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Vanessa Lowe is a member of the Unitarian Society and an organizer with POWER, the largest interfaith-based social justice organization in Pennsylvania.

Lowe will be participating in the vigils. She said she values the ability to collectively grieve, and not just process the ongoing news, alone.

When we hear these stories, its gut-wrenching and its hard. And me by myself, looking through the web or watching TV its just like the shock, said Lowe. You need a community to come together with, and cry with, and just put your heads together, and just be together.

Theres so much pain in the world and so much of it is about relations and how we see each other, or dont see each other. So, coming together, as humans, when things like this happen, is really critical, added Lowe.

Lowe is still hopeful that the moral arc of the universe will bend towards justice, hearkening back to the quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shes looking forward to expanding multi-faith organizing in the Philly region, where different religions can come together based on their commonalities; the belief in the inherent worth of every being, and the wish for a healthy, happy world.

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Black Lives Matter vigils return to the Unitarian Society of Germantown - WHYY

Theres been a wall of silence, said one local campaigner I spoke to at a vigil dedicated to 28-year-old anti-racism campaigner Sasha Johnson. A year ago, on 23 May 2021, Johnson was brutally shot in the head. The vigil was held earlier this week in Londons Denmark Hill, a short walk from the hospital where Johnson continues to lie in a critical condition, with what have been described as catastrophic and permanent injuries to the head. She has two children under the age of 13.

The vigil was small, attended by about 30 people, mainly old-school black-power and black-nationalist groups, such as the Nation of Islam. One group was notably absent: Black Lives Matter.

Sasha Johnson is a black-rights campaigner, who rose to prominence in 2020 amid the eruption of the Black Lives Matter movement, following the murder of George Floyd in the US by a police officer. Johnson drew a great deal of attention for her Black Panther Party-inspired outfits, her passionately black-centric rhetoric, her sometimes strange political bedfellows and her willingness to debate her adversaries, including former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson.

Johnson spoke out against what she regarded as the unequal treatment and representation of black people in Britain. She joined and organised with a range of groups, including Black Lives Matter, Kill the Bill and Rhodes Must Fall. Just before the tragic incident, Johnson was actively involved in the Taking the Initiative Party, which notably gained more than 4,000 votes in the recent local elections in Croydon, south London. Despite her alignment with Black Lives Matter, with its identitarian demands for recognition and insistence on black racial victimhood, Johnson advocated for more traditional notions of black self-reliance and black power.

On 23 May 2021, Johnson was shot in the head at a party in Peckham in the early hours of the morning. Days after the shooting, five men under 30 were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. They were due to stand trial in March this year, but the case collapsed in February as the prosecutor said it could only offer circumstantial evidence to the court.

Following the collapse of the trial, both the police and Johnsons family noted the unwillingness of witnesses to cooperate with the police. Deputy chief inspector Nigel Penney, who is leading the ongoing investigation into the shooting, has said that, there were plenty of people there, yet many have not been willing to speak to us.

There is a grim and tragic irony to what transpired after Johnsons shooting. Immediately after the attack, there was a great deal of speculation about the motivation, and many were quick to assume it was racially or politically motivated. Labour MP Diane Abbott went as far as to say: Nobody should have to potentially pay with their life because they stood up for racial justice. The day after the shooting, while much still remained unknown, Black Lives Matter UK organised a vigil.

However, as more information came out about the circumstances of the shooting, as we learnt that the suspects were not white and that it was unlikely to have been a white-supremacist attack, the commentary started to dissipate.

Even after Johnsons family shared gruesome images of Johnson in hospital earlier this year, showing parts of her head missing, many of those who initially spoke out against the shooting had nothing more to say. There have been no black squares, no hashtags, no mass demonstrations of civil disobedience. Even the crowdfunder that was set up to support Johnson and her family after the shooting has only just surpassed half of its modest fundraising goal of 20,000.

There seems to be a double standard in societys response to black victims of violence. Police killings and police brutality, while relatively rare in the UK, draw enormous attention. Whereas there seems to be far less concern about the fact that black people are disproportionately impacted by violent crime. Young black men in Britain are 24 times more likely to die of homicide than their white counterparts. In London, violent knife and gun attacks are only becoming more common. This, I would argue, is the most potent example of how black lives are disregarded.

This indifference towards the nihilistic violence that plagues significant sections of Britains ethnic-minority communities is poisonous. It is a devastating indictment of our society. Whether we condemn or take action against such grotesque violence should not be contingent on whether it suits a particular political agenda.

We must not let the shooting of Sasha Johnson fade from public memory. We cannot let it become just another story of violent crime in inner-city London. If lives matter, black or otherwise, her shooting should implore us to grapple with the scourge of violence in our society.

