Educators march on Georgia’s state capitol to say, ‘Kids’ Lives Matter’

Black Lives Matter, but so do kids’.

This is precisely why a group of educators is pushing to “dismantle systemic racism” in Georgia schools.

Last Friday, teachers of all kinds gathered to march on the golden dome of Georgia State’s capitol. Their demands seem simple; to ask the legislature to focus more resources on underserved children throughout the state.

READ MORE: Black Lives Matter protests have not caused increase in COVID-19 cases: research

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Brittany O’Neal, a first-grade teacher, said that she thought of the “Kids’ Lives Matter” protest about two or three weeks ago. She then posted her idea on social media to gauge support for her brainchild.

There were many who were also concerned about students of color and leaped at the opportunity to organize real solutions to change how the education system is structured.

Claudine Miles, a former Atlanta charter school administrator turned educational consultant, worked with her to form a group called Civic Georgia and developed the concept of the Educators for Black Lives march.

Adobe Stock

 

Despite the legislative session in Georgia ending and it being too late for elected officials to review their proposal, they did submit a list to be considered in the future.

The following are a list of demands from the Educators for Black Lives:

• End “zero tolerance” discipline, and implement restorative justice.
• Actively hire more Black teachers.
• Mandate Black History and Ethnic Studies in K-12 curriculum with a social justice lens.
• Fund more school counselors.
• Invest in Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum & Training.
• Redesign the school funding formula and while including stakeholder input (participatory budget).
• Design well-rounded assessments instead of high-stakes testing.
• Fund wrap-around service to support community needs (ie. food banks).

Students in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

The advocates hope to bring awareness of the issues outside of the General Assembly. They hope their message will convey from the school boards to Congress, The AJC reported.

“We really believe there is power here to start a movement,” Miles said.

The group is getting backed by other civil rights organizations, including Atlanta Coalition for Educational Equity, the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda, and the NAACP.

Attorney Gerald Griggs, a leader of the Atlanta NAACP, marched alongside protesters. 

“The country is awakening to the issues of systemic racism,” he said.

READ MORE: Black Lives Matter network establishes $12M grant fund

Griggs is best known for representing one of the educators during the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal, which involved teachers and principals in the Atlanta Public Schools district who allegedly cheated on state-administered standardized tests in 2009 and subsequently went on trial between 2014 and 2015.

The two-hour-long march started at 3 p.m. at the south of downtown of Rosa L. Burney Park on Windsor Street. They made stops outside the city jail, the headquarters for Atlanta Public Schools, the Georgia Department of Education, and Atlanta City Hall before they arrived at the Liberty Plaza across the street from the Georgia State Capitol.

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An open letter on racism in philanthropy and the trials of a Black founder

In 2018, feeling frustrated about racism in philanthropy, I wrote a version of this letter to a philanthropist and decided not to send it. I did some revisions and decided to share it because I want my testimony on the record. I want founders of color to know they are not alone. If funders find points of reflection in this, then that is a good thing too.

Dear “Jane,”

For all that I learned from The Huxtables, the 1980s sitcom family, what I never saw was how this Black family dealt with pain. I know that they didn’t arrive without struggle. Nor did they live absent of pain. I also wonder if they, in part, were the example of Black excellence because they didn’t talk about their pain.

“If you’re silent about your pain, they will kill you and say that you enjoyed it.” — Zora Neale Hurston

This thought leads to self-reflection. Am I leading Camelback Ventures because like my baseball hero, Jackie Robinson, I may not be the best, but I am good enough, and able to endure the pain of turning the other cheek? If the answer is yes, then I need to take my seat at the table on different terms.

READ MORE: Do Black lives matter enough for you to hire them for leadership positions?

 

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In #NewOrleans for #Collision or #GiveNOLA? Come through and get with Camelback founder/CEO Aaron Walker at one of our fave neighborhood spots, @pulpngrindnola (local & Black & woman-owned!) or visit link in our bio for more ways you can support the #camelbackfam today! #supportblackbusiness #supportsmallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #startup #diversity #ruthlessforgood #nolaentreprenuer #followyournola

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Silence cannot be a condition of my participation. I cannot make you do anything, but this is an invitation for us to build something different, and perhaps better, than what we have now.

