Black and Brown people are not political pawns. The @NRA doesn't get to use us to prove a point-while repeatedly devaluing Black and Brown lives.— Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) March 6, 2018
View my latest for @Mic.pic.twitter.com/HAuZMCehhC
In the wake of the tragic Parkland shooting, it's become clear that there’s a hypocrisy when we talk about America’s gun violence problem — @MsPackyetti explains for Mic. pic.twitter.com/cQ5jMWgfbP— Mic (@mic) March 6, 2018
If there ever was a phenomenon to be simultaneously amusing and depressing, this is it. It boggles the mind to even contemplate that this unhinged psychopath and common pervert is living in the same house that was at one time occupied by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. The wheels have come off this country. This is going to end very badly, but I think I've already mentioned that. Pay it no mind.You Think?
It should be noted that a request to unmask one of these names only reveals that name to the person making the request, it does NOT make the name public.Calling Colin Powell
And to be clear if Rice did make this request it was only because she was doing her job, and NOT because she was necessarily targeting Donald Trump and his associates.
However considering what we have learned since the election I am pretty upset that she WASN'T targeting Trump and his associates.
For her part Rice says she had nothing to do with the names becoming public:
“I leaked nothing to nobody,” she said.
There is no sugarcoating the fact that Gorsuch is getting a stolen seat. He will be a far-right justice for decades. He’s anti-choice, anti-environmental protection, against regulating money in politics, and hostile to voting rights. But what’s more worrisome to a liberal constitutional scholar like Levinson is what he says Trump and the GOP Senate will do as its followup: seat right-wingers across the federal judiciary. All they need is a simple majority in the Senate to do that—and they have it.With democrats like this who needs republicans?
What good are Democrats if they act just like Republicans? What good are black elected officials if they harm black people?Nothing to see here move along...
#Sayhername #KorrynGaines— Wisdom (@syasak11) August 2, 2016
KING: Cynicism over mom slain by cops illustrates white privilege - NY Daily News https://t.co/p8aMRxInYK
Girlfriend of Philando Castile Speaks Out About His Fatal Police Encounter: ‘They Are Here to Kill Us’ https://t.co/GRd3A8dri4— chaz (@chaz1944) July 30, 2016
Fact.— Crystal Johnson (@Crystal1Johnson) August 2, 2016
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." ~ MLK pic.twitter.com/oKIT9P8LJA
Prince, despite seeming racially and sexually ambiguous, was always very clear and political in his love for black lives. He released the tribute song “S.S.T.” in September 2005 to raise funds for Hurricane Katrina victims. It went to No. 1 on the then-fledgling iTunes charts. Most recently, Prince was active both publicly and privately in the Black Lives Matter movement. He worked with the Rev. Al Sharpton, donated money to Trayvon Martin’s family and legal fund, and threw a concert in Baltimore whose proceeds went to youth groups. He also wrote and performed the song “Baltimore,” decrying the police violence and systematic racism in the city. And finally, to make it a Black Lives Matter trifecta, he said this at the Grammys: “Like books and black lives, albums still matter.”
@deray Fuck you deray, YOU & Nettaa & the rest of your terrorist started this, now you're there to finish what you started, scumbags @FBI
— Penthousesidebar2 (@lexiechey) November 11, 2015
Over the past several years black students at Mizzou were repeatedly called racist names to their faces, the grounds of the school's Black Culture Center were covered with cotton balls, the center was the target of arson threats, a black professor was spat at and called names by a white man flying a confederate flag from his truck, and a dormitory wall was decorated with feces in the shape of a swastika.What it feels like to be black at Mizzou
“If we aren’t scoring touchdowns, the university does not care about us,” said Jorden Giger, a first-year graduate student at Mizzou who stayed home from classes Wednesday. “We are either despised or tokenized and treated as property.”
