among Asian Americans, as seen when the New York City Police Department created a hate crimes task force last summer— a development that was welcomed by some Asian Americans and simultaneously opposed by a coalition of Asian American community organizations. In the Fall of 2020, the Asian American Feminist Collective aptly wrote, “Despite historically massive policing budgets and endless task forces, these reforms have never stopped anti-Asian racism from happening in the first place. We question the city’s decision to supply more funds towards policing of already criminalized communities.”

    More recently, 72 Asian organizations in the Bay area issued a statement, in response to the surge in Bay area attacks, demanding action and making it clear that, “As organizations with a long history of protecting and advancing the rights of communities of color, we know that an over-reliance on law enforcement approaches has largely been ineffective and has been disproportionately harmful to Black communities and other communities of color. We believe the solution to violence is to empower our communities with resources, support, and education — this is how we make all of our communities safe.”

    This is not quick or easy work, but we should not expect the transformation of systems of violence, death and white supremacy to ever be easy. As journalist Sam Lew writes, “It is easy to demand convictions and harsh sentences. It is harder to address the root causes of racial violence and to commit to the real day to day work of collective healing.”

    In uplifting the memory of Christian Hall, and so many others whose lives have been brutalized and extinguished by the police, I do not simply want us to raise awareness or to publicly grieve, as important as that is. I want us to transform the conditions and systems that allow for acts of violence and killing to be possible. I want us to demand so much more than the criminalization and incarceration of those who have harmed us. As the abolitionist activist and scholar Angela Davis famously said, “Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings.”

    Until we address the root causes of harm and violence in our society, we are doomed to repeat and relive the trauma of racialized violence and police violence.

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Black Lives Matter UK just took a vital step in building a mass movement

    Black Lives Matter UK has announced the first 14 organisations to receive grants from its fundraiser following mass protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police in 2020. The group managed to raise £1.2m, half of which will be allocated to other grassroots anti-racist organisations which ‘align’ with the group’s ongoing work. The rest will go towards “building an anti-racist organisation that can scale up its existing community organising, educational work and direct actions”.

    Black Lives Matter UK announced the news, saying:

     

    Building the Black liberation movement from the ground up

    The first round of funding is aimed at grassroots, community-based organisations, including Justice for Black Lives, A Tribe Named Athari, and Acts of Love International. Through this first wave of funding, Black Lives Matter UK seeks to support initiatives that are working to challenge racial injustices in education, policing, immigration and health.

    Sistah Space – a Hackney-based charity that works with Black women and girls who are at risk of, or have experienced, domestic or sexual abuse – celebrated Black Lives Matter UK’s £10k donation, stating:

    The Northern Police Monitoring Project – a community-based group that works against “police violence, harassment and racism” – expressed gratitude for the £11k donation, saying:

    Grassroots trade union for low paid Black and migrant workers United Voices of the World took to Twitter to celebrate their £15k grant:

    Black Girls Can celebrated Black Lives Matter UK’s generous donations to Sistah Space, African Rainbow Family, and All Black Lives:

    Black Lives Matter UK will also be releasing £45,000 to fund a “People’s Tribunal” for deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody led by the United Families & Friends Campaign. Other beneficiaries include AZ Mag – an online publication for LGBTQIA+ people of colour, B’Me Cancer Communities – a charity focused on the health of people from BME and low-income backgrounds, and the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain – a trade union for precarious workers.

    International solidarity

    Black Lives Matter UK is also stepping up to support the Black liberation struggle abroad. The organisation is donating £14,650 to Abahlali baseMjondolo, a “shack dwellers’ movement campaigning against evictions and for public housing” in South Africa, and £7,500 to Sindicato de Manteros de Madrid, a Spanish street vendors’ labour union which primarily supports workers from Black and migrant backgrounds.

    Black Lives Matter UK member Alex Wanjiku Kelbert said:

    International solidarity has always been a crucial part of the history of Black organising in this country. We’re not the first one to have this understanding and that’s a legacy we’re also inheriting.

    Kelbert added:

    Thinking about Britain’s history and legacy of colonialism, it’s only right that some of the money goes towards furthering causes in these countries. There’s some really exciting anti-racism work that’s taking place outside of the UK so it’s cool to be able to support it. These are people that we’ve had a relationship with and we want to honour that.

    By funding a wide range of independent community-based projects, the organisation really has put its money where its mouth is. It is clear that Black Lives Matter UK is crucial to building a broad-based grassroots anti-racist movement that uplifts Black working class across the UK and beyond.

    Featured image via Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona/Unsplash.  

    By Sophia Purdy-Moore

    This post was originally published on The Canary.

  • People Over 75 Are First in Line to Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19

    Prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations for people 75 and up can leave out Black Americans, who tend to die younger than their white counterparts. In majority-Black Shelby County, this gap raises questions of how to make the vaccine rollout equitable.
    Continue reading

    The post People Over 75 Are First in Line to Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 appeared first on BillMoyers.com.

    This post was originally published on BillMoyers.com.

  • The Capitol Siege Was White Supremacy in Action. Trial Evidence Confirms That.

    Trump loyalists clash with police and security forces as they push barricades to storm the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021.

    New footage aired at the impeachment trial of Donald Trump has flooded the U.S. once again with images of the violent mob that stormed the Capitol last month, reigniting our horror and attempt as a nation to make sense of the event.

    What we witnessed was white supremacy on full display. There were Confederate flags, nooses, symbols of antisemitism. There were members of “alt-right” groups such as the Proud Boys. Combine these facts with the reality that the white mob was there to overturn legitimate votes, especially votes cast by majority-Black voters who played a significant role in electing now-President Joe Biden, this was a case of white power and white rage unhinged. And we must not forget about the two Black Capitol police officers who were called the n-word multiple times. Given Trump’s white nationalist fervor and white racism, the majority white mob reflected his image, his anti-Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) sensibilities. All of this confirms that the Capitol Siege represented the brazen reemergence of white supremacy in our country.

    Two east Texans described the mob violence as an attempt at a “second revolution,” while GOP Sen. Roy Blunt has sought to describe it as a right-wing equivalent to the Black Lives Matter upswell of protest against police brutality. Both of these formulations are hard to stomach.

    “Revolution,” connotes the attempted overthrow of an existing power structure that is oppressive and unjust, but the “oppression” articulated by the majority-white mob who stormed the Capitol was actually a fabricated stew of conspiracy theories about election theft and the existence of threats to white supremacy.

    Meanwhile, to conflate what took place at the Capitol with what took place on the streets of the U.S. (and around the world) last year regarding resistance to police brutality is to denude the latter of righteous indignation against current and historical systems of racial injustice.

    The emergence of unabashed white supremacy was certainly on display at the Capitol on January 6, which is not to say that every white person there was a card-carrying member of a white supremacist group. The unprecedented storming of the Capitol and the brazen reemergence of white supremacy in our country, forced a set of questions regarding the meaning of revolution.

    As I considered these things, I wondered what Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. might think. To tackle these questions, I spoke with Peniel E. Joseph, who is the Barbara Jordan Chair in Political Values and Ethics and Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. Joseph’s most recent book is The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., which was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Must-Read books of 2020.

    George Yancy: During the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, the term “revolution” was bandied about. When I think about Black revolutionary discourse and Black revolutionary consciousness in the U.S., I think about Black people who have had enough of white racism, its violence against and dehumanization of people who look like me. My point is that the discourse of Black revolution is grounded not just in self-determination or even armed struggle, but steeped in bringing an end to anti-Black racism, the brutalization of Black bodies and the reality of systemic racial discrimination and oppression. And even if one opposes armed Black struggle, as Martin Luther King Jr. did, one certainly understands that Black people are sick of being treated as sub-persons. So, what do you make of the discourse of “revolution” or “insurrection” vis-à-vis the largely white-led attack on the Capitol? The attack wasn’t motivated because of the weight of “historical anti-whiteness.” The U.S. was not founded upon anti-whiteness. What then was at its core, especially when one considers the demonstrable racist oppressive plight that Black people lived under and continue to live under? What I’m suggesting is that the term “revolution” that was used by some within the white mob was not only a misnomer but was denuded of a single thread of political integrity and righteous indignation.

    Peniel E. Joseph: I absolutely agree. The white riot at the U.S. Capitol echoes the racial terror and violence that we witnessed during America’s first two periods of Reconstruction. In that sense, it might be considered a morally reprehensible and politically indefensible counter-revolution, the kind that brought Black America to its “nadir” during the Reconstruction’s afterlife, the period of the White Redeemer South. “Redemption” sought to deny Black citizenship and dignity by use of racial violence and systemic massacres and pogroms (later 19th century, peaking with the Wilmington, North Carolina, white riot of 1898 that displaced duly elected Black and white officials with unapologetic white supremacists).