You may be wondering: what pain? You receive a six-figure salary; you have a $3 million budget; you’ve been written about in the NYT, and are asked to speak at conferences worldwide. All true. And yet, …

I work to impress, and also impress upon you, why I am deserving and why Black lives are so important. We meet. And then meet again. It can go on like this for years. I highlight my strengths with data and stories. I turn my weaknesses into lessons learned.

I frame the work so you understand. And then (re)frame again when you do not. I blame myself because I haven’t figured out your language.

Then the wait begins. And waiting is the worse part. I feel unsure of myself. My mind fills in the space.

Do I need to be more like the white people you fund? I don’t believe you would never admit this because what kind of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) warrior would you be if it were true.

I tell myself this story that if I was someone else you would not be equivocating. But I don’t believe that either. In those moments when I “think big,” you’ve told me enough to my face, that I can imagine you say it more behind my back, that I need to scale down my ambitions.

While I wait, I fight my instincts. My favorite sport is baseball. It is the place where I cultivated my quiet confidence. All those times on the pitcher’s mound when I struck a motherf*cker out and then just turned my back on him while he walked back to the dugout.

But this is not baseball, I cannot just turn my back. So, I send an email update with our accomplishments. I forward you a newsletter with Instagram-worthy photos hoping that the joy in Black faces inspires you.

The process is like waiting for the bus that never comes. I cannot stand the thought of walking away, even if that is the rational choice. Maybe what I am trying to avoid is the regret of feeling that you don’t believe in me (or your stated anti-racism).

As the wait continues, I dream of a moment like that in Tara Westover’s memoir, “Educated.” Tara, a student at BYU, needs more money than her job provides. When she receives financial aid she, “began to experience the most powerful advantage of money: the ability to think about things besides money.”

I crave that feeling. To have thoughts make sense. To look at our fellows and staff and be present.

“Sometimes I think pain is just a lack of understanding.” — J. Cole

This whole process leaves me feeling powerless. I wonder if I feel powerless, do you feel powerful? And if you do, does it feel good? It doesn’t feel like a partnership at all. Maybe it does to you. Maybe I don’t understand what is really going on here.

(Photo: Adobe)

Oscar Wilde once said everything in life is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power. I might also add that food and alcohol can be about power too. I’ve engaged in all three to feel powerful. To experience something that I can have control over. It sounds silly to say that I feel power over a sandwich or a drink, but it feels safer to riot over my own body, than to riot in the public. Here there is no one to police my behaviors.

READ MORE: Companies touting Black Lives Matter face workforce scrutiny

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” — FDR

The idea of you reading this is scary. I believe that as long as I don’t lose (or win) the way you want me to, I will be punished. But I also know that “from the right angle a Black boy pulling himself up looks like suicide.” I’ve killed parts of myself to get here. That is punishment enough.

This is not intended as an act of defiance or self-immolation. It is about rescuing parts of myself. It is a pronouncement that while there is some fear of what I will find on this self-rescue mission, the thing I value more is me. Not whether you recognize or like that person or approve of my choices.

For a while, my favorite album was Solange’s A Seat at The Table. There’s an interlude which says “If you don’t understand my record, you don’t understand me. So, this is not for you.” Exactly. I’m at peace with that now.

What BIPOC entrepreneurs have essentially been saying is “let me breathe!” The oxygen in this world is money. Philanthropy has its knee on many of our organization’s necks — and the question is will you wait “nine minutes” until we’re dead or get up.

---

Aaron Walker is Founder and CEO of Camelback Ventures, an accelerator that identifies, develops, and promotes early-stage underrepresented entrepreneurs with the aim to increase individual and community education, and generational wealth. Aaron is on a journey to live in the spirit of his baseball hero, Jackie Robinson, who said “a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” With this ethos, Aaron taught ninth grade English in West Philadelphia, put together deals for companies large and small as a lawyer, and supported new ideas to improve education as a portfolio director for the NYC Fund for Public Schools. Aaron is humbled to say that he graduated from the University of Virginia and Penn Law School. He also knows that this doesn’t entitle him to anything and is ready to earn his keep.