Inaya Folarin Iman is a GB News presenter and founder of the Equiano Project.

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Sasha Johnson and the black lives that don't matter - Spiked

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Photo c/o St. Pete Pride

Tampa Leigh represents Blaque/OUT Magazin. a monthly digital publication that firmly centers Black and Brown Queer qulture worldwide.

Intersectionality became my life and was fated to also be my work. I am a native New Yorker, where LGBTQ+ laws and protections are groundbreaking on paper but not so profound in practice. Where just like the South or the West or anywhere in between, being Black as well as being Queer can get you killed.

I came to my new home armed with experience, passion and purpose. I was ready to take on my new Floridian world and to be entirely honest, St. Pete Pride. I had turned several other Prides and organizations. I, along with a team of dedicated staff and determined volunteers were able to change the look of entertainment, of staff, of the color of the people at the table. We had made the orgs we interacted with, for the most part, Blacker, broader, less cis and less male focused. I was determined that the same could happen in St. Pete. Each time we can make the big, queer world big enough to fit everyone, we make the world a better place.

Generally speaking, its easy when you are the big fish in the small pond to take up all the air, resources and recognition in the room. St. Pete Pride had intentionally or unintentionally done that for many years. But its often less malice and more lack of intentionality that causes such oversight and exclusion. I was actually told at one point last year that there were no people or programs that supported, represented or served the QTPOC community in this area. Over the last year I was honored and grateful to learn that wasnt true. As is everywhere, there are endless Black and Brown folks fearlessly doing the work to make that big queer world big enough to fit us all. Id like to introduce a few.

It matters. Who is at the table always matters.

It matters. Who is at the table always matters. Each of us carries blind-spots and without full representation in every space, something always goes unseen. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work must come with overwhelming humility, the ability to name and acknowledge what you havent done and a sincere, fearless willingness to make it right. That must come even in the face of opposition, misunderstanding and embarrassment. For those who step in first to integrate that school, to come out in a crowd, to fight that legislation.... to take that seat, must do so fearlessly and in our community and working to embody the principles of our ancestors with grit and grace. Look them up, support their visions and if your party, panel, presentation or event that centers Queerness doesnt include one or all of themyou didnt try hard enough.

The corner St. Pete Pride is turning is long overdue. The letting go of we dont see color" and the adopting of celebrating, commemorating and uplifting a profound, important and inherently unique Black Queer qulture is a new one. This year St. Pete Pride will feature Ballroom (think POSE), one of the pillars of Black Queer qulture. There will be the first-ever official Juneteenth celebration to highlight Black, Queer history and a party to celebrate and honor Black Queer Woman in collaboration with the Tampa Bay Black Lesbians group.

Im proud to have played even a small part in that and I look forward to a future where its a conversation we no longer even need to have because its just what St. Pete Pride is. But even the baby steps matter. There is too much fighting that needs to be done in this state to be living in division. No one is free, until we are all free. And I hope to hear Black Lives Matter being shouted just as loudly as We Say Gay this Pride parade. May St. Pete Pride one day be the organization leading both of those chants.

BlaQQueer Unity Council Orgs & Members

Rocky Butler 9 Colors InitiativeThe 9 Colors Initiative supports youth by empowering the community through unity. Currently operating as a referral agent and community advocate for the LGBTQ community we strive to ensure equality, wholeness, & community engagement.

DeAndre Yummy BrownYummy translated his joy of dance into a storied career that has stretched 15+ years. Browns mastery of Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Lyrical, Vogue, Hip-Hop and other forms of dance were cultivated as a student at institutions such as The University of the Arts. Cultural-based training in churches and organizations like Hype Elite, YCDT with Traci Young-Byron, Iconic House of Ninja and Iconic House of Prodigy only served to enrich his style, versatility and range. In the next ascension of DeAndres dance life, he stepped into his most recent form of artistry within the Black Queer Ballroom scene. Browns passion for showcasing his art and educating at a worldwide level just fuels his quest for bigger and more transformative stages.

Cadin Small, Choya Randolph, Dominique Euzebe, Quin Killiings, Brook Carter The Blunt Space Incorporated A nonprofit corporation and media hub for art, advocacy, and culture. We aim to be a safe haven and provide resources to marginalized voices within the arts! Writers, Poets, Advocates, Journalists, Dreamers, Creators and Revolutionaries. They see the Council as an opportunity to truly be unified on one front about the events and initiatives that advocate for the intersectional identities of being Black and Queer. It means organizing, supporting, and communicating with one another to better serve the community we hold close to all of our hearts! Tamara LeighBlaque/OUT Magazine, Blaque/OUT Consulting & Tampa Bay Black Lesbians Blaque/OUT Magazine is a monthly digital publication that firmly centers Black and Brown Queer qulture worldwide. Blaque/OUT Consulting provides workshops, trainings, process and procedure evaluation and education for schools, businesses and orgs around creating safe spaces and understanding intersectionality. Tampa Bay Black Lesbians is a safe community space to build relationships, create and attend events with other Black Queer women in TB, Pinellas County and surrounding areas. You can find the group on FB, IG and TikTok.

