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Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., was seemingly unhappy on Tuesday night after President Biden announced his support for funding police departments.

In his first State of the Union address, Biden told Congress: The answer is not to defund the police, its to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them.

Fund them with resources and training they need to protect our communities, the president continued.

While his message received loud praise in the audience, with a standing ovation from both his party and Republicans, Democrats like Bush said Biden has the wrong idea.

With all due respect, Mr. President. You didnt mention saving Black lives once in this speech, Bush tweeted. All our country has done is given more funding to police. The result? 2021 set a record for fatal police shootings."

Defund the police. Invest in our communities.

A flagship Black Lives Matter account shared a tweet suggesting it also wasn't happy with the presidents stance on the issue, using a screenshot of Rep. Maxine Waters's face, from at some point in the night, to deliver its message by meme.

Other Democrats, however, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as well as leaders in other liberal cities, have called for increased police budgets to combat crime.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., told MSNBC that the defund-police movement is dead in New York City and good riddance, adding, Any elected official whos advocating for the abolition and/or even the defunding of police is out of touch with reality and should not be taken seriously.

Similarly, Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., the former chief of the Orlando Police Department, used Bidens remarks as a moment to support funding law enforcement, even touting her new legislation that would do just that.

She tweeted: Public safety is the foundation on which we build great communities, and then included a link to her bill, which would provide grants to help municipalities with deescalation, domestic violence and officer safety training, among other things.

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Republicans are seemingly using this opportunity to lump Democrats together and criticize them for jumping ship on the idea of defunding.

Republican strategist Rick Wilson tweeted: Biden guts the Defund the police stupidity.

Meanwhile, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said: Is the entire Democratic Party going to act like they didnt just defund and demonize the police for the last 2 years? #SOTU.

Hundreds of police officers gather for the funeral of fallen NYPD officer Wilbert Mora at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on Feb. 2. (Eren Abdullahogullari/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

During his address, Biden opened his remarks on policing in America with a story about how he visited the NYPD days after funerals were held for two of its officers, Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera, who were fatally shot in January after a man opened fire on them with a stolen gun.

Rising crime in some major U.S. cities has led Democratic leaders to reverse course or take a stance against defunding police departments.

But Biden also aimed to appease critics of police when he touched on two controversial arrest tactics that have gained notoriety following the deaths of several Black Americans.

Thats why the Justice Department required body cameras, banned chokeholds and restricted no-knock warrants for its officers, he said.

No-knock warrants came under fire in 2020 when officers in Louisville, Ky., stormed, unannounced, into the apartment of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman and paramedic, fatally shooting her after her boyfriend fired on them, thinking they were intruders.

More recently, several Minneapolis police officers are once again under a microscope after a SWAT team conducted a no-knock warrant at an apartment downtown, shooting and killing Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man.

A rally for Amir Locke on Feb. 5 in Minneapolis. Locke was a 22-year-old Black man shot by Minneapolis police executing a search warrant. (Christian Monterrosa File/AP)

Bodycam footage from the Feb. 2 incident captured police storming in, then announcing their presence and seeing Locke, who was noticeably shaken from being suddenly woken up. Officers were following up on a tip involving a murder case, but Lockes name was not mentioned in the warrant, according to the Minneapolis police chief.

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing Locke's parents, said during a February press conference, The blood of Amir Locke, the blood of Breonna Taylor, should hopefully call for a ban on no-knock warrants all over the country, President Biden.

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump at a news conference with the families of Amir Locke and others at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on Feb. 10. (Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images)

On Tuesday, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., introduced a bill that would limit no-knock warrants, naming it after Locke.

Hours before Bidens address, she unveiled the legislation, called the Amir Locke End Deadly No-Knock Warrants Act. It would enact "strict limitations on the use of no-knock warrants in drug-related investigations."

The bill directly affects federal agencies but would open up grant funding for state and local law enforcement.

As for Biden, he also touted his American Rescue Plan, which he said provided more than $250 million to cities, states and counties for hiring more police officers and investing in proven strategies.

So lets not abandon our streets. Or choose between safety and equal justice, he said.