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Rikers Island jail to discipline 17 staffers for transgender woman’s death

More than one dozen uniformed staff members at the Rikers Island jail complex will face disciplinary action as fallout mounts from the death of a transgender woman at the New York jail.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that 17 employees will be disciplined for their connection to Layleen Polanco‘s death while in custody a year ago, The New York Daily reports.

A corrections captain and three officers have been suspended without pay thus far, and each person will be subject to an internal investigation by the Department of Corrections. The other 13 uniformed employees are expected to be hit with administrative charges of failing to complete watch assignments. The latter group is also accused of inefficient performance and false logbook entries, according to the news outlet.

READ MORE: Transgender woman’s Rikers Island death was preventable, family says citing new footage

Polanco died in June 2019 after suffering an epileptic seizure while in solitary confinement. Rikers staff are required to do wellness checks on prisoners in solitary confinement every 15 minutes. NBC News released video surveillance footage that shows an hour-long gap between checks ins.

“The death of Layleen Polanco was an incredibly painful moment for our city,” de Blasio stated. “What happened to Layleen was absolutely unacceptable and it is critical that there is accountability.”

Polanco family lawyer David Shanies stated that the family is grateful for the actions against the Rikers staff, but hopes the mayor implements future reform that will address such incidents.

READ MORE: Minority corrections officers barred from guarding Derek Chauvin file discrimination claims

“We welcome news of discipline, but until we know the who, what, and how, there is no knowing how meaningful this announcement is,” Shanies said. “If the mayor wants to take meaningful action, he should start by announcing that the City will implement the two dozen reforms urged by the Board of Correction in response to Layleen’s death.”

Cynthia Brann, correction department commissioner, is also committed to the investigations and hopes this is a message to Rikers staff from the top to the bottom.

“We are committed to ensuring that all of our facilities are safe and humane,” Brann stated. “Even one death in our custody is one too many, and this swift and fair determination on internal discipline makes clear that the safety and well-being of people in our custody remains our top priority.”

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Morehouse College to honor athletic scholarships, despite canceling fall sports

Morehouse College has decided to withdraw from competing in collegiate-organized sporting events this fall due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the private historically Black institution announced on its website Friday.

On the bright side, the school plans to leave student-athlete scholarships intact, as announced in a public letter to the Morehouse community issued by President David A. Thomas, who said that health and safety must be prioritized as the school seeks to reopen for in-person learning in coming months.

“I write to inform you that due to the COVID-19 virus, Morehouse College will not participate in intercollegiate athletic competition” and the move “will affect our cross country and football sponsored athletic teams,” Thomas said in the statement. “I want all of our scholar-athletes, parents, and alumni to know that the College will honor all athletic scholarship awards.”

READ MORE: Malcolm Jenkins isn’t sure the NFL should play this season

Morehouse, an all-male school in Atlanta, is believed to be the first college football program to cancel its season as a result of the global health crisis. At least four football games scheduled in the HBCU circuit, including the annual Southern Heritage Classic that pits Jackson State University against Tennessee State University, have been canceled thus far, ESPN reports.

The status of winter and spring Morehouse sports teams are unknown at this time. The Maroon Tigers compete in Division II of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

“Like all of the decisions we’ve made related to COVID-19, this was a difficult one but was made with the health and well-being of our students and community in mind,” Thomas said. “It follows my intention to maintain a safe campus in hopes that our students will be able to return in August.”

Thomas is also concerned about the risks that come with team travel.

READ MORE: Morehouse School of Medicine learns about $40 million grant from TV briefing

“Sporting events also invite individuals to our campus who will not be subject to the testing and monitoring that we plan to implement for our students, faculty, and staff,” he wrote.

According to the school’s website, COVID-19 forced Morehouse to complete the spring semester exclusively online beginning in late March. The formal commencement for spring graduates was pushed back to December as social distancing orders prevented large gatherings.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama addressed all HBCU spring graduates via a virtual speech on May 16. He spoke of the challenges they face amid coronavirus.

“These aren’t normal times. You’re being asked to find your way in a world during a devastating pandemic,” Obama said. “A disease like this just spotlights the inequalities and extra burdens that Black communities have historically had to deal with in this country.”