    What I witnessed at the Capitol was an expression of white nationalism. When I think about the founding of North America, I think about white nationalism. So, historically, white nationalism is inseparable from colonialism, xenophobia, brutality, land confiscation and anti-BIPOC racism. White nationalism is also predicated upon social ontological logics that are hierarchical, where white people are deemed human while non-whites are judged to be ersatz, inferior, evil, insects, vermin. In short, white nationalism is an expression of white power. When I witnessed Black people in the streets in the summer of 2020 in the U.S. and around the world protesting the killings of unarmed Black people, I saw Black power being expressed, but I didn’t see people displaying anti-white racism per se, especially as many white people were also in the streets speaking truth to power and affirming that Black lives matter. Some, I imagine, will want to conflate the protests by majority youth-led BLM protests with the violent attack on the Capitol. Black people want racial justice, they protest because they are not regarded as fully human. Help us to understand the differences in these separate events so that we avoid false equivalences and forms of obscurantism that are designed to “justify” white violence.

    There is no moral equivalency between slavery and abolition. I say this from the outset, because the problem with comparing Black Lives Matter protests for racial justice with white supremacist insurrections to live in an authoritarian neofascist state that circumscribes Black lives is rooted in this remarkable resilient fallacy.

    Even Barack Obama used this trope to save his presidential candidacy during his March 18, 2008, “Race Speech” in Philadelphia. He compared Jeremiah Wright’s Black Liberationist Theological critique of American imperialism to white resentment against affirmative action. This was lauded as the best speech on race matters since Lincoln. So, we face an uphill climb on this matter.

    The best thing to say is that BLM activists are, in the tradition of Dr. King’s “beloved community” and Malcolm X’s human rights movement, trying to create a world that is free of racial injustice, economic inequality, violence, war and exploitation. Their pursuit of intersectional justice and centering of Black radical and queer feminism to their policy agenda stands in stark contrast to white rioters who are not only racist but don’t believe in democracy.

    Given your wealth of knowledge regarding the different philosophical positions of Malcolm X (who later became known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) and Martin Luther King Jr., speak to how both might conceptualize this moment in U.S. history. I am thinking not only about the storming of the Capitol, but the unabashed reemergence of white supremacy. This isn’t to deny that it has always been there. After all, white supremacy is like the Hydra of Lerna; it can grow many heads. There are many who see Malcolm and Martin as holding diametrically opposed views, but within our current moment, what would they agree upon philosophically and tactically as we live through this emergence of white terrorism?

    My new book, The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., speaks to how Malcolm and Martin started as adversaries, turned into rivals, and ultimately became each other’s alter egos. They understood that true liberation required King’s radical Black citizenship and Malcolm’s concept of radical Black dignity.

    King focused on not just ending racial oppression but reimagining citizenship as including a universal basic income, the end of poverty, violence and racism, decent housing fit for human beings and food justice. Malcolm imagined Black dignity as eradicating what he called White World Supremacy. He wanted freedom not just in Harlem, but in Haiti, from New Orleans to Nigeria, from Brooklyn to Benin to Bandung, Indonesia.

    They would both agree that what we have seen is not surprising, considering their deep knowledge of history and interest in racial slavery to the present. King’s understanding of the searing racial wilderness that Malcolm often described came later, but when it arrived, King stalked this planet like a pillar of fire, a prophet whose scathing critique of white supremacy, war, violence and racism made him a pariah in a land that had only recently feted him as America’s Apostle of Nonviolence, Prince of Peace, and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient in history.

    In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963, which he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King said, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” In New York City, on May 1, 1962, Malcolm X said, “What is looked upon as an American dream for white people has long been an American nightmare for black people.” Peniel, what do you see moving forward? Do you see a dream or a nightmare?

    I believe that the struggle for Black dignity and citizenship is the key to building a “beloved community” premised on recognizing Black people as human beings and devoted to guaranteeing intersectional justice for all people. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all of us, differently, based on race, class, able-bodied-ness, gender, sexuality, geography, etc. What folks try to smear as “identity politics” is the actual realization that universality cannot be primarily seen through the lens of white male privilege. To defeat white supremacy, eradicate anti-Black racism, and achieve a different, more racially just and equitable country is the movement for our time. The future of American democracy rests on centering racial justice as the beating heart of the entire body politic.

    I remain hopeful because of the depth and breadth of not just protest, but also organizing that has been witnessed this past year. BLM has proven to be a game-changing social movement that both rests on the shoulders of past icons such as Malcolm and Martin and expands the boundaries of the Radical Black Liberation Tradition in so many fruitful and important ways.

    By centering the most vulnerable within the Black community — women, LGBTQIA, children, the cash poor, mentally ill, HIV positive, incarcerated, homeless — we are able to imagine a more liberated future for all of us. I truly believe Malcolm X and MLK would have marched arm in arm with BLM activists in the continuing search for that future based on their fervent belief that another, better and more just, world is possible.

    This article has been lightly edited for clarity and concision.

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Two Black trans women have been murdered. Where’s the outrage?

    Two Black transgender women – Alexus Braxton and Fifty Bandz – have been violently killed in the past two weeks. Their tragic deaths are part of a rising “epidemic” of transphobic violence which disproportionately affects Black trans women. In spite of this, mainstream media outlets have remained conspicuously quiet regarding the deaths of both trans women.

    Say their names

    Miami police found Alexus “Kimmy Icon” Braxton on 4 February. They haven’t released details of the suspected murder case on the grounds that it would “jeopardise the case”. According to friends and family, Braxton was the “beloved daughter” of a Hollywood LGBTQ Council board member.

    A week before on 28 January, 21-year-old Fifty Bandz was shot and killed in Louisiana. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), her death is “at least the fifth violent death of a transgender person in 2021” – four of which have been Black trans women. Police have arrested 20-year-old Michael Joshua Brooks for murder. Bandz had been in a relationship with Brooks, who had threatened her life before. According to reports, the pair had a “volatile” relationship. Brooks allegedly shot and killed Bandz during an argument.

    Black trans lives at risk

    Tori Cooper, HRC director of community engagement for the transgender justice initiative, said:

    In just one month, multiple transgender or gender non-conforming people have been killed, four of whom were Black trans women. This level of violence is infuriating and heartbreaking.

    They added:

    This is an epidemic of violence that must be stopped. We will continue to affirm that Black Trans Lives Matter and say the names of those we have lost, including Fifty Bandz, but we must do more. Fifty was killed by someone she knew – if we can’t trust the people we know, who can we trust? We need everyone to take action to bring this horrific violence to an end.

    Bandz was a victim of “intimate partner violence“, which massively impacts trans and non-binary people. According to HRC:

     In 2020, approximately seven in ten transgender and gender non-conforming people killed as a result of fatal violence were killed by an acquaintance, friend, family member or intimate partner. Unfortunately, the relationship of the victim to the killer is still unknown for close to one-third (30%) of all known cases. This means that anywhere from 44% to 74% of victims since 2013 were violently killed by someone they knew, including intimate partners, family members, friends, peers and acquaintances.

    Most of them were Black or Latinx trans women.

    Where’s the outrage?

    Media and police misgendering and deadnaming Bandz in reports is a further injustice, one that trans and gender non-conforming victims of violence experience all too often. This works to deny and stigmatise the victim’s identity, and mask the transphobic nature of the violence.

    Meanwhile, in the UK, mainstream media outlets are more concerned about whether maternity wards should adopt trans-inclusive language or not (the short answer is yes). But where are the headlines saying Braxton and Bandz’s names? Where are the articles telling us that their lives were valuable and meaningful? And where is the outrage against the violence that killed them? Where was the international outrage when white police officers shot and killed Black trans man Tony McDade days after protesters first took to the streets following the killing of George Floyd?

    It’s outrageous that Black trans people continue to be denied respect and dignity in life and in death. The persistent erasure of Black trans lives sends a message to the perpetrators of transphobic violence that their heinous crimes are acceptable.

    If we are sincerely committed to bringing about positive change, we must centre the voices of trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people of colour, and challenge transphobic violence in all its forms. We must consistently demonstrate that Black trans lives matter through our words and actions, and work to protect those most in danger. Only then will we be able to start building a world in which everyone has the opportunity to survive and thrive.

    Featured image via Obi Onyeador/Unsplash

    By Sophia Purdy-Moore

    This post was originally published on The Canary.

  • Black Lives Matter Inland Empire Announces Break WIth BLM Global Network

    Recently, a group of BLM chapters known as the BLM 10 has come forward to voice their concerns and opposition to the Global Network. Those concerns, along with the egregious conduct the Global network demonstrated on Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, have brought us to the conclusion that continuing to remain silent would be an act of betrayal. While the issues and problems that have been raised have been well known within our circle for years, it prompted many questions & concerns for us locally. We’d like to let the community know everything outlined in the statement put out by the BLM 10 is valid.

    The post Black Lives Matter Inland Empire Announces Break WIth BLM Global Network appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Police Deployed Potentially Lethal Chemical During Black Lives Matter Protests

    An illustration of a woman breathing in toxic gas

    For $33, you can buy a Defense Technologies hexachloroethane (HC) smoke canister for crowd control purposes.

    This is what the City of Milwaukee paid per unit for 60 “Max Smoke” canisters in preparation for the Democratic National Convention in August 2020. It is what Portland Police bought in 2018, and what Denver Police likely used on Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters this summer.

    However, nowhere in the U.S. experienced more HC smoke during the summer of 2020 than Portland, Oregon, where Homeland Security and Border Patrol forces deployed at least 26 such munitions against BLM protesters in July 2020.