Lets come together to protect our communities, restore trust and hold law enforcement accountable.

More here:
Rep. Cori Bush to Biden: 'You didn't mention saving Black lives once in this speech' - Yahoo News

Rachel Rydalch Shelton

Black Lives Matter mural displayed at the City County buidling in downtown Salt Lake City on Nov. 24, 2021. (Photo by Rachel Rydalch | The Daily Utah Chronicle.

I often find myself roaming the streets of downtown Salt Lake City, trying to escape my stuffy apartment, but these are no longer the streets of my childhood, the ones I grew up on. They are forever changed by the Black Lives Matter protests that rocked the city during the summer of 2020. I find myself wondering how these protests and the images they left have seeped into the cold concrete and coarse asphalt. What remains?

Passing by the Salt Lake Countys District Attorneys office on 500 South, one cannot miss the pools of red that saturate the road. The gallons of paint and handprints that covered the street and much of the buildings entrance are gone now, but even after multiple attempts by the city to paint over it, it still cuts through to the surface ensuring we never forget.

This faded, yet persistent quality almost adds to the pieces initial meaning. It still declares that there is blood on the hands of the SLCPD and District Attorney Sim Gill, though the city may try its hardest to paint over the tragedies faced in Utah and absolve the perpetrators of the murder of Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal, and others nationwide.

The aftermath of the pieces inception is important to understand. Protesters who poured the paint were identified by law enforcement and arrested. Gill then formally drew up felony charges against the group, 8 of which were found guilty, in a move that garnered international attention. Even in its faded splotches of red, this potent piece on many levels decries the racial injustice that plagues our city and state. The pools of paint are unrelenting in their silent screams for justice and accountability.

In a move by city officials to show support for the Black Lives Matter protests, Mayor Erin Mendenhall commissioned eight artists to paint a mural outside the Salt Lake City City-County Building. The brightly colored mural, according to Mayor Mendenhalls Deseret News interview, make[s] it clear that Salt Lake City believes Black Lives Matter and is committed to real change in our community. Were taking this symbolic step as a city to boldly acknowledge this movement and commit to our role in it.

But how symbolic was the gesture? The now-fading mural was the target of many white supremacist groups who tried and failed to deface it. These attempts were not deterred by city officials or the SLCPD, but rather armed Black Lives Matter protesters. Former Black Lives Matter director Lex Scott posted TikToks and live-streamed such instances almost daily.

Additionally, Mayor Mendenhall was called to cut the police budget and allocate the funds to other social programs by Black Lives Matter activists and many in the SLC community. While money was moved from the police budget in 2020, funds were reallocated in 2021 for diversity and inclusion trainings as well as social workers, a far cry from the demands for complete reform. According to a KSL interview, officer pay was increased in 2021 in order to attract quality officers, a move that feels, again, far from what protestors were fighting for.

The beautiful mural Mendenhall commissioned and the message behind it is powerful and necessary, dont get me wrong, but it is an undercut made hollow by the inaction behind it. The initial display of solidarity has faded and drifted from the public consciousness, much like the mural itself. The once vibrant colors of the mural have been dissipated by time and broken promises.

Out of all the remnants left from the protests last summer, the murals on 300 West and 800 South remain seared into my consciousness. Whether it is the brightly colored faces or the stories they hold, the site with these impactful murals will not easily be forgotten.

The murals not only gave space to and humanize those murdered by the police but also created a site of mourning for them. Unlike the other pieces of protest art left behind, these murals are more than just acts of defiance or solidarity. These murals provide a space for the community to come together to mourn and grieve the loss of life.

The site mourns the loss of 17 people, both local and from around the country, in individual murals. In front of the murals there are often flowers and other tokens of memory left by loved ones and community members. Looking at each mural and seeing these marks of mourning is sobering and grounds police brutality in its reality one that tears a community apart and leaves them in a constant state of grief.

The public art and protest materials that litter Salt Lake City will fade, but it is this intention of deep, inescapable grief behind each one that will continue to stay with us.