Thank you @BarackObama for your support for HBCUs—and for believing in the Class of 2020 as they set out to change the world. #ShowMeYourWalk pic.twitter.com/dqgqvbmksS

— UNCF (@UNCF) May 16, 2020

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ICYMI: Dog goggles and a plant audience

Some of the stories you may have missed this week.

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Trump executive order relaxes hiring standards for federal jobs

On Friday, June 26, President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to make federal jobs more attainable by placing more emphasis on skillset and less on education achievement of a job candidate in the hiring process.

As reported by The New York Post, the order was created and signed as an effort to make a more even playing field for those seeking federal employment. More than two-thirds of American adults do not have a college degree. Therefore, this merit-based approach would provide job seekers with adequate ability but without a degree access to more opportunities.

READ MORE: Federal judge orders Trump to release migrant children due to COVID-19 

“The federal government will no longer be narrowly focused on where you went to school, but the skills and the talents that you bring to the job,” the president said during the signing ceremony at the White House.

According to the order, federal agencies will convert from a college-degree based hiring method to more of a merit-based hiring method. The former method “excludes capable candidates and undermines labor-market efficiencies,” the order says.

The federal government is the nation’s largest employer with about 2.1 million civilian workers.

The signing coincided with a meeting the President had with the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board. His daughter and senior advisor Ivanka Trump is the policy co-chair, and according to the president, was the leading force behind the order.

Ivanka stated that she would like to see private sector employers adopt a similar hiring policy as well.

READ MORE: Trump administration extends visa ban to non-immigrants

“This will allow us to better recognize the talents and competencies of all Americans we hire,” Ivanka stated.

Applicants with college degrees will still be eligible to apply and receive said federal jobs, but it will no longer be a requirement for some job openings. The acting chief of the Office of Personnel Management, Michael Regas, said he is on board with the new standards because the old ways were “limiting opportunity for those with diverse job backgrounds.”

“Those without a degree are at a major disadvantage in the federal hiring process. While education credentials are critical in many lines of work, such as the medical and legal field, this is far less clear in other areas,” stated Regas, who oversees all hiring for federal jobs.

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First vaccinations begin in Africa for COVID-19 trial

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Africa’s first participation in a COVID-19 vaccine trial started Wednesday as nervous volunteers received injections, while officials said the continent of 1.3 billion people cannot be left behind.

The large-scale trial of the vaccine developed at the University of Oxford in Britain is being conducted in South Africa, Britain and Brazil. South Africa has nearly one-third of Africa’s confirmed cases with more than 106,000, including more than 2,100 deaths. The country late Tuesday reported its biggest one-day death toll of 111.

“I feel a little bit scared but I want to know what is going on with this vaccine so that I can tell my friends and others what is going on with the study,” one of the vaccine trial volunteers, Junior Mhlongo, said in Johannesburg.

The African continent now has nearly 325,000 cases as countries loosen restrictions under economic pressure from citizens who say they have to feed their families. Shortages of testing materials and medical supplies remain a problem as Africa could become the world’s next hot spot.

READ MORE: ‘Africans are not lab rats’ trends after French doctors’ vaccine comments

The pandemic was delayed in Africa “but is picking up speed very quickly,” the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief John Nkengasong said Wednesday, with a steep increase in the number of cases and deaths.

Vaccine volunteers are seated, at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg Wednesday, June 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Siphiwe Sibeko)

“Unless we act now, Africa is at risk of being left behind on the global vaccine,” he warned a continental discussion and urged that local manufacturing and scientific expertise play a key role.

Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa all have highly developed clinical trial capabilities, said Salim Abdool Karim, chair of South Africa’s ministerial advisory committee for COVID-19.

Many other sub-Saharan African countries also have clinical trial capacity, said Daniel Bausch, director of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team.

“We’re not only needing but capable of participating” as the world races for a vaccine, South Africa’s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.

A medical staff member prepares a syringe, at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg Wednesday, June 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Siphiwe Sibeko)

African leaders have been outspoken about the continent being elbowed out in the intense global competition for medical supplies in this pandemic, as well as what the World Health Organization’s Africa chief, Matshidiso Moeti, called the “distortion of the global market for key items.”