    BLM protesters were no strangers to tear gas and smoke — after all, the Portland Police had gassed them many times since the George Floyd protests began in late May. But once the feds arrived, protesters knew almost immediately that something was different. People reported new, strange effects that lasted days or weeks after exposure. “I puked. All night,” Gregory McKelvey, activist and campaign manager for Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone, tweeted on July 26. “This gas feels different and sneaks up on you.” Other protesters and journalists on the ground reported similar bouts of nausea and vomiting, along with loss of appetite, hair loss and a burning sensation that lasted days after exposure.

    Dr. Juniper L. Simonis, a Portland-based ecologist and evolutionary biologist, suspected that a new chemical used by federal agents might explain these troubling ailments. To find out, they collected and tested samples from plants, soil, gas mask filters and protesters’ clothing.

    Ultimately, they discovered this chemical, while relatively new to Portland, was not new at all. Nor were its side effects unprecedented. On the contrary, scientists and doctors have known about HC smoke — and its potentially lethal side effects — for nearly a century.

    Marines erect a deadly flag in an illustration

    Chemical Concealment

    The opportunistic use of smoke or fog in battle to conceal movement and supplies is as ancient as war itself. Chemical smoke, however, originated in World War I, when E.F. Berger developed the precursor to HC canisters for France. The munition, which combined powdered zinc and carbon tetrachloride to generate opaque clouds of molten zinc chloride smoke, was intended to obscure troop movements, not for crowd control.

    During the interwar years, scientists stabilized the smoke canister by replacing carbon tetrachloride with hexachloroethane, or HC. The improved smoke device still generated zinc chloride along with smaller quantities of phosgene and carbon monoxide. The munition saw heavy use in World War II as a way to obscure harbors, hide supply routes or signal to other units.

    Reports of the lethal danger of HC smoke, especially in enclosed areas, began accumulating almost immediately. In 1943, 70 people exposed to HC munitions smoke developed nausea, vomiting, chest tightness and a cough. Ten victims died in the incident. According to a study published in 1954, an 18-year-old man spent six weeks in the hospital after 10 minutes of HC smoke exposure in an enclosed space. A 1963 report found that a fireman died after exposure to the smoke.

    Numerous reports from the 1980s showed the dangers of HC exposure. Two elderly women exposed to zinc chloride for 75 minutes fell violently ill, one of whom eventually died. Two soldiers exposed to the smoke required ventilators after inhalation. A 21-year-old man took two months to recover from HC smoke. A different zinc chloride incident killed two men. Five soldiers experienced severe symptoms after breathing HC smoke. Two of these men developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and died.

    Evidence of the often-deadly hazards of HC smoke accumulated within the civilian world as well. In 2017, scientists conducted a survey of academic documentation of HC smoke exposure and found that, of 31 documented cases, eight victims died and three experienced permanent lung injury.

    The clear and well-established danger of high concentrations of HC smoke inspired the military to issue strict guidelines around its use in 1983. When deploying HC munitions, military personnel must wear gas masks. They must “restrict HC deployment to areas of the installation as far as practically possible from … populated areas” and “Take special precautions to protect higher risk individuals such as those highly allergic, children and the aged.”

    So why are police forces across the U.S. using HC smoke in densely populated urban areas against protesters?

    “Minimal Hazard”

    Given the many documented cases of injury and death from HC smoke, the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) health rating for the device comes as a bit of a shock: 0 out of 4, or “minimal hazard.”

    This rating is especially surprising given that the NFPA rating for zinc chloride — the chemical generated by the reaction between hexachloroethane and zinc oxide — is 3 of 4: “Serious Hazard.” Phosgene and chlorine gas — both munition byproducts — have an NFPA rating of 4: “Can Be Lethal.”

    How can a chemical weapon whose byproducts are so dangerous constitute a minimal hazard? Simonis suspects the answer lies in a 2002 lawsuit against HC smoke manufacturer Defense Technologies by Timothy Gamradt, a rural Minnesota prison guard. During a 1998 training exercise, nine guards (including Gamradt) threw an HC smoke canister up a flight of stairs. The munition bounced back and exploded at their feet, where it fumigated the guards with zinc chloride as the exercise continued. Almost immediately, the guards began to experience the assorted symptoms observed in other zinc chloride victims: nausea, vomiting, breathing troubles and headaches. Garmradt’s court case dragged on until 2008, at which point Defense Technologies settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

    The timing of Gamradt’s settlement may help explain the surprising inconsistencies over time between Defense Technology’s Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for HC smoke. Simonis points out that both the 1993 and 2004 MSDS lists, which came out before the settlement, declare zinc chloride as a hazardous byproduct. After their 2008 settlement date, this information changed. The 2011 MSDS byproduct list does not list zinc chloride at all.

    The chemical reagents are the same. Why are the chemical byproducts different?

    Simonis, who has over a decade of experience in their field, considers this change well beyond unusual. “I have never seen a Safety Data Sheet that has had chemicals removed over time. [Material Safety Data Sheets] have intentionally become more detailed and harmonized for ease of use and interpretation, so the company removing chemicals is antithetical to the concept of safety,” Simonis said.

    An illustration of the "Portland Oregon" sign obscured by smoke

    Poisonous Portland

    According to Simonis’s research, federal agents deployed at least 26 HC smoke munitions in downtown Portland throughout late July. “While the canisters were deployed outside, which certainly prevented many deaths, diffusion was limited by crowds of thousands of people, closed tree canopies, cars and tents,” Simonis said. Little wonder protesters and those who lived in the affected area reported the same list of symptoms HC smoke victims have reported for the last 80 years: nausea, vomiting, appetite loss and respiratory distress. The use of respiratory irritants during the COVID-19 pandemic is especially concerning. According to a statement by the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), “Chemical means to control crowds has raised great concern among medical professionals as we simultaneously try to manage a global pandemic.” Respiratory damage not only has the potential to increase infection rates but can also lead to more severe cases when infection occurs.

    Even if federal agents never again fill the streets of downtown Portland with clouds of toxic zinc chloride, the consequences of its prolific deployment may haunt the City of Roses for many years to come. HC smoke releases heavy metals along with zinc chloride. These elements bioaccumulate in livers and kidneys, where they increase the chance of cancer. This kind of damage may not be evident for many years, but those who live downtown or protested for Black Lives in the summer of 2020 may be at higher risk for kidney and liver problems down the road.

    Simonis is also concerned about the long-term effects of these chemicals on the environment. Their analysis of soil, plants and storm drains reveal a far higher concentration of heavy metals than comparable sites elsewhere in the area. Soil samples from affected areas contain higher than normal amounts of cyanide and chromium. Samples taken in August from storm drains — which lead directly to the Willamette River — contained almost 10 times more toxins than comparable sites. Harmful chemicals such as barium, chromium, copper, lead and zinc all seem posed to contaminate Oregon’s ecosystem. Simonis is especially worried about zinc chloride, which causes bone deformities in young fish and thereby threatens Oregon’s salmon: a staple of both commercial fisheries and protected sea lions.

    Dr. Paul Tratnyek, a chemist and professor at OHSU’s School of Public Health, agrees that heavy metals may have a deleterious effect on the Willamette or Columbia Rivers short term, but believes the environmental impact will fade with time. “In the long run, [the contamination is] not really going to be noticeable because all these sediments are going to settle out in the bottom of the Portland Harbor.” Portland Harbor, already contaminated with chemical runoff from other disasters, will not be made significantly worse by heavy metal runoff from chemical munitions.

    Tratnyek agrees, however, that HC smoke munitions are highly dangerous when used as crowd control. “I was surprised that it was nearly unrestricted for [police] to use these kinds of munitions on protesters.” Tratnyek says that any good-faith review of the subject must result in restrictions on what sort of chemicals police may use against protesters.

    What Can Be Done?

    Until dangerous chemical munitions like HC smoke are banned domestically as well as abroad, protesters can mitigate the danger with proper equipment. Simonis recommends covering all skin to avoid absorption of zinc chloride smoke. Eye protection is a must. Respirators are important, but even the best filter cannot block everything. The most important way to protect oneself is to move away from the smoke quickly, find fresh air and breathe deeply to expel the poisonous smoke as quickly as possible.

    When HC gas contacts bare skin, the best remedy is water — the more pressure, the better. Simonis recommends a garden hose over a shower. Clothing absorbs the smoke and should be re-soaked, then washed separately from other, non-contaminated clothing.

    Protesters often attempt to extinguish munitions with water, but Simonis cautions against this when it comes to HC smoke. Water can react with hexachloroethane and zinc oxide to explode and make a bad situation much worse.

    None of these solves the root problem, of course: The United States’s routine use of potentially lethal chemical weapons in urban areas, often during peaceful or nonviolent protests, in ways that affect the entire populace as well as the environment. “I plead with all law enforcement agencies who have HC in their arsenal to decommission it immediately,” Simonis said. “There is no reason for any police agency to possess it.”

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • KKK member jailed for driving into crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters

    A member of the Ku Klux Klan has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison on charges of driving his pickup truck through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in Virginia.

    KKK

    Harry Rogers, 37, of Hanover County, was convicted of three counts of assault and battery, one count of destruction of property, and one count of failure to stop at the scene of an accident in connection with the attack last June in Henrico County near Richmond, the state capital, news outlets reported.

