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Elected officials, businesses and individuals in general can sometimes find it easy to overlook voices of protest that call for equality and justice. One thing that is seldom overlooked, however, is money, and black America has a lot of spending power to throw aroundabout $1.2 trillion to be precise. Now, OneUnited Bank, the largest black-owned bank in America, and the Black Lives Matter movement are coming together to help black America organize around its spending weight, and are introducing a special debit card to give the initiative a symbol, just in time for Black History Month.

Social and economic justice are intertwined, and we have the power within ourselves to take some important, positive steps towards addressing some of our challenges, Teri Williams, president of OneUnited Bank, tells The Root.

We spend $1.2 trillion and if we could redirect some of that spending towards supporting some of our organizations and our business, we can grow jobs and we can help movements like Black Lives Matter in giving them the resources that they need in order to be successful, Williams says.

The banks position is striking, especially given that only just recently, Wells Fargo refused to create a customized Black Lives Matter card for a customer. But, you know how it goes; sometimes it has to be for us, by us.

Black Lives Matter at this point is a household name, having existed for more than three years, fighting against the systemic oppression and state-sanctioned violence against black people. OneUnited Bank has been a fierce advocate of the black community, launching just last year the #BankBlackChallenge, encouraging the black community to invest in itself by putting money into black-owned banks, while also promoting several programs to help the community with its financial literacy.

From this partnership, focused on the main goal of black empowerment, the Amir debit card will also be launched. Amir is the name given to one of OneUniteds #BankBlack campaign images, featuring a young black boy. The images of Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving their famous black power salute from the 1968 Olympics grace the background of the image on the card.

The Amir card is really important on a lot of levels, Melina Abdullah, an organizer with Black Lives Matter and one of its original members, says.

We have this face of this beautiful black boy who will evoke for many folks people like Trayvon Martin. There is the reminder of ... the possibilities that there are for our future, and then just behind the image of Amir is Tommie Smith and John Carlos ... which is really a beautiful representation of black power and the resolve to stand up for black people even when it costs you a little bit, Abdullah says.

Everyone who receives an Amir card will get noticesfrom OneUnited encouraging them and providing them with ways to donate to Black Lives Matter through their card, as they are able, whether monthly, annually or as a one-time donation.

[We hope that] every time everyone pulls out their card, they think about how theyre spending their money, how purposefully we can spend our money, and also ... when I hand [the Amir card] to someone, Im saying to them that black lives do matter, that black money does matter and that we are an important consumer, Williams says. I do think that it is important, not only for us to be reminded of, but for the world to be reminded of, that we spend $1.2 trillion. Thats a lot of money! We need to show the world that we have the power to move it.

The other goal that we have is that Black Lives Matter actually receives more financial support, more contributions, so were going to be monitoring that to see that were being successful in that way and were going to ensure that were successful in getting them support, she adds.

Abdullah adds that the organization has been banking with OneUnited since the movements inception, and points out that banking black does make a difference.

Black Lives Matter has also been pushing a #BackingBlackBusiness effort for some time, and this partnership can be seen as a culmination of all of that to ensure that black people support black business rather than spending our dollars with white corporations that sometimes are even contributing to the state-sanctioned violence of our people, as Abdullah puts it.

Were both very committed to ... deepening the economic power of the black community and really thinking about our collective economic power. Rather than just building individual and familial wealth, also thinking about how we can use our economic power strategically to strengthen the whole of the black community, she adds.

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OneUnited Bank, Black Lives Matter Team Up to Organize Black America's Spending Power - The Root

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- It's a new day with a similar tune that will soon make its mark on the entire Rochester City School District.

It's like having a holiday, it basically shows them how important we are," parent Bryan Harrell said.

We want people to acknowledge and respect one item one part of what makes America great which is the black community, said Van White, Rochester School Board president.

As part of an initiative to embrace racial equality and address ongoing conflicts that plague our society officials at Rochester City Schools have proclaimed February 17th Black Lives Matter Day.

I'm black and I want people like me, my mom and my dad to have power," 11-year-old student BryahHarrell said.

According to RSCD, commemorating this day in February during Black History Month has no affiliation with the national Black Lives Matter movement. The special day stemmed from a collaborative grassroots collaboration between parents, students and faculty to illustrate to those near and far that people of color matter.