[emailprotected]

@Drew_Reyno

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What Remains: Returning to the Protest Art Left in Salt Lake - Daily Utah Chronicle

Content warning: This video contains mentions and imagery of anti-Black violence. Please watch with discretion.

The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern has opened its latest exhibit, A Site of Struggle: American Art against Anti-Black Violence. Featuring artwork from the post-Reconstruction era to the conception of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, the exhibit serves to contextualize modern-day violence and display how various artists have used art to protest, process, mourn and memorialize anti-Black violence.

Email: [emailprotected]

Twitter: @KatrinaPham_

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Read the original:
The Block Museum's A Site of Struggle exhibit displays how artists have engaged with anti-Black violence - Daily Northwestern

February, Black History Month, is a month to celebrate Black lives and bring further awareness to Black history and culture. As a Black person, this month is very impactful as I learn more about my history. Last Saturday, Black Lives Matter Newfoundland and Labrador held their first event during their Redefining Our Standards of Beauty series. The online events will discuss Black beauty and how we redefine our standards of beauty. The first event focused on challenging the idea that white is right and developing our own ideas of right and wrong.

After a warm welcome from the Co-Chair, Raven Khadeja, the events Keynote speaker Tanya Turton spoke on redefining our beauty standards to start matching with the identities that we carry. What stuck with me was her focus on the relationship between beauty and wellness; how that relationship can help us redefine our beauty. Furthermore, she discussed how redefining our beauty attaches us to another relationship central to the conversation: one between the body, mind and soul.

My takeaway from her impressive presentation is to practice beauty: you can start with defining beauty and integrating that definition into your authentic self. It left me to ponder on what beauty is to me and how I can showcase that through my unique character and identity.

Beauty is reflective of your authentic self

Afterwards, we dove into a Roundtable featuring: Muna Ahmed, an organizer and writer for BLM Nogojiwanong; Tanya Turton, Founder of NiaZamar; Thyzaria Nowels, Biology teacher and Lab Tech; Grace Phiri, Creative content creator; Laughter Afolabi, a co-founder of We-defined and Rachel Gilbert, an Interdisciplinary Artist. This Roundtable featured people from different professions and backgrounds discussing their experiences in situations of anti-Blackness, white supremacy, and racism, and how these experiences affected their lives. Thyzaria talks about her experience as a Black worker in the Netherlands, and how she faced direct racism whilst working.

You cant say Black lives matter without caring for Black workers

After the round table, we had quick fashion tips from Laughter Afolabi, a co-founder of We-defined. She showed us three ways to dress that would maintain a part of Black culture, using prints and textures. To finish the event we had a special hair tutorial for hair types ranging from 3A to 4C with Ashley Baptiste, a natural hair specialist and the owner of Casa de Capelli Beauty Salon. She gave tips on how to deal with Black hair and the need for protective hairstyles. She ventured into a conversation about appropriation and the importance of giving Black women credit for protective hairstyles.

All in all the event was a good learning experience and I would suggest that more people check out BLMNLs future events. You can sign up for events, or stay tuned, on their Instagram page bio (@black_lives_matternl).

Read this article:
BLMNL Hosts Redefining Our Standards of Beauty Events to Educate on Black Hair and the Importance of Shifting Beauty Standards - Muse