    Rogers pleaded guilty on 5 February and had three felony charges and a fourth misdemeanour assault count dropped. He was originally sentenced to six years in jail in August, but he appealed that conviction.

    The authorities said Rogers struck at least two people after driving over a strip of land near a Confederate monument and then through a group of protesters in the road. Nobody was seriously injured, although officials said he ran over a man’s toe and twice hit a woman who stepped in front of the truck.

    Defence attorney George Townsend argued that the protesters who were struck put themselves in the vehicle’s way. Townsend had previously said Rogers was a member of the KKK.

    “Cockroaches”

    Before he was arrested, Rogers boasted about the incident on social media. He said on a Facebook live video played in court:

    This Chevrolet 2500 went up on the curb and through the protest. They started scattering like (expletive) cockroaches … It’s kind of funny if you ask me.”

    He told the court on 9 February that he was sorry for his actions, and said he “didn’t make the right decisions that day”. The incident came last year amid nationwide protests against racial injustice and law enforcement treatment of minorities after the police custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on The Canary.

  • Repression in Xi’s China

    The tightening of state control over Hong Kong and Xinjiang reveal a consolidation of authority in Xi’s CCP, intent on stifling any signs of nonconformity.

    This post was originally published on Dissent MagazineDissent Magazine.

  • How Oakland’s Souley Vegan Became a Soul Food Empire

    It’s been nearly a year since we started social distancing, staying home to make mountains of sourdough, Korean whipped coffees, and focaccia bread art. But for all the at-home deliciousness we’ve mastered, we’re ready for our favorite restaurants! So although travel is still off the table, we’re celebrating with a mouthwatering tour of the stories—and recipes—from some of the best-loved, Black-owned vegan restaurants in America. From soul food in Detroit to Ethiopian eats in Brooklyn to a soul food empire in Oakland, get ready, because it’s time to eat.

    VegNews.SouleyVeganYelpKimmy

    Souley Vegan in the making

    Running and sustaining a restaurant is already cutthroat enough, with most independently owned eateries closing in the first five years. But somehow, even with just $27 in the cash register and zero savings, single mother Tamearra Dyson was undeterred when she left her studies as a nursing student and opened the doors of what would quickly become Souley Vegan, one of the premier vegan soul food restaurants in the country. More than a decade later, it’s clear Dyson made the right decision—her Louisiana-inspired recipes have drawn customers and accolades, even nabbing a spot as one of the only vegan restaurants featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

    VegNews.SouleyVegan2

    Southern staples veganized

    There’s a reason why Dyson’s restaurant has been named one of the top 10 soul food restaurants in the country. Her Southern Staples Bowl warms customers on chilly Bay Area nights with steaming-hot creamy grits, breaded-and-fried tofu, and a heavy scoop of okra gumbo. For some fire, opt for the Deez Ain’t Gator Bites, featuring diced Louisiana Hot Links, Creole-spiced battered mushrooms, and housemade “swamp sauce”—a tangy, mustardy barbecue sauce (don’t be afraid to add a few glugs of hot sauce, too). But perhaps its most popular dish? The Soul Food Platter combo plate with juicy Southern fried tofu, expertly cooked red boy beans and rice, and silky cashew mac and cheese.

    VegNews.SouleyVeganLogo

    Why we love Souley Vegan

    In 2020, when more than 100,000 restaurants nationwide succumbed to COVID-19, Dyson’s tenacity kicked into high gear. She decided to expand Souley Vegan through a new takeout and delivery-only model, first in Los Angeles and followed by more Bay Area outposts in San Francisco and Oakland. And in a time when comfort was needed the most, the new Souley Vegan ghost kitchens—a model Dyson believes is the future of the restaurant industry—allow customers to indulge in soulful cooking from the safety of their own homes.

    Read the entire Great American Black Vegan Restaurant Tour feature in the newest issue of VegNews on newsstands now! For even more of the stories behind Black-owned vegan restaurants nationwide, follow our Black-owned restaurant web series. Don’t miss our coverage on Seasoned Vegan, Mattie’s Foods, Chi Chi Vegan, and Vurger Guyz.

    Photo credit: Aubrie Pick (Header) and Kimmy 5 (Souley Vegan exterior)

    This post was originally published on VegNews.com.

  • 17 Vegan Black-Owned Food Brands to Support During Black History Month

    If there’s one thing the food industry can’t deny, it’s the power of consumers’ dollars. As we celebrate the history, achievements, and influence of the Black community during Black History Month—and throughout the year—we are reminded of the importance of supporting entrepreneurs from diverse cultures and backgrounds. By doing so, not only are we investing in the product but we’re also championing inclusivity within the industry. This month is an opportunity to uplift Black creators and businesses, increase awareness of their brands, and advocate for change. 

    Vegan Black-owned businesses on the rise

    The opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to launch their vegan businesses has never been better. People of color are reducing their consumption of meat faster than other demographics, according to a poll conducted by Gallup in 2020. And Black hip-hop artists and other celebs are investing in businesses that align with their meatless lifestyles. Beyoncé co-founded vegan meal delivery brand 22 Day Nutrition—that has since expanded to a meal-planning app—with vegan nutritionist Marco Borges, following her own experience with Borges’ 22 Day Nutrition challenge, in which she and husband Jay-Z ate a plant-based diet for three weeks. Jay-Z has invested in vegan brands such as Partake Foods and Impossible Foods through his venture capital firm. Musician Jaden Smith, son of celebrity couple Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, launched vegan food truck I Love You Restaurant that serves free food to the homeless. And world champion race car driver Lewis Hamilton—who often uses his platform to advocate for animal welfare and veganism—opened vegan burger restaurant Neat Burger in London, United Kingdom, with plans to expand globally. 

    To honor and support the growing list of vegan Black-owned businesses, we’ve rounded up a few you can order from that ship nationwide.

    Vegan Black-owned food brands

    VegNews.ADozenCousins

    1. A Dozen Cousins
    These slow-cooked, ready-to-eat beans make use of one of our favorite plant proteins. Inspired by Black and Latino recipes, they come in flavors such as Cuban Black Beans, Trini Chickpea Curry, and Mexican Cowboy Beans, as well as classic Refried Beans. Plus, because many Americans in underserved communities don’t have access to healthy food, A Dozen Cousins provides an annual grant and volunteer support to nonprofits working to eliminate socio-economic health disparities in the country. 

    VegNews.ChooseLifeFoods

    2. Choose Life Foods
    These vegan Jamaican patties were born out of a desire to veganize the authentic patties founder Carolyn Simon—who is referred to as the company’s “Patty Queen”—ate growing up, and the Beefless Lover’s Patty and Coconut Kale Delight flavors are the result. The Canadian company’s patties are available for shipping nationwide through online retailer VeganSupply.com.

    VegNews.CocoLuv

    3. Coco Luv Vegan Cookies
    Though this Los Angeles-based, family-owned company calls itself a cookie company, there’s far more on the menu. From Birthday Cake Scones and Coco Dream Ding Dongs to entire Triple Layer Oreo Cakes, you’ll have a hard time choosing what to order. Know someone who has a birthday this month? Get the Cinnamon Roll Cake with Sprinkles delivered to their door. 

    VegNews.MajorsProjectPop

    4. Major’s Project Pop
    A fresh vegan take on kettle corn, Major’s Project Pop makes its main product in small batches and keeps it real with simple ingredients—namely, virgin coconut oil, vegan cane sugar, and Himalayan salt. The company gives back to its community by supporting non-profit initiatives such as Feeding Children Everywhere and the National Black Food & Justice Alliance. This month, Project Pop is also selling Black History Month merch with their “People over Profit” tagline.

    VegNews.GoodGirlChocolate

    5. Good Girl Chocolate
    Dr. Tabatha Carr created Good Girl Chocolate in an effort to support her healthy lifestyle—and her sweet tooth. The good-for-you product line ranges from vegan milk chocolate to caramel cake truffles. Plus, 5 percent of sales go towards supporting underprivileged orphanage children in Haiti. 

    VegNews.Golde

    6. Golde
    This small but mighty Brooklyn, NY-based business launched with a single product—Original Turmeric Latte Blend—and has since expanded to other superfood essentials from face masks to drink mixes. 

    VegNews.HellaNuts

    7. Hella Nuts
    This plant-based eatery has created a patent-pending vegan ground meat made from walnuts. We’re already making a list of dishes to make with it, starting with tacos, shepherd’s pie, and stuffed bell peppers.

    VegNews.HoustonSauceCo

    8. Houston Sauce Co.
    This sauce-company-turned-food-truck specializes in hot sauces and vegan barbecue. If you’re not able to get your hands on their vegan Dirty Bird Chik’n Sandwich or Philly Cheesesteaks in Houston, check out their online store, where you can order hot sauces and other tasty vegan snacks and get them shipped to your door. 

    VegNews.MacandYease

    9. Mac & Yease
    Vegan chef Ayindè Howell popularized his vegan mac and cheese and it has since hit hot bars in retailers such as Whole Foods Market. You can now order your own family-sized frozen meals online and choose from jalapeño Mac and Yease to BKLN Bolognese.

    VegNews.MayasCookies

    10. Maya’s Cookies
    This beloved vegan bakery recently opened its first storefront in San Diego, CA, but it also sells its handmade gourmet cookies online, at farmers’ markets, and in select retailers. We especially love Maya’s Black History Month cookie collection in honor of prominent figures in the Black community, including The Hank Aaron, The Debbie Allen, and The Amanda Gorman. 

