“The slogan ‘Defund the Police’ has been chanted by crowds at rallies across the United States. It has been painted by activists in giant yellow letters on a road leading to the White House. And it has been seized on by President Trump as an argument to voters that his opponents ‘have gone Crazy!’
But what does it actually mean?”
Follow the link above to read more about defunding the police and what that entails.
“On Feb. 26, 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot to death while on his way back to the house he was visiting in a gated community in Sanford, Fla.
A month later, President Barack Obama, making his first public remarks about the case, said, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." A full investigation into what happened was imperative, he said.
George Zimmerman, the man who pulled the trigger, was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. He didn't testify at trial but the defense maintained that he shot Trayvon in self-defense. He had spotted the teen walking while patrolling the area in his own vehicle as a volunteer neighborhood watch leader and, Zimmerman claimed, Trayvon punched him when he got out of his car and banged his head against the sidewalk, causing Zimmerman to fear for his life. There was "something off" about him, Zimmerman had told police, per a recording played in court.
The prosecution argued that Zimmerman saw Trayvon, decided he looked suspicious, followed him for awhile, got out of his car and had the upper hand when he shot him.
On July 13, 2013, Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges.
Appalled by the verdict, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi took action.”
Follow the link above to learn more about the Black Lives Matter founders.
“‘People across the country are ready for a defunding framework,’ says Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter and founder of Reform LA Jails, in a report from TIME. ‘Police should not be in charge of mental health crises, dealing with homelessness... in charge of “supporting” people with drug dependency and addiction. Those are three line items which we can cut out of the police budget and then put that back into health care.’”
Follow the link above to read further about defunding the police and all that entails.
“When I coined the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter in the hot summer of 2012 (later popularized through the activism of Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi after Michael Brown’s death), racial healing, reparations and transformation were heavy on my mind. I had been bearing witness to the possibilities and problems of America for more than 30 years — raised amid the war on drugs, the LGBTQ rights movement, the end of the Cold War, the rise of hip-hop and the fulfillment of the prophecy of the civil rights movement as expressed through Barack Obama’s historic two terms as the country’s first black president.”
Follow the link above to read more!
“To support the ongoing Justice for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter movements, The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia will stream their 2018 production of James Ijames' KILL MOVE PARADISE from today, June 8, 2020, to June 21, 2020, featuring members of the Wilma's HotHouse Company. The play, a New York Times Critics Pick, and winner of the Whiting Award and the Kesselring Prize, is inspired by the ever growing list of slain unarmed Black people in America. 100% of the proceeds from the streaming event will benefit Black Lives Matter Philly.
‘The streaming of this production of KILL MOVE PARADISE is an opportunity for us to use what we do best to raise awareness and money for Black Lives Matter Philly, which is working tirelessly towards transformative justice,’ said playwright and Wilma Co-Artistic Director James Ijames. ‘This play contains a lot of pain, a lot of sorrow, but I hope it also offers my own community a space of healing and hope.’
Directed by Artistic Director Blanka Zizka during the Wilma's 2018-19 season, KILL MOVE PARADISE tells the story of Isa (Lindsay Smiling), Daz (Brandon J. Pierce), Grif (Anthony Martinez-Briggs) and Tiny (Avery Hannon), four black men who find themselves stuck in a cosmic waiting room in the afterlife. The play depicts these men as symbols of life and hope. Gone but never forgotten, KILL MOVE PARADISE illustrates the possibilities of collective transformation and radical acts of joy.
To stream the production, virtual audience members will be asked to make a contribution of any size to Black Lives Matter Philly. Black Lives Matter was created by co-founders Patrisse Kahn-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi, in response to Trayvon Martin's murderer, George Zimmerman, being acquitted for his crime. It gained more traction On August 9, 2014, when Officer Darren Wilson murdered 18 year old Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. That same summer, local Black activists and organizers in St. Louis issued a call for Black organizers, healers, artists, attorneys, and independent media folks to come to Ferguson to demand justice for Mike Brown. On August 28, a Northeast contingency of about 30 activists bused for 20 hours from New York City to Ferguson, Missouri for the Black Life Matters Freedom Ride. Months after the life-changing experience in Ferguson, BLM Northeast held their first of several meetings. Soon after, they began exploring more city-based meetings. In February of 2015, two of the original Ferguson Freedom Riders decided to form Philadelphia's official chapter. Months later in May, BLM Philly held the first local chapter meeting at the St. Paul's Baptist Church. Since then, the chapter has flourished and launched a number of initiatives, including letter campaigns, Black Joy and Healing circles, vigils, and forums.”
Click the link above to read more.
“Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, said defunding the police means reallocating those funds to support people and services in marginalized communities.
Defunding law enforcement ‘means that we are reducing the ability for law enforcement to have resources that harm our communities,’ Cullors said in an interview with WBUR, Boston's public radio station. ‘It's about reinvesting those dollars into black communities, communities that have been deeply divested from.’
Those dollars can be put back into social services for mental health, domestic violence and homelessness, among others. Police are often the first responders to all three, she said.