Antonio MilesEvolve Tampa BayA passionate educator and sexual health advocate. He is also the proud Executive Director of EVOLVE Tampa Bay; Tampas unique non-profit organization, that provides empowering monthly events that uplift Black and Brown same-gender loving men. His work also reaches into the field of sexual health care, as the Program Manager for Positively U, Inc, a non-profit the focuses reducing the rates of HIV and other STIs through education, advocacy and care. Antonio, is laser-focused on creating connections across the bay area that foster creative, safe and affirming spaces for queer people of color.

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At St. Pete Pride 2022, I hope to hear 'Black Lives Matter' being shouted just as loudly as 'We Say Gay' - Creative Loafing Tampa

DC Comics continues to circle not only the creative drain, but the moral drain as well with their latest Batman comic, Batman: Fortress #1, which sees Batman flee from an Antifa and Black Lives Matter style riot.

Source: Batman: Fortress #1

The comic written by Gary Whitta with art work by The Boys Darick Robertson sees Batman investigating an alien interference that causes global blackouts.

As Batman attempts to figure out what is the cause of the blackouts, he is also called on to protect Gotham City after the entirety of the prisoners in Arkham Asylum are unleashed upon the innocent citizens.

Source: Batman: Fortress #1

RELATED: Renowned Batman Writer Chuck Dixon Reveals How He Would End Batmans Story

Batmans first stop is to a rooftop overlooking an electronics store that is being looted with neighboring buildings, some of them appearing to be apartments, being set on fire. The rioters are even shown waving blunt objects in the air.

Batman rationalizes that he shouldnt put a stop to the rioters because there are more than likely bigger fish to catch out in Gotham City, despite having no knowledge of where these big fish might be, given the power and communication black outs.

Source: Batman: Fortress #1

Whitta writes Batmans interior monologue, Havent seen a night like this in a while. Last time it was this bad was with that damn fear gas in the water supply. Only so much I can do. Need to prioritize. Hunt the big fish. Protect the little fish.

These places all have insurance. Not my job to protect their profit margins. In my fathers day, the American Dream used to mean something. An honest wage for honest work. Food on the table. Liberty and justice for all. Now its an illusion, a carrot on a stick, attainable by a few, dangled just out of reach for everyone else.

A bigger TV. A faster car. Shiny objects to keep the masses distracted, while the world burns. You want to blame them for grabbing the carrot when the lights go out? Go ahead. But dont look to me to stop them. Thats not why I do this, he concludes.

Source: Batman: Fortress #1

While Batman leaves these looters and rioters to burn down the city, he does randomly track down a number of Joker thugs who are threatening to kill an innocent family.

He also randomly shows up at Gotham Harbor and stops Penguin from drowning a blonde woman.

Source: Batman: Fortress #1

From there, he also stops Joker who has hijacked a school bus in the middle of the night. Batman stands directly in front of Joker on a bridge as Joker seeks to ram him with the bus.

As Joker closes in, Batman deploys a giant flash that blinds Joker and sends him and the bus nearly careening off the bridge, putting the childrens lives in danger. Joker, not wearing a seatbelt goes flying through the windshield.

While the children are saved, Joker dangles from the bumper of the bus about to fall into the water below. Batman grudgingly rescues him rationalizing that if he let Joker he wouldnt be able to explain his actions to the children who are watching him.

Its unfortunate there werent any children watching him allow the electronics store and the neighboring apartments, more than likely filled with innocent citizens, get burned to the ground.

Source: Batman: Fortress #1

Nevertheless, Batman ends his night by heading to Crime Alley where he beats up a criminal who appears to have shot and killed a couple and has begun to loot their bodies.

Source: Batman: Fortress #1

While prioritizing certain crimes over another is practical, the way the story actually plays out, the rationale doesnt make any sense. Batman has no idea where these big fish are because of the power and communications black outs.

He might have one of his satellites up and operational, but he tasks Alfred with using it to scan for exoterrestrial activity. He does offer Jim Gordon a way to counteract interference disrupting the communications, but he makes it clear he will be using it to contact the GCPD so they can bring in the criminals he captures.