    VegNews.MylkDog

    11. Mylk Dog
    Founder Bethovan Enhancing grew up devouring jars of nacho cheese, but when he and his family ditched dairy, he was determined to create an alternative. Enter Mylk Dog Notcho Cheez, made from simple ingredients such as almond milk, cashews, bell peppers, and nutritional yeast. 

    VegNews.OatButterBrand

    12. Oat Butter Brand
    Though Oat Butter Brand makes and sells vegan cookies too, its star product is its Cinnamon Maple Walnut Oat Butter. The name itself has us fantasizing about the oatmeal bowls and toast we’re going to make with it. 

    VegNews.RootedDelights

    13. Rooted Delights
    Though Roots Delights first launched as a food truck in Baltimore, MD, in 2018 founder Janay Jones decided to move back to her hometown of Richmond, VA and focus on launching a vegan cheese line. Made from oat milk, the Rooted Delights cheese line is currently available in Creamy Mozzah and Milk Cheddah flavors. 

    VegNews.SouthernRoots

    14. Southern Roots
    This San Antonio, TX-based online bakery recreates Southern classics with a vegan twist—from bundt cakes and brownies to buttermilk pancake mixes. Husband-and-wife team Marcus and Cara Pitts launched the bakery in 2018 after watching the documentary What the Health, which inspired them to go vegan. 

    VegNews.SymphonyChips

    15. Symphony Potato Chips
    A gourmet potato chip company, Symphony Potato Chips was born after chef and founder Andre’ Anderson created a 28-herb-and-spice blend and began using it on homemade potato chips. Since then, the brand has expanded to other flavored chips, from balsamic to smoked. The family-owned company also aims to empower its community by providing employment and employment training through their own nonprofit, Symphony Crumbs. 

    VegNews.NoCookie

    16. The No Cookie
    Family owned and operated since 1978, The No Bakery creates and sells vegan cookies in classic flavors such as chocolate chip, ginger spice, oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter. Operating from Oakland, CA, the No Cookies are available in more than 400 health and natural food stores nationwide and can also be ordered online. 

    VegNews.WaytoLife

    17. Way to Life Foods
    This family-owned vegan food company aims to provide healthful products for its customers across the country. Though Way to Life Foods started with granola—which is available in flavors such as Banana, Strawberry, Ginger, and Peanut Butter—it has since expanded to cinnamon rolls, energy bars, and even vegan burger patties. 

    For more, check out the VegNews Guide to Vegan Black-Owned Businesses. 

    Nicole Axworthy is the News Editor of VegNews and author of DIY Vegan who has already added some of these incredible products to her online shopping cart. 

    This post was originally published on VegNews.com.

  • The Lesson Of The BLM Protests: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

    Remember when Americans shook the earth with massive protests demanding an end to the police state and the entire liberal establishment just kept saying “I hear you, I agree with you” and then did absolutely nothing to even reduce police brutality? It’s important to remember such lessons.

    People would ask me “Why are you supporting Black Lives Matter Caitlin?? Don’t you see all the corporations and corporate Dems support it? Why would they do that if it didn’t serve them?” This is why they did it. Empty words of support can defuse a situation far easier than open opposition.

    Imagine if all the plutocrats, pundits and politicians had just yelled at the BLM protesters and admonished them to stop? It would have only turned people against them with far more aggression, and it would have exposed the fact that they are the enemy. It’s much more effective to say “I hear you, I agree with you” with no intention of taking any real action.

    And really this is all institutions like the Democratic Party exist to do: defuse left populism and crush grassroots activism not with opposition, but with empty words of agreement that have no intention of action behind them. They’re just a bottomless pit that tricks people into pouring their energy into it, thereby stopping all leftward movement.

    A kid who doesn’t want to clean their room will tell their parents “No! I don’t wanna!” A very clever kid who doesn’t want to clean their room will say “Yes! I’ll get on that right away” and then enjoy hours of peace and relaxation without parental nagging, and without cleaning. It’s the exact same way with the powerful. It’s much more efficacious for them to pretend to be on your side than expose the fact that they’re not. In the end the result is the same: the kid doesn’t clean their room. But they don’t get the kind of pushback they’d get if they said no.

    Manipulators are good at manipulation. The people who make their way to the top in a corrupt system are manipulators. You can’t take their words at face value, mustn’t mistake vapid placation for victory. They’ll happily give you a mountain of words in exchange for your real treasure.

    ❖

    They’re so used to manipulating Americans into believing narratives that wildly differ from reality they were like “We’ll tell them $1400 is $2000, they won’t notice.”

    ❖

    The world would be greatly improved if Americans became far more powerful and their government/military/media became far less powerful.

    ❖

    Yemen alone, just by itself, is a sufficient argument for the dismantling of the entire US-centralized power alliance.

    ❖

    To be clear, Yemen isn’t some tragedy that we are passively witnessing. Civilians are being deliberately targeted and starved with the backing of the US, UK, Australia, Canada and France. Our governments are helping to inflict this horror upon innocents. And it may get worse.

    ❖

    A world order which can create something as horrific as the atrocities in Yemen or the unforgivable Iraq invasion is not a world order that will lead the world in a good direction. The facts are in. The US-led world order must end.

    ❖

    “You hate all US politicians Caitlin! You can’t name a single one you like!”

    That’s like wanting me to pick a favorite Nazi leader. It’s a system which only elevates assholes who will cooperate with a machine that is fueled by human blood. You just don’t see how ugly it is yet.

    ❖

    Anti-imperialism makes you look like a radical, because it makes you reject even the politicians who are considered “radical” in mainstream discourse since they are all imperialists. In reality there’s nothing radical about opposing the mass slaughter of innocents; it’s just being a normal human being. Basic human sanity is often painted as “radical” because most people have no understanding of how bat shit insane our current world order is.

    ❖

    The surest way to get rich in media is to spread lies which serve the interests of the powerful. The surest way to get labeled a “grifter” is to do literally the exact opposite of this.

    ❖

    It’s not enough to reject mainstream politics, we need to reject mainstream culture as well. The propagandists understand that politics is downstream from culture, so we should too. The culture manufacturers in New York and LA are not your friend; they are an extension of the empire.

    We who oppose the empire must reject its manufactured culture with the same disgust with which we reject its political lackeys and news media. We must create our own culture to outshine the manufactured garbage they are shoving down everyone’s throats.

    ❖

    If you want normal people to listen to an idea, you’ve got to make it easy to understand and you’ve got to make it interesting. No normal human being going about their life has any incentive to listen to you unless you do both of these things. The onus isn’t on them, it’s on you.

    Telling people to read theory doesn’t work. How narcissistic would you have to be to think you can just tell some stranger to read Marx or Lenin or whatever and they’ll go “Well that complete rando ordered me to invest my scarce time and energy in this so I’d better do it”? No. This is our job.

    Whenever I bring this up people say stuff like “It’s not a popularity contest Caitlin”. Yes it fucking is! You want your ideas to be more popular than the shitty, self-destructive, soul-crushing, world-destroying ideas which support the status quo. This won’t happen by itself.

    It’s not enough to be right. You can’t save the world just by holding the right beliefs in your obscure corner of the information ecosystem. That’s like believing life will reward you if you’re a nice person on the inside. Share the ideas. Make them simple, make them interesting.

    ❖

    One of the many advantages manipulators have over sincere people is that sincere people have no idea how very, very much better at manipulation a manipulator is than them, in the same way a chess newbie has no understanding of how many skill levels they are below a chess master.

    This is why it’s so important for us to have the humility to know that we can be manipulated, and that we can be manipulated in ways we hadn’t even thought of. Ways we wouldn’t think of in a million years, because we are not that sort of creature.

    ❖

    When you’re in an abusive relationship, leaving seems impossible. After you escape, you look back and see that most of the barriers to leaving which felt so real at the time were illusory mental constructs. Escaping our abusive relationship with our oppressors will be like that.

    Freeing ourselves and creating a healthy world is not impossible. There are no solid walls preventing us from leaving the abusive relationship. The door’s not even locked. The only thing holding us in place is mental manipulation via mass media propaganda. It’s all in our head.

    Image

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    Feature image via Wikimedia Commons.

    Thanks for reading! The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for at  or on Substack, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is , so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on , following my antics on , or throwing some money into my tip jar on  or . If you want to read more you can buy my new book Poems For Rebels (you can also download a PDF for five bucks) or my old book . For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I’m trying to do with this platform, . Everyone, racist platforms excluded,  to republish, use or translate any part of this work (or anything else I’ve written) in any way they like free of charge.

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    This post was originally published on Caitlin Johnstone.

  • Black Lives Matter wins Olof Palme prize 2020

    A woman holds up a placard with the slogan “Black Lives Matter” as people march in Brixton, south London to protest against police brutality in the US after two recent incidents where black men have been shot and killed by police officers. Daniel Leal-Olivas, AFP

    AFP reported on 30 January that the international civil rights movement Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation on Friday won Sweden’s Olof Palme human rights prize for 2020.