The whole idea is to understand the struggles that black folks have in this country," White said. "If people don't respect your life as an African American, Latino, Italian that will raise obstacles for you.

With Black Lives Matters Day just over a week away, RCSD officials hope the day brings the entire district closer to its mission that celebrates Every student by face and name. Every school, every classroom, to and through graduation."

More here:
RCSD Designates 'Black Lives Matter Day' to Celebrate District's Diversity - TWC News

In the midst of Donald Trumps inauguration, 3 million women in our nations capital and around the world marched for womens rights. Seeing women, men and even children from all over the world come together and march for one thing was such a beautiful way to kick off the year and an even better way to shine a little bit of light on a day that was notso great for some of us.

I followed the march through both my Twitter and Snapchat feeds; I even had a few friends go to the marchesboth in D.C. and in my hometown of Memphis. It warmed my heart to know my friends were out there making history and marching peacefully for something as important as rights for women.

What really threw me off was that there were absolutely no arrests in those eight hours of marching. In fact, police officers were high-fiving and even taking pictures with marchers. Now, if this march had been for something such as Black Lives Matter, the police officers probably would have been in full riot regalia and staring the marchers down.

This march, like most of the Black Lives Matter marches I have seen surface on the internet, was peaceful. It was just people linking arms and marching on for a purpose. Why is itwhen half a million white women come together for a cause nearly equally as important as that of black lives, no arrests are made and there arepositive things being said all over the internet, but when it is a Black Lives Matter march, it is deemed as a protest or quickly turned into a riot?

What women were doing the day of the march and every single day after that is exactly what black people have been doing since the first March on Washington in August 1963: We want our voices to be heard and we want to make sure that you hear us. The fight for womens rights did not stop then, and it isnot going to stop four years from now. The fight for the black lives we say matter is never going to stop and it definitely will not stop four years from now. The world has heard us roar; headlines have been made; voices are being heard and having someone new as the POTUS does not mean that we will be silent.

Be peaceful. Stand tall. And make a difference in the world. It all goes hand in hand.

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Kamea's Corner: The Women's March and Black Lives Matter: Hand in Hand? - The All State

For a second time, Black Lives Matter Vancouver is asking the Vancouver Pride Society to remove the police from the Vancouver Pride parade.

BLM Vancouver's concerns about police participation in the 2016 Pride parade originated last year.

To recap the sequence of events, the Black Lives Matter movement originated in 2013 to protest violence and systemic racism against black people and addresses issues such as police brutality, racial profiling, and racial inequality in the justice system.

The Toronto chapter of Black Lives Matter blocked the 2016 Toronto Pride parade on July 3 and refused to move until Toronto Pride's executive director signed an agreement to their demands, which included removing police floats and booths from the parade.

On January 18, Pride Toronto voted to support BLM Toronto's requests, including the removal of police floats from future parades.

Meanwhile in Vancouver, BLM Vancouver issued an open letter to the Vancouver Pride Society and the Vancouver Police Department on July 15. In the letter, they asked the police to withdraw from the Pride parade and instead participate in a public-service float.

On July 25, VPS president Alan Jernigan confirmed to the Georgia Straight that the VPD would participate in the parade. However, they did request the police to remove an armoured vehicle from the parade.

Today (February 7) during Black History Month, BLM Vancouver launched a petition to ask the VPS to remove all uniformed police officers (VPD or RCMP) from any Vancouver Pride parades from 2017 onward.

In their Facebook post, BLM Vancouver explain that "Pride is a protest, catalyzed by the work of trans women of colour at the Stonewall riots. Black queer and trans people, especially Black femmes and trans women have always been integral to the queer liberation movement and therefore deserveto be honoured, respected and included in Pride parades across the world."

BLM Vancouver's petition includes portions of their 2016 open letter to the VPS and VPD:

BLM Vancouver explains that the reason why they want the police to withdraw from the parade is because they represent systemic oppression.

"The policing institution is an instrument of state violence and oppression. Dressing up in rainbows and feather boas does not change that fact. If they really support queer and trans people of colour they need to do a lot more work to earn their spot. There are so many other ways they can show meaningful initiative to work to protect the most marginalized groups."

They also point out that any LGBT police officers can participate without uniforms as civilians.