Those dollars can be used to fund schools, hospitals, housing and food in those communities, too -- ‘all of the things we know increase safety,’ McHarris said.”
CNN published an in-depth article about defunding the police and interviewed Patrisse Cullors for her input. Follow the link above to read more.
“Boy George and Tituss Burgess also are among the many stars who have been added to the virtual event, taking place Saturday, June 13.
Abby McEnany, Lilly Wachowski, Boy George, Black Lives Matter co-founder and political strategist Patrisse Cullors and Tituss Burgess have joined the lineup of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter's second annual Pride Summit and Prom.”
Follow the link above to read more about this fabulous event! The event will be held on Saturday, June 13, at bbthrpridesummit.com.
“As celebrities continue to protest across the nation in hopes of accelerating justice for George Floyd and the entire Black Lives Matter movement, YG participated in the action and had a resounding message for his detractors over the weekend.
‘For anyone out there talking I don't question your advocacy and don't think you should question mine,’ he wrote in an Instagram post Monday (June 8) after protesting in Los Angeles alongside BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, Melina Abdullah of BLM LA and Kendrick Sampson in Hollywood.”
Follow the link above to read the entire Billboard article.
“DDespite the pervasive threat of the coronavirus pandemic, in which the United States has far outpaced other nations in terms of reported cases and deaths, hundreds of thousands of protesters have filled streets with demonstrations against police brutality and unchecked violence against Black Americans. Minneapolis, Atlanta, New York, as well as many small towns across the country, felt the familiar collective response to the string of murders of Black people by police and white vigilantes. This week, all 50 states have held demonstrations. Ahmaud Arbery, Nina Pop, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd, whose final plea of ‘I can’t breathe’ was captured on video, have galvanized the national conscience, echoing an impassioned response six years ago following Eric Garner’s death.
The cycle of death, online outrage, and civic demonstration, without any tangible resolution, is brutal in its familiarity, and especially taxing as much of the population remains under lockdown. But the halt to daily life, in which families and communities separated in order to stay alive, was not enough to pause the cruelty of systemic racism. ‘This moment—both the resistance and what people are resisting to—is a part of a long history in this country,’ Charlene Carruthers, a Black, queer, feminist organizer, explained in a phone interview with Vanity Fair. ‘This moment is reflective of the work that our ancestors did first and we are building on that.’
Carruthers and other activists throughout the country—including Clarissa Brooks, a community organizer in Atlanta; St. Louis native Brittany Packnett Cunningham; Los Angeles–based Patrisse Cullors, a cofounder of Black Lives Matter; and Rachel Cargle, an Ohio–born New Yorker—see their roles in the larger movement for Black lives as inherently building upon uprisings and organizing that came before, while also emphasizing a new generation of influence and energy. Carruthers, who is a founding member of Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100) and served as its national director from 2013 to 2018, says that working alongside activists who were in some cases a decade her junior is a strength because ‘it allows a continuum in the movement.’”
Follow the link above to read the entire article on Vanity Fair.
“In an effort to elevate the voices of Black creators, in the midst of global uprising tied to the deaths of African Americans by excessive police force, we rounded up a list of Black authors with books publishing in 2020. The Black experience in America is not monolithic and narratives — be they fiction or non-fiction — from Black authors often transcend the mainstream, white gaze to reveal the multiplicity of Black lives.
In stories about growing up as a Black queer teen or manifestos for Black feminists, the below list of books is primarily Young Adult and Adult novels. Some are fantasy-focused, others delve into the world of forgotten feminism and anti-racism. But, despite their different genres, one thing is certain: This list is 100% Black.
In addition to reading these books remember to: Support Black creators. Black entrepreneurs. Black authors. Support the Black community as they march for justice. As they protest hatred, racism, and brutality. As they fight for their lives. If you have the ability to, join them on the front lines. Educate yourself about the nation’s true history and white privilege. Find the resources and tools you need to get educated and make systematic change.
And don’t be afraid to have uncomfortable conversations. Don’t be afraid to open your mind and your wallets to support just causes.”
Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma was included in this wonderful round-up. Click the link above to read more!
“A few weeks ago, I started writing an essay about the pandemic gifting me ‘the chance to shield my children just a bit from the terror of living in this world.’
I was so naive.
I’m not a parent who feels their children should know all truths. I was raised by two conservative Trinidadian immigrants and my ability to dodge anything pertaining to sex or violence, is expert, perhaps even genetic. I grew up in Baltimore, in a neighborhood called Northwood, where children rode bikes, played dodgeball and fell over each other on Twister mats in basements. Though my childhood wasn’t perfect, it was filled with lots of carefree days and laughter. I’ve made it my business to shield my two daughters from as much ugly as possible. Protector-in-chief, I am. Don’t mess with my children and we’re cool. So over the years I’ve found lots of ways to convince myself that I’m in control of the media they consume. I have content filters on our Netflix and cable accounts, I’ve set up parental controls on their phones and iPads, I screen all movies before my 13-year-old can watch them, sometimes sneaking off to see a flick before deciding if I should take her on the weekend.”