    The foundation was honored for its work promoting “peaceful civil disobedience against police brutality and racial violence all over the world,” prize organizers said in a statement.

    The Black Lives Matter movement, founded in 2013 in the United States, has “in a unique way exposed the hardship, pain, and wrath of the African-American minority at not being valued equal to people of a different color,” the statement said.

    The movement had its major international breakthrough in the summer of 2020 following several cases of extreme brutality in the US, including the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Prize organizers noted that an estimated 20 million people have taken part in Black Lives Matter protests in the US alone, and millions more around the world. 

    “This illustrates that racism and racist violence is not just a problem in American society, but a global problem.”

    For more on the Olof Palme Prize see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/60DE9060-BC07-450D-B6B8-5A64C0F6D612

    https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/30/21/black-lives-matter-wins-swedish-rights-prize

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders.

  • People are celebrating the Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Black Lives Matter

    The Black Lives Matter movement has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. MP Petter Eide of Norway’s Socialist Left party nominated the movement for its contributions to raising awareness about racial justice issues across the globe. While the movement has been active since 2013, it regained momentum and worldwide recognition following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.

    The Black Lives Matter Twitter account acknowledged the nomination saying “We’re only getting started”:

    “So incredibly awesome”

    Many people took to Twitter to express their happiness for the movement’s nomination:

    One user simply said:

    Others took the opportunity to highlight Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, the three Black women who founded the movement in 2013, following the acquittal of George Zimmerman who shot and killed Trayvon Martin in 2012:

    The right side of history

    Despite the harmful narrative pushed by reactionary right-wing commentators, 93% of Black Lives Matter demonstrations “involved no serious harm to people or property”. Some Twitter users reminded those opposing the movement’s nomination of the backlash against Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1964 Nobel Peace Prize win:

    “A powerful message”

    In his nomination statement, Eide states:

    Awarding the Peace Prize to Black Lives Matter, as the strongest global force against racial injustice, will send a powerful message that peace is founded on equality, solidarity and human rights, and that all countries must respect those basic principles.

    Others nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize include WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Khalsa Aid founder Ravinder Singh. Meanwhile, far-right Norwegian MP Christian Tybring-Gjedde nominated former US president Donald Trump. Only national politicians can submit nominations to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Nominations close on 1 February, and prize winners will be announced in October.
    Featured image via Clay Banks/Unsplash

    By Sophia Purdy-Moore

    This post was originally published on The Canary.

  • How the Pandemic Changed Us

    Racial justice, police accountability, mutual aid, climate activism and warp-speed vaccines – we examine the ways our COVID-19 year changed American society. 

    Don’t miss out on the next big story. Get the Weekly Reveal newsletter today.

    This post was originally published on Reveal.

  • The Desperate Need for an Immigration Overhaul

    Biden could ease the suffering inflicted by his predecessors on migrants to the United States. But his administration is unlikely to resolve the structural injustices at the root of the immigration enforcement system.

    This post was originally published on Dissent MagazineDissent Magazine.

  • This Black-Owned Food Truck Makes Some of the Best Vegan Burgers in LA

    It’s been nearly a year since we started social distancing, staying home to make mountains of sourdough, Korean whipped coffees, and focaccia bread art. But for all the at-home deliciousness we’ve mastered, we’re ready for our favorite restaurants! So although travel is still off the table, we’re celebrating with a mouthwatering tour of the stories—and recipes—from some of the best-loved, Black-owned vegan restaurants in America. From soul food in Detroit to Ethiopian eats in Brooklyn to a burger-slinging food truck in Los Angeles, get ready, because it’s time to eat.

     
     
     
     
     
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    A post shared by Vurger Guyz ™ (@vurgerguyz)

    Vegan Burgers on Wheels
    For the past two years, a humble Beyond Burger-slinging food truck has been whizzing across the streets of Los Angeles, leaving many satisfied Angelenos—including a few top-tier celebrities—in its wake. It’s not exactly what creator Naeem Outler envisioned when he started experimenting with meatless burgers after going vegan, but once he cracked the code for the familiar tastes and textures he’d enjoyed in his pre-vegan days, he knew he was on to something. So he and three friends got together, created a menu, and Vurger Guyz was born. For those lucky enough to find the truck parked somewhere in La La Land, juicy burgers, salty-sweet potato fries and tots, and tempting tacos await.

     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by Vurger Guyz ™ (@vurgerguyz)

    The Vurger Guyz Menu 
    The Guyz let their food speak for itself, evident in their uncomplicated menu of just four burgers and three tacos. But in a city full of endless vegan options, that’s all this matte black truck needs to attract throngs of vegan and non-vegan urbanites alike. The Classic Vurger features a grilled Beyond patty stacked with caramelized onions, tangy pickles, American cheese, and a top-secret chipotle mayo-style Vurger sauce. Next, a duo of burgers—the Sunrise and Smoky Sunset—adds golden fried onions and jalapeños to the mix. The Sunrise gets more spicy Vurger sauce while the Sunset is drizzled in sticky-sweet barbecue sauce. Finally, the Mexican-inspired Sante Fe calls on freshly mashed guacamole and pico de gallo for a south-of-the-border kick. Plus, Beyond Meat and carnitas-style jackfruit tacos ensure no one goes hungry on Taco Tuesday.

     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by Vurger Guyz ™ (@vurgerguyz)

    Why We Love Vurger Guyz 
    One scroll through the burger joint’s Instagram, and you’ll see support from countless A-listers, such as Grammy Award-winning artist and producer Pharrell Williams, NBA athletes Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, singer-actress Christina Milian, and iconic West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg, all eager to get #Vurgerfied. “I didn’t even know it wasn’t the real deal. Actually tastes better than the real deal ‘cause I’ll be feeling a lot better tomorrow,” Snoop Dogg raves. And the Guyz have garnered praise from Beyoncé herself, making it on to Queen Bey’s curated directory of Black-owned businesses last year.

    Read the entire Great American Black Vegan Restaurant Tour feature in the newest issue of VegNews on newsstands now! For even more of the stories behind Black-owned vegan restaurants nationwide, follow our Black-owned restaurant web series. Don’t miss our coverage on Seasoned Vegan, Mattie’s Foods, and Chi Chi Vegan. 

    Photo credit: Vurger Guyz

    This post was originally published on VegNews.com.

  • A transfer of power

    As the nation swears in President Joe Biden, we look at the long shadow cast by the forces that brought Donald Trump to power. 

    Reporter Chris Jones describes the scene on the ground in Washington during the inauguration. While the inauguration is usually a celebration, Joe Biden’s was markedly quieter – due to both the pandemic and heightened security. After Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in early January, the city has been on edge. 

    Then we hear from two people who call Washington their home. Reveal’s Anjali Kamat tells the story of military veteran Arianna Evans, whose relationship with the capital city has changed dramatically since she joined the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. Then, host Al Letson talks to D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen about the challenges of managing the city in the aftermath of the insurrection. He says constituents are bitter about the inconsistent response law enforcement had to Trump supporters as compared with Black Lives Matter protesters over the summer. 

    Then we delve into the role right-wing evangelicals played in bringing Trump to power. Sarah Posner, author of “Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump,” discusses why the religious right was on display during the violent insurrection. 

    Letson closes the hour with a discussion with Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at the megachurch First Baptist Church of Dallas. Jeffress has weekly radio and TV shows that reach an audience of millions and says he doesn’t think Trump will ever accept that he lost the election. 

    Dig Deeper

    Read: Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump

    The post A transfer of power appeared first on Reveal.

    This post was originally published on Reveal.

  • Best of CounterSpin 2020

    PlayPlay

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    (photo: Daniel Arauz/Wikimedia)

    As we start a new year, longtime CounterSpin listeners will know, we revisit a few of our weekly looks behind the headlines. We call it “the best of,” but it’s just a reflection of the sorts of conversations we hope have offered some voice or context or information that you might not have heard elsewhere, or that might help you assess the news you are hearing. We’re thankful to all of the activists, researchers, reporters and advocates who appear on the show to help us understand the world and how we can change it.

    Related Posts

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Best of CounterSpin 2020

    Black Lives Matter protest, Marin City, California (photo: Daniel Arauz)

    (photo: Daniel Arauz/Wikimedia)

    As we start a new year, longtime CounterSpin listeners will know, we revisit a few of our weekly looks behind the headlines. We call it “the best of,” but it’s just a reflection of the sorts of conversations we hope have offered some voice or context or information that you might not have heard elsewhere, or that might help you assess the news you are hearing. We’re thankful to all of the activists, researchers, reporters and advocates who appear on the show to help us understand the world and how we can change it.

    The Best of CounterSpin 2020 includes excerpts from Janine Jackson’s conversations with Alex Lawson on Social Security, Chip Gibbons on protest, Greg Shupak on Qasem Soelimani’s assassination, Carol Anderson on voter suppression, Jim Naureckas on the pandemic, Alicia Bell on covering community, Maritiza Perez on drugs and police violence, and Ray Fuentes on the gig economy.

    This post was originally published on CounterSpin.

  • United, We’re Not

    Where does America go from here? 

    We talk with an asylum-seeking family, a Georgia woman on abortion access, and West Virginians on the impact of Black Lives Matter.


    Don’t miss out on the next big story. Get the Weekly Reveal newsletter today.