READ MORE: Ghana’s Minister of Tourism to Black Americans: Come home to Africa

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged that the initial supply of any COVID-19 vaccine be deployed where it’s most needed, rather than based on the “ability to pay.”

Tedros also announced that as of this week, all 54 of Africa’s countries now have the lab capacity to test for the coronavirus.

In February, just two African nations could test for the virus. The continent’s first virus case was reported on Feb. 14.

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Puma Honors Former NBA Player God Shammgod and His Legendary ‘Shammgod’ Crossover With Signature Sneaker

More than 20 years after God Shammgod created an iconic ankle-breaking crossover, the former NBA player-turned-coach now has his own custom sneaker.

The 44-year-old former point guard is best known for creating the widely-used “Shammgod” crossover during the 1997 NCAA Tournament. The move gained instant notoriety and is still used today by NBA players such as Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, and Dirk Nowitzki. Shammgod also personally taught his signature move to NBA legend Kobe Bryant who also thanked the New York native for teaching him how to dribble.

“It all started with Kobe Bryant, for me. Kobe was the first kid I ever worked out in my life — I was 17 he was 16. That’s how we became so close, he always said I taught him how to dribble,” Shammgod told MavMoneyBall.com.

In addition to his crossover and crafty dribbling skills, Shammgod is recognized as a high school legend at New York’s La Salle Academy, where he was a teammate of future NBA player Ron Artest. Shammgod also played in the 1995 McDonald’s All-American game alongside future NBA players Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, and Stephon Marbury. He played two years of college basketball at Providence before being drafted to the NBA in 1997. After playing for the Washington Wizards during the 1997–98 season he then went overseas. Although he only played in the NBA for a year, he managed to establish a legacy as one of the greatest dribblers in the history of the game.

 

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@godshammgod12 unboxes the Legacy Shammgod. Available now.

A post shared by PUMA Basketball (@pumahoops) on Jun 16, 2020 at 6:45am PDT

To pay homage to Shammgod’s contributions to basketball, Puma released “The Legacy Shammgod” sneaker earlier this month. The shoe, which retails for $100, was designed with extra ankle support in the colors of black, white, and red in honor of his high school.

“I’m honored that a company like Puma would do something like this for me,” Shammgod told Mavs.com. “It means a lot to me and it means a lot to my supporters and the young kids that look up to me as far as basketball is concerned. It’s a dream come true.”

The sneaker also features his initials, “GS,” on the tongue as well as instructions on how to perform the “Shammgod” dribble on the sole.

“Inside the shoe, on the sole, it has a tutorial on how to do the (crossover) move, because everywhere I go everybody wants to ask me, ‘Hey, can you show me the move?’” he explained. “If you look at my shoe, I put the concrete lining on the bottom of the shoe because I’m from New York City and we call that ‘The Concrete Jungle.’ He added, “Everything on my shoe means something significant.”

The Legacy Shammgod sneaker is a project that was about two years in the making, thanks, in part, to hip- hop billionaire Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, who works as a creative director for Puma’s basketball division.

“Jay-Z’s best friend, Emory Jones, does consultant work with PUMA, and he came to me and asked me if I would be interested in consulting with PUMA,” Shammgod said. “They had called Jay-Z and they just said: “Hey, I think you should do a deal with Shammgod?’ I guess they believed in what I was saying.”

 

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Legacy Shammgod……. June 15th in @puma stores or online. @pumahoops @puma #CrossOvaToGod #HarlemWeDidIt

A post shared by God Shammgod (@godshammgod12) on Jun 8, 2020 at 5:27pm PDT

In conjunction with the sneaker’s release, Shammgod teamed up with the Share for Life Foundation to donate facial masks to a public housing complex in Harlem, New York, near where he went to middle school.

“I’ve partnered up with Share For Life, a nonprofit organization founded in New York that does after school programs, gives out food to the homeless, they work for disadvantaged communities in the city,” he told MavsMoneyBall.com. “With the shoe, I’m donating over 2,000 masks to Grant Houses housing project in Harlem, a place where I went to school right up the block. This housing project has the leading rates of COVID-19 deaths in the city. We’re also working on a food program for the Marcy Houses housing projects. It’s always been about the community, especially now. It’s not just about a sneaker, it’s about the culture.”