Follow the link above to read the entire article.
“An open letter written by activist Patrisse Cullors demanding ‘disinvestment from police and investment in Black communities’ has received backing from several celebrities including John Legend, Lizzo, and Common, to name a few.
Cullors, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter and a founding member of the Movement 4 Black Lives, shared the message calling for the decreased funding of police forces and increased investment toward health care, education, and community programs to keep Black people safe.”
Follow the link to read the full article on Atlanta Black Star.
“Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, and James Corden all discussed the Black Lives Matter movement and racism with their guests on Wednesday night, working out ways to pursue justice following George Floyd’s killing.
[…]
Meyers invited Ramy star Ramy Youssef and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Movement Patrisse Cullors for a conversation about racism and police brutality, and the guests ultimately suggested ways to help create change.
‘White people are definitely best at racism,’ Youssef joked. ‘They’re doing it on, like a professional NBA level, but I do think that there are other groups in there where you’re like, oh you guys are playing some Euro League racism. You wish you could be in the NBA. And I really feel like calling that out in our own communities.’
‘So much of our work is about not just black death, but the fight for black life,’ Cullors added. ‘Right now we’re in a moment where the entire country, and I argue the entire world is trying to reevaluate its relationship to black people.’”
Follow the link above to read the full Mediaite article.
“For the past seven years organizers, advocates, and families of victims of police terror have challenged and taken on law enforcement in all facets. We shut down highways and street intersections. We traveled around the world supporting global Black resistance. There isn’t a single place in the world that has been safe for Black life, and the primary purveyor of violence and terror has been law enforcement.
Communities from across the globe are demanding the immediate defunding of police and a reallocation of those dollars to building out an adequate public health care system. As Black folks are dying from COVID-19, city, county, state and federal budgets have prioritized the over-funding of law enforcement while defunding or underfunding critical social services.
Nationwide, the United States spends $100 billion a year on policing and an additional $80 billion on incarceration. As we witness the staggering numbers of COVID-19 patients in this country, as our public health care system is overwhelmed—it makes me wonder how else could we have invested these funds. We need to invest in an infrastructure that values people over profits. In Los Angeles, and in many parts of the world, we are witnessing a rise of houselessness—we should be investing in housing that is accessible across the board. There is growing need for an infrastructure that addresses the needs of people with mental health issues—let’s invest in an infrastructure that doesn’t incarcerate but actually treats people with mental illness with dignity and respect. Let’s invest in infrastructures that are sustainable and don’t plunder the earth or exploit the living organisms in it. And this is just the start. We have to defund the police because law enforcement should not be our first responders to everything. It is an impossible responsibility.”
Follow the link above to read the powerful Vogue article penned by Patrisse Cullors.
“Pan Pacific Park is located in a family-friendly area of Los Angeles, filled with local shops and across the street from Park La Brea known for being home to Angeleno newbies. Right next door to the park is The Grove, an outdoor mall that is adjacent the iconic Original Farmers Market, an L.A. institution that attracts locals and tourists alike. The area is fairly lively on a regular basis, but on May 30, 2020, the park served as a location that was part of a bigger movement for the protection of Black lives.
As the nation and the world reeled from the death of George Floyd as well as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others due to police brutality and racism,thousands gathered in the park that Saturday to peacefully mourn their deaths and fight against racism. I was one of them. It was a call for change to systemic racism and its historical unjust treatment of the Black community.”
Follow the link above to read more about the protest in Los Angeles.
Patrisse Cullors, a cofounder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, via news station KTLA:
"Conversations aren't enough. A conversation didn't stop George Floyd from dying. … And what we need is structural change, and that looks like a defunding of our local law enforcement, it looks like holding lots of cops accountable, and it looks like really seeing these protesters as people who have righteous rage who also want change."
Follow the link above to read what other demonstrators are saying on the Patch website.
“After many celebrities donated to fund bail for protesters arrested while demonstrating against police brutality, more high-profile stars are also leveraging their fame and influence to call for systemic changes.
Celebrities like John Legend and Megan Rapinoe are among others who recently signed a petitionthat highlights two issues disproportionately affecting black communities: police brutality and a lack of access to quality health care.
The letter calls for local governments to decrease spending on police departments and reallocate money towards education and health care to better protect vulnerable populations — especially now during the coronavirus pandemic.”
Click the link above to read more about the petition, penned by Patrisse Cullors.
“As protests show no signs of halting more than a week after George Floyd’s death, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors says only ‘radical shifts’ can stop law enforcement violence.
While she understands the desire to hold individual officers accountable for their actions, Cullors says the demand to defund law enforcement and reinvest the money in black communities is what can achieve justice for black Americans.
‘The demand of defunding law enforcement becomes a central demand in how we actually get real accountability and justice,’ she says, ‘because it means we are reducing the ability of law enforcement to have resources that harm our communities.’”
Follow the link above to read the remainder of this fascinating article.