On April 9, 2012, people marched 40 miles from Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach to the Sanford Police Department.The march marked 40 days after Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman and no arrest was made. "We didn't pick the name 'Dream Defenders' for no reason. We understand what 'defender' means. We defend justice, we defend our generation, and we defend the world at large," Vanessa Baden said.The Dream Defenders name was created after Trayvon's death, but this group had been marching for justice for years. "But then in 2006, when a young Black boy named Martin Lee Anderson was brutally beaten to death in a juvenile boot camp, Ben responded to the call of, you know, being able to represent the family from a legal perspective, he was able to take the hands of the family and walk them right into the governor's office and demanding more from our elected officials. But Ben couldn't do that without a groundswell of grassroots activism and support," founder Ahmad Abuznaid said.Since Martin Lee Anderson died while at a work camp for troubled teens, this group formed under the guidance of Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump. What they didn't know is the movement they kicked off in Sanford would grow and spread and pop up in communities across the nation, and create what's now known as Black Lives Matter. "I think we were one of those core organizations that went on to create this movement for Black lives network. And we're really proud of that work now. We can't do it on our own. And, and also Florida was really the home of Dream Defenders. And so while we really had a lot of national involvement and conversation and national building, we were most impactful here in Florida. So I'm incredibly proud of the advancement Dream Defenders and Florida organizing across the board has given us over the last 10 years," Abuznaid said.There were fears the movement that began in Sanford would turn violent. Thousands of people were expected to march through the streets and gather in Fort Mellon Park. Civil rights leaders were set to speak, with the family of Trayvon Martin joining them demanding an arrest. But there was no violence, only peaceful protest. "You seen thousands rally in the state of Florida, but also, you know, thousands, and tens of thousands rally across the country. And we saw similar iterations after the uprisings in Ferguson. And we saw similar iterations after the murder of George Floyd," Abuznaid said.While Abuznaid and the Dream Defenders don't take sole credit for the BLM movement, they do know their role helped inspire a nation to hold people accountable. And their hope is organizations like theirs and others aren't needed in the future. "Abolition of slavery seemed insane to people at the times where slavery was operating. Abolition of Jim Crow laws, was insane to people when Blacks and whites were still segregated lunch counters in schools. And so right now people may think it's insane to demand, you know, abolition of certain structures and systems that have continued to show us that they're not solving the problem they were created to solve for," Abuznaid said.

On April 9, 2012, people marched 40 miles from Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach to the Sanford Police Department.

The march marked 40 days after Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman and no arrest was made.

"We didn't pick the name 'Dream Defenders' for no reason. We understand what 'defender' means. We defend justice, we defend our generation, and we defend the world at large," Vanessa Baden said.

The Dream Defenders name was created after Trayvon's death, but this group had been marching for justice for years.

"But then in 2006, when a young Black boy named Martin Lee Anderson was brutally beaten to death in a juvenile boot camp, Ben responded to the call of, you know, being able to represent the family from a legal perspective, he was able to take the hands of the family and walk them right into the governor's office and demanding more from our elected officials. But Ben couldn't do that without a groundswell of grassroots activism and support," founder Ahmad Abuznaid said.

Since Martin Lee Anderson died while at a work camp for troubled teens, this group formed under the guidance of Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump.

What they didn't know is the movement they kicked off in Sanford would grow and spread and pop up in communities across the nation, and create what's now known as Black Lives Matter.

"I think we were one of those core organizations that went on to create this movement for Black lives network. And we're really proud of that work now. We can't do it on our own. And, and also Florida was really the home of Dream Defenders. And so while we really had a lot of national involvement and conversation and national building, we were most impactful here in Florida. So I'm incredibly proud of the advancement Dream Defenders and Florida organizing across the board has given us over the last 10 years," Abuznaid said.

There were fears the movement that began in Sanford would turn violent. Thousands of people were expected to march through the streets and gather in Fort Mellon Park. Civil rights leaders were set to speak, with the family of Trayvon Martin joining them demanding an arrest. But there was no violence, only peaceful protest.

"You seen thousands rally in the state of Florida, but also, you know, thousands, and tens of thousands rally across the country. And we saw similar iterations after the uprisings in Ferguson. And we saw similar iterations after the murder of George Floyd," Abuznaid said.

While Abuznaid and the Dream Defenders don't take sole credit for the BLM movement, they do know their role helped inspire a nation to hold people accountable. And their hope is organizations like theirs and others aren't needed in the future.

"Abolition of slavery seemed insane to people at the times where slavery was operating. Abolition of Jim Crow laws, was insane to people when Blacks and whites were still segregated lunch counters in schools. And so right now people may think it's insane to demand, you know, abolition of certain structures and systems that have continued to show us that they're not solving the problem they were created to solve for," Abuznaid said.

Go here to read the rest:
How Trayvon Martin's death led to the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement - WESH 2 Orlando