Share For Life founder Janine Saulsbury says that Shammgod’s role has been pivotal for the nonprofit.

“He’s an ambassador for us in that he helps to bring awareness to the organization and provide services and donations and sponsorship support, so he’s really important to us,” she told Mavs.com. “Shamm is very passionate about the services that we provide to young people with the coronavirus, and also the unrest in the country.” She added, “there’s almost 500,000 residents that live in the New York City Housing Authority, and most of them live below the poverty level. So that’s one of the reasons why Shamm wanted to get involved.”

 

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Come to @puma where you create your own legacy. Legacy Shammgod collection coming soon. Which ones should be next? #CrossOvaToGod #LegacyShammgod #PumaHoops #Puma

A post shared by God Shammgod (@godshammgod12) on Jun 20, 2020 at 1:28pm PDT

Today, Shammgod is keeping his legacy alive as the player developmental coach for the Dallas Mavericks, with emphasis on ball-handling and defense. Although he initially aspired to have a longstanding career in the NBA, he says getting a sneaker named after him surpassed even his wildest dreams.

“It’s something that I just thought would never happen—even if I had played 20 years in the NBA. So, for it to happen now is a testament of the PUMA company being aware of the culture and it’s a testament to all of the hard work that I put in and just keeping my faith in God and knowing His plan is better than my plan. Everything is becoming clearer, and God is giving me a sense of purpose as far as reaching young kids and helping young kids develop as people and as athletes.”

 

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Former Florida Police Officer Arrested After Video Reveals Him Placing Knee on Pregnant Black Woman’s Neck and Using Taser

A former Florida police officer has been charged with battery and misconduct after a video surfaced showing him putting his knee on a Black woman’s neck. The former officer had also used a stun gun on her outside a strip club in January it was announced by a Florida state attorney earlier this week according to NBC News.

The former police officer, who also lied on the police report he filed, is 30-year-old Jordy Yanes Martel and he turned himself into the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Miami office late last week. He is facing two counts of official misconduct and four counts of battery.

Martel, 30, turned himself in on Thursday and was held in lieu of $6,000 bail. Despite arrest documents released in the case, the South Florida Police Benevolent Association stated that “We are without the usual information provided regarding the arrest.”

A video of the incident, which was filmed by a bystander, showed Martel dragging the victim, Safiya Satchell, 33, out of her car and forcing her down on a grass verge by the roadside. In the video clip, it shows Martel stunned the Black woman twice with a Taser, while another officer held Satchell’s arm as she struggled to free herself. She was four months pregnant at the time and later had a miscarriage.

The Miami gardens cop dragged Safiya Satchell out of her car, knelt on her neck and began using a taser on her.
She was pregnant and lost the child.

The cop got the sack.
The violence continues.#AbolishThePolice

(Major CW on that video) pic.twitter.com/AhotoAoHKw

— Anarchist Federation (@AnarchistFed) June 26, 2020

Martel has also been charged with official misconduct after he allegedly filed two reports on Satchell’s arrest containing falsehoods. The former officer also has two complaints pending against him in the police department’s division of internal affairs.

Stachell’s attorney, Jonathan Jordan, said in a statement, “It is long overdue for civilian oversight of our cities’ police departments to ensure our officers are not just serving but protecting our community. If you’re an officer that has broken policy or acted under color of law with a belief that Black Lives don’t Matter, you ought to be looking over your shoulder because the chickens have finally come home to roost.”

“As a result of Martel’s actions, Ms. Satchel suffered abrasions to her stomach from the Tasers, bruises, and abrasions on her arms, and bruises on her legs,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle said on Thursday afternoon. “By filing these criminal charges today against former Miami Gardens officer Jordy Yanes Martel, we are saying that these actions are just plain wrong.”

“I’m here to affirm the chief’s decision to terminate him, because the operative word is ‘former’ Miami Gardens police officer,” Mayor Oliver Gilbert said at a Thursday press conference reported NBC 6 South Florida. “And to let everybody know that some things just aren’t gonna be acceptable.”

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Is It Legal for Cops to Force You to Unlock Your Phone?

Because the relevant Supreme Court precedents predate the smartphone era, the courts are divided on how to apply the Fifth Amendment.

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American Black Film Festival Founders Launch Nonprofit For Social Change And Racial Justice

Hollywood has dealt with issues of diversity and inclusion for many years with campaigns like #OscarSoWhite illuminating the disparities many minorities in the industry face on everything from award nominations to salaries. Now, the founders of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) are coming together to create a new nonprofit to promote social change and racial injustice.

Film Life Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to spearheading diversity, inclusion, and social justice initiatives, is the brainchild of American Black Film Festival founders Jeff and Nicole Friday. One of the first projects the organization will be spearheading is the creation of Social Justice Now Film Festival to push for voter registration and turnout across the country. The event will showcase content focused on confronting racism and bringing awareness to issues that negatively affect people of color in the U.S. The launch comes after the film festival announced it will be hosting a virtual event this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has already come on board as one of the organization’s first major donors. “It is important now more than ever to expand our long-standing partnership with ABFF by supporting Film Life Foundation and its mission to heighten awareness and inspire action in response to social justice issues that disproportionately affect people of color,” said Paul Martin, chief diversity officer, Sony Pictures Entertainment, in a press statement.

“Seeking industry diversity and inclusion has been the core mission of ABFF, which we established to create opportunities for Black artists and to celebrate their success, but the times call for more which is why we decided to launch a nonprofit,” said Film Life Foundation co-founder Nicole Friday in a press statement. “Film Life Foundation will enable us to work with like-minded partners to focus on the broader issue of social justice, joining others in the heavyweight fight against the scourge of racism.”

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Julian Assange Faces New Conspiracy Allegations

Plus: Evil Corp hacking, an anti-encryption bill, and more of the week's top security news.

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The Debate Over Burning Dead Trees to Create Biomass Energy

Critics worry about the risks of overcutting and wood smoke. But supporters say the practice will prevent megafires—which release even more carbon dioxide.

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The 18 Best Weekend Deals: Videogames, Sex Tech, Home Goods, and More

Discovering new ways to be bored while sheltering-in-place? Here are a few things that might help.

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Old Drugs Could Reveal a New Way to Attack the Coronavirus

Researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 hijacks tendrils that grow from infected cells and may ride them to infect others. But existing compounds might slow their roll.

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Virtual Conferences Mean All-Access—Except When They Don't

The end of WWDC marks the end of Big Tech’s conference season. What did this virtual experiment reveal about the meaning of community?

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The Best Podcast and Livestream Gear (2020): Mics, Stands, and More

If you've always wanted to start creating your own content, now is the time. This gear can help you get great audio and video quality from the start.

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Hydroxychloroquine and coronavirus: The story so far

The story of hydroxychloroquine, the anti malarial drug touted by some and dismissed by others.

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Cops involved in death of Elijah McClain put on ‘non-enforcement’ duties

The Colorado cops involved with the death of Elijah McClain have been placed on “non-enforcement” duties. 

Officers Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, and Randy Roedema, have been curbed from physical interaction with the public and assigned to desk duty.

A police spokesperson said part of the reason why the officers will now perform administrative work is for their own safety, according to The Daily Beast. 

The move comes after the Colorado governor directed a special prosecutor to reopen the investigation into McClain’s death, theGrio previously reported. 

READ MORE: After Elijah McClain was killed by police, a petition signed by more than 2M seeks justice

Another beautiful soul killed at the hands of police. #elijahmcclain pic.twitter.com/Nr79q75EL2

— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) June 26, 2020

On Thursday, Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order calling for state Attorney General Phil Weiser to reexamine the disturbing case and possibly prosecute the three white officers involved, TMZ reports. 

Polis was moved to take action after over 2 million signed a petition this week demanding justice for the 23-year-old.

McClain had anemia and wore a mask to protect himself but was deemed “suspicious” after a call was sent to the Colorado police last August. An earlier report published on theGrio noted that he went to a convenience store to buy iced tea for his brother on August 24, 2019. 