Whites love black folk on campus if they're scoring TDs/3-pointers. But if they insist #blacklivesmatter on more than gameday all bets r off
— Tim Wise (@timjacobwise) November 10, 2015
Our technology has improved and our haircuts have changed, but racism is as ugly as ever in modern America. While our black president nears the end of his second term, we’re wrong to think his election was even a small hint at racial progress. More than 65 million people voted for President Obama in 2012, but we’re fooling ourselves if we think casual racists or white supremacists were in that number.It's the white, male dominated media.
In many communities that historically have been marginalized and unfairly portrayed by the media, there’s good reason why people do not trust journalists. There’s a tendency in news media to criminalize black people’s pain and resistance to racial oppression. We saw it in coverage of Ferguson and Baltimore, when news stations provided more coverage of broken windows in their communities than of black pain.
The unfair portrayal of black people in the news media is well documented. In one study analyzing news coverage by 26 local television stations, black people were rarely portrayed unless they had committed a crime. A 2015 University of Houstonstudy found that this imbalanced coverage may lead viewers to develop racial bias against black people because it often over-represents them in crime rates.
Judge revokes bond for Hunter Park. He will remain jailed in Boone County. https://t.co/fEbShbXdE5 pic.twitter.com/zfwCTPJ1CN
— KSDK NewsChannel 5 (@ksdknews) November 11, 2015
KKK Chased Off, Find Safety In A Garage Before Cops Escort Them Out http://t.co/hJ3vd8ZLGl #ColumbiaSC pic.twitter.com/ucLjCnhjfa
— Jade Helm Commander (@Anomaly100) July 18, 2015
not an uncommon example of humanity in SC: Leroy Smith helps white supremacist to shelter & water as heat bears down. pic.twitter.com/GoF23r3mRe
— Rob Godfrey (@RobGodfrey) July 18, 2015
Justice Department report criticizes militarized response to #Ferguson protests: http://t.co/lBNvbs3ojx Hope it sparks national improvements
— Brian Kaylor (@BrianKaylor) July 6, 2015
25 Summer Shows Feat Black Artists, now open Baltimore protest photog @byDVNLLN @ LewisMuseum http://t.co/VcImeiasj6 pic.twitter.com/YSN0SHA0bC
— Culture Type (@CultureType) July 11, 2015
If ever a photo should exist to explain how we feel every day, from the moment we arise til we fall asleep. pic.twitter.com/m9hdWJ6TrU
— Clark Kent (@RevrendDoctor) April 26, 2015
The Story Of The Tulsa Race Riots Will Disgust You Posted by Cenk Uygur on Friday, May 1, 2015
 |
| The Freedom Riders Then and Now |
Today, a large part of the population remains willfully racist, [TEA PARTY] and by extension, a great number of people have also become unconsciously so, buying implicitly into stereotypes about Black Americans as dependent and lazy [MITT ROMNEY]; and thus determined to stop social programs [CRUZ] and limit the federal government’s influence [PAUL] — even if it is not to their own benefit. In a sense, much of the middle class population has been HOODWINKED into voting for the interests of the top one percent GOP because of their own unconscious prejudices.FBI warning of of white supremacist infiltrating law enforcement nearly forgotten. EYE wonder why? Snark
In near prophetic fashion, after the FBI’s warning, white supremacy extremism in the U.S. increased, exponentially. From 2008 to 2014, the number of white supremacist groups, reportedly, grew from 149 to nearly a thousand, with no apparent abatement in their infiltration of law enforcement.From the files of SWB (Shopping While Black) in Sweet Home Alabama.
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Claudia Jordan recently had a run-in with a mall security guard in Opelika, Ala., and is claiming she was racially profiled. On Friday, Jordan was in Opelika to see Ginuwine perform, but both Jordan and Ginuwine were thrown out of the Auburn Mall because she wouldn’t remove her sunglasses, she says.Meanwhile, there is some Strange Fruit in Georgia.
I don't know about the rest of you, but when I hear stories like the recent one about Roosevelt Champion, I get a little nervous.Adventures in double standards #Baltimore edition, Because black folks.....
"A black man who'd recently been questioned in connection with the death of a white woman was found dead hanging from a tree Monday morning in rural Greensboro, Georgia, police said. Local and state investigators said there was nothing to immediately suggest foul play.
Riots led by largely white participants over largely innocuous things (your favorite sports team lost, your favorite sports team won, your favorite event just ended, you're drunk, others are drunk so let's tear sh*t up) are never treated with the racial disdain that the highly uncommon riots that occur in black communities receive.So much for HOPE for CHANGE we can believe in.
There's no condemnation of white Americans as a whole, nor are there any calls for the Caucasian community to restrain itself and seek non-violent means of expressing itself. They're not denigrated as "thugs," accused of being "out of control" or used as fodder for unreconstructed fantasies of putting them back in their rightful place. Even the language becomes different - these are "disturbances," not "riots." They're not "thugs," but "young party goers" and "revelers" who just happen to be "over-exuberant."
The loss and injustice inflicted on Black families by Baltimore's long history of violence, racism and corruption in law enforcement has been devastating. In 2014, all of the people killed by Baltimore police were Black. And over the past five years, the city has paid millions to people injured and paralyzed by police "rough rides."
The charges wouldn't have happened without brave, courageous Black folks in Baltimore and across the country standing up to demand justice for Freddie Gray. Mosby's decision to prosecute is an important step forward on the road towards justice in this case, and it's a testament to the power of everyday people organized in collective action.
"I wanted to clarify my comments on 'thugs.' When you speak out of frustration and anger, one can say things in a way that you don't mean," she wrote. "That night we saw misguided young people who need to be held accountable, but who also need support. And my comments then didn't convey that."Are there applications for the role of sellout on TV, and how much does the job pay? From the files of putting a black face on racist racism:
Many who took issue with Rawlings-Blake's use of "thugs," including some of her fellow city leaders, argued that the word is racially charged. Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes suggested on Tuesday night that instead of calling the protesters "thugs," she may as well have used the n-word.
So, when the State Attorney General, not to be confused with a a judge/jury, declares the Duke Lacross Rape Case a miscarriage of justice that's good, but when State Attorney Marilyn Mosby files charges against the 6 police officers who chased down and arrested Freddie Gray for nothing, broke his neck, severed his spine and refused to offer medical aide that's a rush to judgement?
How can undercover cops destroy a protest movement? In an entry on agent provocateurs, Wikipedia explains that options for these cops include: causing drama to sow discord, inciting protesters to acts that are violent and/or not legal (though framing them or setting them up works just as well), and publicly sharing information in a way that makes a protest movement look less credible.
 |
Fox News recently brought in celebrated TV therapist, Dr. Phil, to educate their staff on the inequalities between black and white kids in America. Now, with riots in Baltimore spreading throughout the country, Brian Kilmeade seemed befuddled, essentially whining, 'why do these people keep making problems for America?'
" For being so dangerous to the public, many of the Fox hosts seem clueless. I suppose that's why they are so dangerous."There is nothing more dangerous than ignorance in action..
It's being argued that she should recuse herself, in part because of her ties to the Gray family's lawyer:
Her electoral victory in the Democratic primary, over former state's attorney Gregg Bernstein, was a surprise to many. After the victory, she set up a transition committee that included Baltimore attorney William H. "Billy" Murphy, who is representing Gray's family. Murphy was among Mosby's largest campaign contributors last year, according to The Baltimore Sun. He donated $5,000 to her campaign.However:
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) also donated to her campaign, the Sun reported.Right-wingers nationwide are echoing this. That's rich, because when you talk about any campaign finance reform in this country, right-wingers howl about money being free speech and accuse you of hating the Constitution. Also, I know of no right-wingers who thought Staten Island DA Dan Donovan should have recused himself in the Eric Garner chokehold case, even though he's been endorsed by New York police unions, including Patrick Lynch's Patrolemen's Benevolent Association. (Donovan, of course, did not obtain an indictment in the Garner case, and is now running in a special congressional election, which he's expected to win this coming Tuesday.)
 |
| We Are Not Thugs |
Little more than four months before pivotal congressional elections, President Obama on Friday defended his economic policies and berated congressional Republicans for blocking many of his initiatives.