Source: Batman: Fortress #2

Batman chooses to ignore this mob in favor of seeking out other possible crimes. Instead of stepping in and stopping crime that he sees happening in front of him, he chooses to ignore it in the hopes he will find other more horrific crimes being committed.

On top of that, he actually sits and ponders the crimes being committed and justifies ignoring them when he could have actually been putting a stop to it.

Source: Batman: Fortress #3

However, the comic also depicts the crimes being committed by the Antifa and Black Lives Matter-like mob as worse or could be arguably worse than the crimes committed by Joker and Penguin. The mob isnt just looting an electronics store, it appears to be burning down apartment buildings too. Its also unclear if theres any staff in the building that have already been brutalized by the mob.

Penguin is attempting to murder one woman and Joker has a bus full of kids. How many women and kids are in these apartment buildings that the mob is burning down?

Source: Batman: Fortress #3

Not only can you look at Batmans rationalization for ignoring the crime, but his decision to not put a stop to these criminals also shows that hes a hypocrite. The beginning of the book actually opens with Bruce Wayne and Alfred beating down a bunch of thieves who attempt to loot his manor believing that hes not home.

If Batman actually believes the rationalization that Whitta gives him in his interior dialogue, why isnt he allowing these thieves to loot his home. After all, Bruce Wayne surely has insurance, right?

Source: Batman: Fortress #1

Nevertheless, the biggest crime of the book is the fact that Batman didnt find a way to not only stop the crimes being committed by the Antifa and Black Lives Matter-style mobs, but also round up Joker, Penguin, and other criminals attempting to take advantage of the black outs in Gotham City.

Batmans smart enough to figure out how to put a stop to the mob and move on to the next criminals. Instead, Whitta and Robertson sacrificed Batmans character in favor of lecturing readers about the American Dream and trying to paint a violent, angry mob as sympathetic.

This is just the latest piece of evidence that DC Comics no longer actually tells stories about heroes, and they go out of there way to disrespect their own characters.

Source: Batman: Fortress #4

What do you make of Batman ignoring and fleeing the scene of a crime without attempting to intervene?

NEXT: Ethan Van Sciver And Jon Del Arroz Rip to Shreds Tom King Batman Comic That Implies He Is a Scared Child

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Batman Flees Antifa And Black Lives Matter Style Riots In New Comic: "These Places All Have Insurance, Not My Job To Protect Their Profit...

Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusionsThis statement:

Two summers ago, in the middle of a pandemic, we saw protests across the nation the likes of which you hadnt seen since the 1960s. They unified people of every race and generation. Athletes and sports leagues boycotted and postponed games. Companies and workers proclaimed Black Lives Matter. Students staged solidarity walkouts.

President Biden, May 25

We say: Biden must have been in his basement in summer 2020. Peaceful protests quickly turned into riots and looting, and Americans took notice: Their support for Black Lives Matter fell 12 points between June and September 2020, per Pew. NPRs headline on an Ipsos survey that same month: Americans Increasingly Polarized When It Comes To Racial Justice Protests, Poll Finds.

We know that increased turnout has nothing to do with suppression; suppression is about whether or not you make it difficult for voters to access the ballot.

Stacey Abrams, May 24

We say: Umm, if more people are voting, doesnt that suggest it hasnt become harder for them to vote? Of course, but the Democratic Georgia gubernatorial hopeful couldnt simply say Yes when a reporter asked, Is it possible that the Democrats were wrong and that the new law isnt suppressing votes? Even the media had to question the months of smears after record-breaking early voting in the states primaries and short lines and limited problems on Election Day, as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted.

Those of us in the media act as if its Joe Bidens problem to solve every day. What are you going to do about inflation? Its not Joe Bidens problem to solve. Its the Federal Reserves problem to solve.

CNNs John Harwood, May 23

We say: White House correspondent? More like White House commissary. The president created the problem with an unprecedented spending spree, a war on US energy production, work-disincentivizing benefits and more. Why shouldnt he do something about it? The Feds easy-money pandemic policies contributed as well, of course and Biden rewarded chief Jay Powell with another term.

BREAKING: The U.S. economy shrank in the first three months of the year even though consumers and businesses kept spending at a solid pace, the government reported. Last quarters 1.5% drop in GDP does not likely signal the start of a recession. https://t.co/LDCf6MnK5I

We say: Associated Press is smoking some pretty strong stuff: The story that accompanies this tweet even claims that by most measures, the economy as a whole remains healthy. Negative economic growth, inflation at a 40-year high and nearly 20% of the stock markets value obliterated since the years start does that sound like a healthy economy to you? Consumers are sure to cut back, no matter what the Biden fan club tells you.

Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

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The week in whoppers: Bidens unifying race riots, CNNs inflation problem and more - New York Post