    This post was originally published on Reveal.

  • Stopping a Movement

    In what may be the largest protest movement in the nation’s history, millions of Americans have taken to the streets this year to protest racism and police brutality. In response, the federal government cracked down, filing charges against protesters in 31 states. We also learn how Austin, Texas, voted to slash its police budget.

    Don’t miss out on the next big story. Get the Weekly Reveal newsletter today.

    This post was originally published on Reveal.

  • Renaming Peralta Hacienda Historic Park

    Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano Featuring Holly Alonso and Diane Wang

    Renaming Peralta Hacienda Historic Park

    This edition of Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano focuses on the nationwide rethinking of our colonizing and racist history. Oakland’s Peralta Hacienda Historical Park is now holding a public discussion about changing their name. 

    Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano interviews Holly Alonso, Director of the Peralta Hacienda, and Diane Wang, educator at the Peralta Hacienda Historic Park, about the renaming of Peralta Hacienda Historic Park which is now underway (Fall, 2020). These outstanding women joined Nina on zoom to share the public conversation and some up-coming events. 

    Antonio Maria Peralta House, 2465 34th Ave, Oakland, CA

    The Peralta Hacienda is named after the family that received a land grant of 45,000 acres in what is now Oakland, CA, from Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá, the last Spanish governor of California, in the 1820s. The renaming discussion involves the broad community of indigenous Ohlone people, Fruitvale district neighbors of the park, the Latinx community, descendants of the Peralta family, the city government, the Oakland Department of Parks and Recreation, and other stake holders. Holly Alonso invites the public to join the convrsation by contacting their website. The video reviews the history of the park land, the Peraltas and the Ohlone. 

    The interview, first broadcast on La Raza Chronicles on KPFA FM radio September 8, 2020, begins with Holly Alonso describing about how and why the process began and how she went about creating a public conversation.  

    Then, Diane Wang, educator at the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, discusses some upcoming events and exhibits at the Park. (contact peraltahacienda.org for more information)

    Events and Programs include:

    The Water Keepers Program

    The Water Keepers Program

    Inside My Mask Exhibit

    Inside My Mask Exhibit

    Black Lives Matter Exhibit

    Black Lives Matter Exhibit

    Undocumented Heart Exhibit

    Undocumented Heart Exhibit

    Meaningful Meals exhibit

    Meaningful Meals exhibit

    Youth Making History Program

    Youth Making History Program

    About Nina Serrano: Nina Serrano is a well-known, international prize-winning inspirational author and poet. With a focus on Latino history and culture, she is also a playwright, filmmaker, KPFA talk show host, a former Alameda County Arts Commissioner, and a co-founder of the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. Oakland Magazine’s “best local poet” in 2010, she is a former director of the San Francisco Poetry in the Schools program and the Bay Area’s Storytellers in the Schools program. A Latina activist for social justice, women’s rights, and the arts, Nina Serrano at 86 remains vitally engaged in inspiring change and exploring her abundant creativity. For more information go to ninaserrano.com or contact her publisher at estuarypress.com. For more detailed information about Nina see About Nina on her website.

    About Estuary Press: Estuary Press is the publisher of Nicaragua Way. It is also the home of the Harvey Richards Media Archive, a repository of photography and video documentaries of various social change and political movements during the 1960s and 1970s. Contact Paul Richards (510) 967 5577, paulrichards@estuarypress.com or visit estuarypress.com for more details.

    MEDIA – For photos & interviews: Paul Richards (510) 967 5577; paulrichards@estuarypress.com

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The post Renaming Peralta Hacienda Historic Park appeared first on .

    This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.

  • Renaming Peralta Hacienda Historic Park

    Literary Dialogs water graphic intro smallLiterary Dialogs with Nina Serrano Featuring Holly Alonso and Diane Wang Renaming Peralta Hacienda Historic Park This edition of Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano focuses on the nationwide rethinking of our colonizing and racist history. Oakland’s Peralta Hacienda Historical Park is now holding a public discussion about changing their name.  Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano […]

    This post was originally published on Estuary Press.

  • Black Lives Matter: When will there be real change?

    By Roni Roseberg

    TRIGGER WARNING: This blog discusses sensitive themes.

    My first pregnancy was perfect. When my son was two years old, I then discovered I was pregnant again.

    I wanted to give him a sibling and things were going along well until just after I announced the second pregnancy to family and friends.

    Who would have suspected that I’d be in the hospital with a miscarriage that night? But that is what happened, to our disappointment.

    It was while I was recovering that I noticed the many white blossoms on the ground around our apple tree. I then realised that not all flowers become fruit. Nature has her ways. And so, I accepted the loss.

    My personal life was in flux for a while, so I didn’t attempt another pregnancy for two more years. At the time, I’d not have admitted it openly, but I realised that I wanted another baby despite the awareness that the fate of my marriage was unsure.

    I had no illusions about the arrival of another child cementing the relationship; I simply wanted another child, and I was 34. To some, my choice might have seemed irresponsible, but I knew that life doesn’t give us unlimited chances.

    I got pregnant again.

    mateus-campos-felipe--ABgj_gy_D4-unsplash

    Halfway through that pregnancy – too soon for the baby to survive at birth but far enough along for me to have felt his vigorous kicking – I nearly went into labour. When I went to the doctor with some suspicious signs, he whisked me off immediately to the hospital, explaining that he had to sew my womb shut to keep the baby inside.

    I had something called ‘incompetent cervix’, not a confidence-building name. It was likely caused by a procedure undertaken when I had the previous miscarriage.

    The doctor explained that early in a pregnancy, sewing the uterus shut is a relatively easy and safe procedure. However, at 20 weeks (where I was), it was very risky, and I could lose the baby.

    I was briefly put under anaesthetic and woke up feeling okay, but I was lying in a bed tilted at an angle.

    I was not allowed to get up for five days. At night, I’d dream that the bed was straightening itself out. During the day, I worried about my baby.

    Sometime during that week, my doctor came to examine me and announced that things were not healing. My uterine sutures would have to come out, and I would go into labour.

    I had a deep sense that my baby was well and fighting to live. I was fighting, too, and using visualisation techniques to promote healing. I begged the doctor to give me 24 more hours.

    Because he was a good doctor, and he trusted me, he said yes. He even came in on his day off to check on me. It was that trust that saved my son.

    In those 24 hours, things took a turn for the better, and I was soon discharged and went home. I rested for a couple of weeks and was even able to return to my teaching job.

    I carried nearly to term, and my son was born healthy. Today, he is a magnificent young man, soon to be married and enjoying life.

    Had my doctor not been such a good doctor and had he not trusted me, my son wouldn’t be here today.

    And had my doctor, a man of African-American descent, not been accepted into medical school due to someone’s prejudice, or had not been hired by my healthcare provider, a professional would not have reached his goals of saving lives.

    An immeasurable amount of good would have been lost.

    Life in the USA: The need to challenge racism

    shutterstock_449427922

    Prior to the terrible murder of George Floyd on 25th May 2020, it was no secret how African-Americans and people of colour were facing discrimination across the United States.

    When previously questioned on the issue, around 3 out of 5 Americans said that they believe race relations in the USA are “bad”.

    Research undertaken by the Pew Research Centre in 2019 (based on the views of 6,637 adults) found that:

    About eight-in-ten blacks (78%) say the country hasn’t gone far enough when it comes to giving black people equal rights with whites, and fully half say it’s unlikely that the country will eventually achieve racial equality…

    Blacks are more likely than other groups to say their race has had a negative impact on their ability to get ahead; whites are the most likely to say their race helped them.

    The very doctor who treated me offered me kindness, understanding and a critical level of care.

    So, who could imagine not giving this man a chance to practice medicine, just because of his skin colour?

    Who can accept the mistreatment of medical students by members of staff and fellow students based on protected characteristics including race and also gender and/or sexual orientation?

    Who can support the fact that people of colour in the USA receive “less care – and often worse care – than white Americans?”

    And most critically of all: how can anyone with a conscience accept the death of poor George – and many more like him – at the hands of police brutality?

    Well, I can’t.

    George Floyd: A crucial tipping point

    munshots-_vAC0je-hKo-unsplash

    When I myself used to hear of racial discrimination, I couldn’t help but think of the soft-spoken doctor who held my hand, honoured my judgement, and critically saved my son.

    Now, several weeks after first writing this blog and following George’s death, the protests against the brutality that killed him are on my mind.

    I’m left to sadly reflect on the minuscule amount of progress those of us who favour equal rights for all have seen in the last 50 years.

    When I was an idealistic university student, I felt we could change the world, especially if the unjust could just see what we students saw. I marched, protested, and debated – sure that if others felt our commitment and appreciated the injustices, that things could and would change.

    A few things did change, but not nearly enough. Statistics and face-to-face conversations tell us that people of colour, Muslims, gay and transgender people, and those with disabilities and prison records, are still very much excluded from the good things in life.

    It is not simply a question of: “Work harder, and you will be rewarded”.

    I’ve been in the field of education for a long time, so to me: much of the answer lies in education. It’s clear to me that there is a need for a major overhaul of what is being taught in American schools.

    There would not be such massive deficits in the American public’s cultural literacy if education were better. There would be greater knowledge of Black history and divisive politics would seem less alluring.