While BLM Vancouver's request did spark controversy, debate, and discussion within and outside of LGBT communities, Black Lives Matter was invited to be grand marshal for the 2016 Vancouver Dyke March and was featured in a spotlight at the 2016 Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

Meanwhile on January 20, BLM Vancouver posted a letter online addressing the lack of black, queer, and trans women speakersin the Women's March on Washington in Vancouver. The group explained that none of its members were contacted by the rallys coordinators for consultation, help, or inclusion.

The organizers of the Women's March on Washington in Vancouver subsequently issuedan apology to BLM Vancouver on January 25.

Update: The Georgia Straight is waiting for BLM Vancouver to respond to an interview request but has interviewed the Vancouver Pride Society's operations executive director Kieran Burgess about how they will handle this year's parade.

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Black Lives Matter Vancouver launch petition to have police removed from 2017 Pride parade - Straight.com

Feb 6, 2017 at 10:13 pm | Print View

IOWA CITY Her lip quivering, Patrisse Cullors heart sank.

It was 2013, and she was in a motel room on a website, waiting for the news of George Zimmermans verdict. Guilty, or not guilty, in the killing of Trayvon Martin a black 17-year-old who was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer while on his way home from buying candy at a convenience store.

Not guilty, and they say not guilty, and they continue to say not guilty until they say, not guilty of all charges, Cullors, 32, of Los Angeles, recalled for a packed audience of hundreds in the Englert Theatre in Iowa City on Monday night. And I start to cry. And I dont cry just for Trayvon. I cry for black people. I cry for this country and our world.

And through her tears, Cullors said, her spirit rose up with this revelation.

If we allow this, if we allow ourselves to go silent, if we sweep this moment under the rug, they will continue to kill us and think its OK, she said.

So what next?

I went on social media, because thats what our generation does, she said. And Im reading, and Im like, yep, thats right. Nope, thats not right.

And then a friends post stopped her.

She closed it off, black lives matter, Cullors said.

Within a second, Hashtag. Black lives matter.

That moment of spontaneity, Im reminded, oh, I organize, I know how to do this, Cullors said. Lets take this, these three words, and lets build a movement.

And so it began. The Black Lives Matter movement. Rooted in real life or death events and fueled and organized through social media and online connections, this current version of the historic movement has revived nationwide debate, discussion and action on race relations and tensions.

But Cullors, speaking as part of the University of Iowas theme semester Our Lives Online, urged the audience, This is a movement, not a moment.

And movements dont happen overnight, she said. They happen with time. They happen with vision.

Cullors talked about how social media propelled the movement and shaped it as a 21st century vehicle for social change. She referenced Twitter hashtags that sprung up in the wake of Sandra Blands death in a jail cell in July 2015.

One, #IfIDieInPoliceCustody, had thousands begging the world not to believe reports they commit suicide, Cullors said.

Were eulogizing ourselves, she said. Imagine thousands of black people on the internet, grieving, and trying to remind the world of our humanity.

That online grief spurred on-the-street action.

And touching on a chain of events that played out in the months that followed specifically the continued white and black shootings, often at the hands of police officers Cullors brought the audience to today.

To 45, Ive been calling him, she said of President Donald Trump.

Cullors admitted, Im very frightened. She pointed to pipeline projects Trump has OKd, his proposed wall with Mexico, his suppression of free speech, and his immigration ban, and she charged her audience to unite in stopping Trump.

All of our movements must join at this time, Cullors said. We have power. We have the ability to change and steer the ship. We have to join our movements.

Many in the audience cheered Cullors and the empowerment she offered, peppering her with questions about local issues and politics, including proposed legislation to stiffen penalties against protesters who shut down the interstate.

Although one questioner prodded her about why she didnt mention the black-on-black violence in places like Chicago. That man was booed another audience member even threw something and Cullors answered him by explaining why the question is deeply untrue, deeply offensive and deeply racist.

She challenged him and others to ask different questions, to become introspective. When the man continued to fire back, Cullors threw up a hand and said, Nope. Im not doing it.

And then closed out the event as is common in the black lives matter movement.

It is our duty to fight with our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.

l Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com

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'We have nothing to lose but our chains,' #BlackLivesMatter organizer speaks in Iowa City - The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines