MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council on Friday unanimously advanced a proposal to change the city charter to allow the police department to be dismantled, following widespread criticism of law enforcement over the killing of George Floyd. The 12-0 vote is just the first step in a process that faces...
Opinion: Black Workers’ Jobs Matter, and GOP Wants to Cut Them
By Hayley Brown and Dean Baker The wave of protests after the police killing of George Floyd has prompted a re-examination of racism in all areas of American society. In many cases, policies that may initially seem unconnected to race are major contributors to racial disparities. Current Republican efforts to force major cuts...
In Minneapolis, Talk of Changing PD Means Taking on Union
MINNEAPOLIS — The fiery leader of Minneapolis' police union has built a reputation of defying the city, long before he offered the union's full support to the officers charged in George Floyd's death. When the mayor banned “warrior training” for officers last year, Lt. Bob Kroll said the union would...
While Confederate Statues Come Down, Other Symbols Targeted
RALEIGH, N.C. — Spectators in North Carolina's capital cheered Sunday morning as work crews finished the job started by protesters Friday night and removed a Confederate statue from the top of a 75-foot monument. Across the country, an initially peaceful protest in Portland, Oregon, against racial injustice turned violent early...
Legal Hurdle to Removing Confederate Statues in Virginia: Wishes of Their Long-Dead White Donors
A controversial statue of Robert E. Lee will remain in place in Richmond, the former capital of the American Confederacy –- at least temporarily. On June 18, a judge extended an injunction barring the removal of the Confederate general’s statue, stating that “the monument is the property of the people,”...
Why I (Almost) Put a BLM Bumper Sticker on My Car Even Though I Don’t Agree with the BLM Movement as a Whole
I was one of those people who said “Well of course black lives matter, but….” The problems I had (and still have) with several of the more radical organizations under the Black Lives Manner banner are substantial, and I think there are many parts of the movement that have destructive...
Here Are Systemic Actions CSU Plans in Promoting Social Justice and Addressing Racial Injustices
In the wake of the heartless killing of George Floyd, and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exact a devastating and disproportionate toll on communities of color, never before have I sensed a feeling of helplessness so profound, held by so many. Outrage is justified and protest imperative, but nothing...
Tulsa Mayor Implements Curfew Around Site of Trump Rally
TULSA, Okla. — The mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has declared a civil emergency and set a curfew for the area around the site where President Donald Trump plans to hold a campaign rally this weekend. In his executive order establishing a curfew around the BOK Center from 10 p.m. to...
Fresno Juneteenth Rally Is Tonight at Cultural Arts District Park
Juneteenth has added meaning this year amid Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Despite restrictions on social gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Juneteenth will be celebrated starting at 6 p.m. Friday at the Cultural Arts Park in downtown Fresno....
AP-NORC Poll: Majority of Americans Support Police Protests
NEW YORK — Ahead of the Juneteenth holiday weekend’s demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality, a majority of Americans say they approve of recent protests around the country. Many think they'll bring positive change. And despite the headline-making standoffs between law enforcement and protesters in cities nationwide, the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center...