    We need to include more subjects and communities in schools. Communities have plenty to contribute towards dialogue on individual, collective and national experiences and needs.

    Additionally, school districts need to loosen ties with publishers of academic materials. Competencies valued in schools need to include greater social awareness as well as academics.

    As an educator and American citizen, I got involved in both education and civil rights to make a better world for my children and others, following the tenet of “tikkun olam” – the Jewish belief in repairing the world.

    This is everyone’s responsibility. We’re all responsible for making the world a better – fairer, most just – place. One element of tikkun olam is therefore sharing, caring, and ending discrimination based on colour, gender, religion and sexual orientation.

    An unselfish world where these things have been abated is the kind of world I want to see my grandchildren and their grandchildren grow up in.

    Let us not put the lessons of today’s social unrest behind us. Let us convert the lessons to move forward as a society.

    Let us honour George’s memory and declare that Black lives matter.

     

    This blog is dedicated to the memory of the late George Floyd. Rest in peace dear brother.

    Take action

    Find out about how you can help the Black Lives Matters movement here.

    20% offPurpleBouquets

    This post was originally published on Voice of Salam.

  • Black Lives Matter in the Revolution of the Heart

    Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Rafael Jesús González

    Rafael reads two poems, each in English and Spanish: Wake Up U.S. America!/¡Despierta EE.UU. América! and The Moon Masks Herself/La luna se enmascara, followed by the poets conversation about Black Lives Matter in the Revolution of the Heart in the post pandemic world to come. English and Spanish subtitles are available on the video settings button.

    Rafael Jesús González has always been the poet laureate of Berkeley for me, long before he was appointed in 2017. As a multimedia producer, I often called on him for poems and interviews with a spiritual take on nuclear disarmament, world peace, equal rights, Chicano history, environmentalism, and the love of Mother Earth. He always has a lot to say about the moon too, on a monthly basis, which earns him a place in the my feminist lexicon. As an activist poet he has spent time in Santa Rita jail for protesting the war machine. As a graphic artist his altars and other artistic works are exhibited in the Oakland Museum. And when he was a professor at Laney College, he struggled for and established the Mexican and Latin American studies department.

    I first encountered Rafael in 1969, when we both appeared in the same poetry anthology, “Mark in Time”, published by Glide Press, which was the first time I was included in an anthology of San Francisco poets.

    Rafael Jesús González, 1969. From Mark In Time published by Glide Press.

    Rafael Jesús González, 1969. From Mark In Time published by Glide Press.

    Nina Serrano, 1969. From Mark In Time published by Glide Press.

    Nina Serrano, 1969. From Mark In Time published by Glide Press.

    Rafael is still the same man who you see in this interview 51 years later, kind, friendly, full of intelligence, laughter, passion, activism, and cosmology that ties him to Mother Earth. While I studied for my Master’s Degree (class of 2002) at the Oakland campus of Naropa University, Rafael was on the Board of Directors trying to keep the University of Creation Spirituality afloat with its art based education and spiritual curriculum.

    Rafael Jesús González, Screen shot from video, 2020.

    Rafael Jesús González, Screen shot from video, 2020.

    Nina Serrano, Screen shot from video, 2020.

    Nina Serrano, Screen shot from video, 2020.

    Our regular KPFA-fm radio program, La Raza Chronicles, has always turned to Rafael for the most advanced and profound thinking on events in the Latinx world. He has always promoted bilingualism demanding that any poem of his read in public or published in print be included in both Spanish and English. He is truly the product of a border town with fluid movement between the two countries and the two cultures, the twin cities: El Paso, Texas, USA and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

    When I visited him in Berkeley I should not have been surprised that his house straddled the Oakland Berkeley border. I cannot remember if the cozy kitchen was in Berkeley and the wood lined living room in Oakland or if it was the reverse. My best memory of his home was the garden, with wild and fragrant plants. I think it is in his garden that his ideas incubate and blossom.

    Universal Earth Justice Peace flag by Rafael Jesús González

    Universal Earth Justice Peace flag by Rafael Jesús González

    In my own home, you can find Rafael’s colorfully designed Universal Earth Justice Peace flag and buttons. I also treasure the earrings he’s made and the little Spanish scrolled sewing scissors and thimble he brought me from Toledo.

    Below you will find the poems presented in the video.

    ¡Despierta EE.UU. América!

    Cuando un jugador de pelota se hinca sobre la hierba
    para protestar por la justicia cuando se toca
    una canción de cantina hecha sagrada, se le denigra
    y despide. Pero cuando la policía ponen la rodilla
    al cuello de sus víctimas o les disparan
    más veces que no se le llama
    "Cumpliendo su deber." ¿No vemos
    porque dormimos o somos ciegos
    como nos gusta representar a la justicia?
    Quitémosle la venda de los ojos para que vea
    que su báscula está fuera de balance,
    que no es daltónica y si lo es
    que lo corrija. En la visión del Tao
    lo negro y lo blanco son equivalentes, uno no más
    de valor que el otro pero su báscula
    se desequilibra a favor de lo blanco, todo matiz de negro
    no contando por mucho. ¿Será porque dormimos?
    Si solamente es que dormimos ¡Despierta EE.UU. América!
    Si es que nos negamos a ver ¡Que nos ayuden los dioses!

    © Rafael Jesús González 2020

    Wake Up U.S. America!

    When a ball player kneels upon the turf
    to protest for justice when a bar-room song
    made sacred is played, he is vilified
    & fired. But when police take their knees
    to the necks of their victims or shoot them
    more often than not it is called
    "In the line of duty." Do we not see
    because we sleep or are we blind
    like we like to portray justice?
    Unbind her eyes that she may see
    that her scales are out of balance,
    that she is not color-blind & if she is
    to correct it. In the vision of the Tao
    black & white are equal, one no more
    of value than the other but her scales
    are weighted to the white, all shades of black
    not counting for much. Is it because we sleep?
    If it is only sleep, Wake up U.S. America!
    If it is that we refuse to see, may the gods help us.

    © Rafael Jesús González 2020

    La luna se enmascara

    Prepárense, un amigo astrólogo nos dice, a que la luna esta noche se enmascare con
    a sombra de la tierra. El primer eclipse lunar del año pronto siguió la conjunción de
    Saturno (padre de dioses, del tiempo, de la generación, disolución, renovación,
    liberación) y Pluto (acumulador de riqueza, rey del inframundo), ocurrencia de una vez
    cada treinta y ocho años.

    En ese momento escribió: Sí, estamos comprometidos. Grandes cambios están sobre
    nosotros. Ha llegado el tiempo para la trasformación . . . Los eclipses son presagio de
    la revelación cuando el contenido de las sombras se hace más visible. Esto anuncia un
    momento de gran cambio donde el mundo se sacude, se sacude para que despierte.
    Tres eclipses seguidos en vez de dos en este ciclo de eclipses, nota. Y despertamos.
    Aislados en nuestras casas por la pandemia, la amenaza de la otra pestilencia del
    fascismo nos saca a muchos de nuestros refugios a riesgo de contagio. ¿Cual es peor?
    Cercado en una gran casa blanca el jefe demagogo plutocrático 45 exige toques de
    queda y amenaza llamar al ejército para aplastar toda protesta. Pero, advierte Naomi,
    “Cuando dicen que no tenemos el derecho a protestar, ese es el momento de inundar
    las calles” Y muchos sabemos que así es. Nuestras vidas están a riesgo y no
    solamente por un virus coronado.

    Venus, la Serpiente Emplumada se prepara a sacrificarse en la fogata del sol para
    surgir de nuevo siete días después como Señor del Amanecer; comienza un ciclo de
    584 días. ¿En 584 días hasta donde llevaremos nuestra revolución, nuestra revolución
    andara?

    © Rafael Jesús González 2020

    The Moon Masks Herself

    Prepare, an astrologer friend tells us, for the moon tonight to mask herself in the
    Earth’s shadow. The first lunar eclipse of the year followed fast upon the conjunction of
    Saturn (father of gods, of time, of generation, dissolution, renewal, liberation) and Pluto
    (hoarder of wealth, king of the underworld), a once every thirty-eight years occurrence.
    At that time he wrote: Yes, we’re in for it. Great changes are upon us. The time for
    transformation has arrived. . . Eclipses are harbingers of exposure, when shadow
    contents become more visible. This heralds a time of great change, where our world is
    shaken up, shaken in order to awaken.

    Three eclipses in a row rather than two in this eclipse cycle, he notes. And we awaken.
    Sequestered in our houses by the pandemic, the threat of the other pestilence of
    fascism draws many of us from our shelters at the risk of contagion. Which is the worst?
    Fenced in a big white house, chief plutocratic demagogue 45 demands curfews and
    threatens to call the army to squelch all protest. But, says Naomi, “When they say we
    don’t have the right to protest, that is the moment to flood the streets.” And many
    of us know it to be so. Our lives are at stake and not only from a crowned virus.

    Venus, the Plumed Serpent prepares to immolate himself in the bonfire of the sun to
    rise again seven days later as Lord of the Dawn; a 584-day cycle begins. How far in 584
    days will we take our revolution, our healing revolution?

    © Rafael Jesús González 2020

    The post Black Lives Matter in the Revolution of the Heart appeared first on .

    This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.

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