He wore an open-face ski mask because he “had anemia and would sometimes get cold,” according to his sister. On the night he was confronted by the three officers, McCain was dancing to music, which prompted the 911 call about a “suspicious” person.

READ MORE: Colorado reopens case of Elijah McClain’s death in police custody

Today I signed an Executive Order designating Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate and, if the facts support prosecution, criminally prosecute any individuals whose actions caused the death of Elijah McClain. 

Executive Order: https://t.co/efmVp0mhGS
Statement below: pic.twitter.com/M5q14GoHPE

— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) June 25, 2020

McClain was stopped by police while walking home. Though unarmed, police claimed “a struggle ensued” and one officer accused McClain of reaching for his gun. He was then placed into a carotid hold, resulting in him losing consciousness for several minutes, according to reports. 

Paramedics arrived on the scene and reportedly found McClain in an agitated state, so they gave him a “therapeutic” amount of ketamine to sedate him. The other officers held him down for 15 minutes as McClain went into cardiac arrest.

He was taken to the hospital and declared brain dead on August 30, 2019, and taken off life support. 

A coroner determined that his death was due to “undetermined causes,” but did not rule out the police chokehold or the ketamine injection as contributing factors. 

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Cops involved in death of Elijah McClain put on ‘non-enforcement’ duties appeared first on TheGrio.

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Kathy Jenkins, ‘KKK Karen’ apologizes for racist rant at BLM protest

A Missouri woman has apologized after a video went viral of her proudly declaring her “KKK belief.” 

The clip shows Kathy Jenkins on the bed of a pickup truck holding a Confederate flag and watching Black Lives Matter demonstrators clash with counter-protesters outside of a Dixie Outfitters store in Branson, Missouri, Complex reports. 

“I will teach my grandkids to hate you all,” she is heard yelling to BLM supporters. 

READ MORE: NCAA expands ban, joins SEC in targeting Confederate flag

Jenkins wasn’t ready for the heat she caught over the video that appeared on Twitter Monday. Once the savvy sleuths of the Twitterverse identified her, Jenkins was changing her tune by Friday. 

A racist woman snarled: ‘I’ll teach my grandkids to hate you all’ at a group of Black Lives Matter protesters – then danced with a Confederate flag. The woman, who is said to be Kathy Bennett, was also filmed saying ‘KKK belief’ at the protest in Branson. SMFH pic.twitter.com/nZIvGRjK1q

— Christopher Ellis (@BiggCeezer) June 26, 2020

In an interview with KOLR10, she apologized for her remarks and claimed she “blacked out” and doesn’t remember initiating Nazi Karen-mode. She also wants her haters to believe that, at the time, she wasn’t aware of the history behind the confederate flag.

“I mean, if it would help for me to stand with Black Lives Matter, I absolutely would do that,” she said.

“I was chanting Black Lives Matter… and that’s not even on video,” Jenkins continued. “It’s like I blacked out. I don’t even remember.” 

She insists she was only on the scene because she was curious about the protests.

“I’ve never been to one,” Jenkins added. “I just wanted to see what the rally was all about.”

Jenkins maintains that she “doesn’t even remember saying half the stuff that I said,” due to the alleged blackout spell she was under. 

“I wasn’t saying I’m KKK or for the KKK. I was mocking them because I don’t like being called a racist.” 

Since the video went viral, Jenkins has reportedly lost her job. 

Below is her full apology statement:

As many of you know I am Kathy. I just wanted to start with saying that I am truly deeply sorry for what I said. This isn’t who I am as a person.

I obviously cannot take back what I said. I can only learn from this. I want to make it clear. I am not teaching my children or grandchildren to hate anyone. No one. Ever.

I’ve always taught them to respect and love anyone no matter the race. I’ve always taught them to treat people with the same respect as they would want to be treated. My words and actions have been a learning experience.

Not only did I learn from this, but I hope this message helps others that they cannot take back what they have said. Again I am so so sorry because that is not who I am.  I would never ever want to see anyone hurt and I don’t care who they are.”

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Kathy Jenkins, ‘KKK Karen’ apologizes for racist rant at BLM protest appeared first on TheGrio.

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