"They don't do anything," Obama told supporters gathered at a band shell near a Minneapolis lake. "Except block me, and call me names."
 |
| Meet Toya Graham "The Baltimore Mother of the Year" praised for beating her child like a slave on national TV |
"He gave me eye contact. And at that point, you know, not even thinking about cameras or anything like that. That's my only son and at the end of the day I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray," Toya Graham said, referencing the 25-year-old man who died after mysteriously sustaining severe spinal injuries in police custody earlier in the month. His death has sparked protests throughout the city, with tensions boiling over Monday.What cannot be ignored is Toya Graham's statement about locking eyes with her son then losing it: “He gave me eye contact...And at that point, you know, not even thinking about cameras or anything like that.” That's why Freddie Graham was killed. The police lost it after Freddi Gray made eye contact with the Baltimore Police remember?
Remember the reason Gray was pursued in the first place? According to Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez, “A lieutenant begins pursuing Mr. Gray after making eye contact with two individuals, one of which is Mr. Gray.” After making eye contact….So if Toya Graham is the #BlackMotherofTheYear, what is Adrian Peterson? Remember him? Remember how the media and the #NFL reacted to him 'disciplining" his son? Remember his reasoning was that it was done to him and he was trying to teach his son respect for authority?
Probable cause from a Baltimore police officer has always been a tenuous thing. It’s a tenuous thing anywhere, but in Baltimore, in these high crime, heavily policed areas, it was even worse. When I came on, there were jokes about, “You know what probable cause is on Edmondson Avenue? You roll by in your radio car and the guy looks at you for two seconds too long.” Probable cause was whatever you thought you could safely lie about when you got into district court.
It’s incredibly easy to offer simplistic solutions like “I wish more parents were like the Mom in Yellow”. The complex issues that affect the African American community aren’t so easily answered. Those issues will continue to plague Baltimore and America forever. No amount of “beating them before the cops do” is going to change the color of black people’s skin.Freddie Grays mother is the Black Mother of the year.
There is nothing wrong with families framing their struggle solely in terms of their child who was killed; similarly, there is nothing wrong with the community framing their uprising within the context of police murder after police murder with nothing but an increasingly armed and hostile police force killing more young black men on the horizon...But let's talk about random acts of vandalism, not to be confused with rioting, so we won't have to talk about this right here.
Erica Garner, 24, the daughter of Eric Garner, who died in New York police custody, attended Gray’s funeral. She said she came after seeing video of Gray’s arrest, which she said reminded her of her father’s shouts that he could not breathe when he was being arrested on a city street.
“It’s like there is no accountability, no justice,” she said. “It’s like we’re back in the ’50s, back in the Martin Luther King days. When is our day to be free going to come?”
Gray’s death has prompted near-daily demonstrations. He was arrested one week before he died when officers chased him through a West Baltimore neighborhood and dragged him into a police van.
Police said Gray was arrested after he made eye contact with officers and ran away. Officers held him down, handcuffed him and loaded him into the van. While inside, he became irate and leg cuffs were put on him, police have said.
Gray asked for medical help several times, beginning before he was placed in the van. After a 30-minute ride that included three stops, paramedics were called.
Authorities have not explained how or when Gray’s spine was injured.#Baltimore
As I watch us losing our humanity daily, I am disappointed in my country. We are allowing extremists to set the agenda. The lunatics aren’t running the asylum; they have scaled the walls, busted down the doors, crawled out of the windows, and they are among us. Cindy RoseRedEye