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Black Lives Matter still isnt a political statement. Yes, it is a statement. Its a passionate statement. Its a powerful statement. Black Lives Matter are words that feels empowering to some, and like a cry for help to many. And for others, it seems to be a fear-inducing statement, and even a threat. But thats how fear works. When you fear something like a statement or movement, theres a chance thats because you dont understand what it means or where it originated, or even the intention behind it.

As a Black parent, when you learn that little boys and girls around the country who have worn T-shirts that say Black Lives Matter have been removed from class and kicked out of daycare, its beyond frustrating. Just last week, two brothers in Oklahoma, ages 8 and 5 (they attend different schools)m were made to sit in an office or turn the shirt inside out the entire school day when they wore their T-shirts. Last summer, a 6-year-old girl in Arkansas was told she was no longer welcome at the daycare she attended for six months because her shirt said Black Lives Matter.

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While its true that BLM is an emotionally charged movement, is it also true that being proud of who you are shouldnt be called a political statement.

When it comes to the roots of the statement Black Lives Matter, we can go back just eight years ago. In July 2013, three Black women and organizers Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created a Black-centered movement building project called Black Lives Matter that began with a social media hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in February 2012. Unfortunately, the movement grew. Unfortunate because its a shame that the senseless deaths continued from Michael Brown in Missouri to Eric Garner in New York to George Floyd in Minneapolis, and hundreds of others, so many that they have to be reduced to a hashtag.

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According to the BLM website, the mission is this: By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.

Thats it.

How about putting it in this perspective? Black Lives Matter began in 2012 with the killing of a young boy with a pack of Skittles who looked threatening to a grown man with a gun, and the young boy ended up losing his life. As a parent, if you have a grade-school-aged child, its likely that theyve grown up with the phrase Black Live Matter, like some of our parents grew up with the chant No justice, no peace, or singing, The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind.

Granted, theres a lot to unpack about our history as a nation. So much emotional and psychological harm has been done that has brought the collective us to this point, where it has to be stated that a certain race of people matter. Some may read the above BLM mission and not like the idea of creating space for Black joy, but this is the language of human rights, and unfortunately, human rights havent come as naturally and easily as they should.

Honestly, its a shame that Black Lives Matter even needs to be said. That its a chant, a hashtag, a logo thats put on T-shirts like a favorite baseball team or pop singer. But here we are.

While Black Lives Matter has become a movement, its all about people. People asking, demanding, begging to be treated equally. Not better than, just equally. Its not tied to a political party, so schools should not be teaching that message.

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The Problem With Boys Being Removed From Class for 'Political' Black Lives Matters Shirts - Yahoo Lifestyle

ANDERSON Waiting to exhale.

Thats what several Black Anderson residents, including Peggy Nunn, Terrell Brown and James Burgess said they did Tuesday afternoon as the jury in Derek Chauvins trial deliberated his fate for the May 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Nunn, who watched the events unfold on Court TV, said she burst into tears when she heard the guilty verdict on all three counts, including second-degree unintentional murder, third degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

I just wanted justice served. From what I saw in TV, he was guilty as ever, she said. I have no hatred toward him. Im just glad that justice was served.

Nunn was one of millions of African-Americans nationwide who have waited for justice for the man whose death last summer sparked angry, sometimes violent, protests.

Its been a long journey, and Im glad its over with and they found justice for George Floyd, she said.

Like many Black Americans, Nunn feared the high standard of reasonable doubt of one juror might have set Chauvin free and set off a new round of protests. And she admitted she still fears the verdict could be overturned at appeal.

I just knew it was going to turn the other way. I have a sister in Minnesota, and I thought, They are going to tear Minnesota up, she said.

A grandmother of four boys, Nunn said she hopes the verdict will help lead to reforms that will keep them safe.

I cant see myself experiencing what the Floyd family went through, she said.

Last summer, Brown was so caught up in the horror of Floyds death under Chauvins knee that he helped establish Its Up There, an organization that brought protests to communities throughout Madison County.

That was a major win for us, he said. God got something in store for him. I feel like this is just the beginning for him.

Brown said he like like a huge burden had been lifted.

I was nervous. I aint gonna lie. I was nervous, he said about the verdict. Its like a boulder has been lifted off of everybodys back, but not just Black people.

But it felt good to hear the jury do the right thing, Brown said.

It was more of a humanity thing than a law thing when it came to the verdict, he said. Its a good feeling to know that the worlds changing, man. That right there proves it. I dont know who the jurors were, but I feel like they went into that room and made a decision off of morals more than law.

As he followed the trial, Brown said he became upset as he watched defense lawyers try to blame the victim.

I feel like the defense didnt have a good fight. They really tried to slander George Floyd, he said.

But the verdict was just a small victory, Brown said.

Just because we got this verdict for George Floyd doesnt mean it isnt still happening, he said. We still got Daunte Wright in Minneapolis. We got this victory, but we still got a whole war to win.

Wright was shot to death by 26-year police veteran Kim Potter in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center as the Chauvin trial took place.

Burgess, president of the Anderson chapter of the NAACP, said this is a victory Black Americans have been waiting for since four Los Angeles police officers were filmed beating Rodney King after a high-speed chase in 1991. Three of the officers were acquitted and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on one charge for a fourth.

Ever since the Rodney King verdict, Blacks have been waiting to exhale, he said, referencing an expression made popular by Terry McMillans book by the same name and Floyds utterance that he couldnt breathe as Chauvin kept his knee on his neck.

Like the others, Burgess said he didnt hold out much hope for Chauvins conviction.

You would wonder, what would it take? You can only exhale and say, Wow, he said. There have been so many killings that take place, and it doesnt start and stop with George Floyd.

The reason is that time and again Black Americans have been disappointed by the acquittals of police officers, even if they were filmed, in high-profile cases.

With George Zimmerman, I was in California when that verdict came, and I never want to feel that way again, he said. Though Zimmerman, who was acquitted of all charges in the 2012 shooting death of Black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, was not a police officer but a neighborhood watch coordinator.

Though he is pleased with what he said was an obvious verdict, Burgess said there are hundreds of similar cases around the nation that likely wont end the same way.

What I have learned in the civil rights arena is that the victory is short and something new is right around the corner, he said.

More:
Black community exhales but admits there is still work to be done - The Herald Bulletin

All eyes were on a Minneapolis courtroom Tuesday, where a jury delivered guilty verdicts on all counts against former police Officer Derek Chauvin, convicting him of the murder of George Floyd.

In Wyoming, local activists say theres still a long way to go until justice is really served.

Jimmy Simmons, vice president of the Pikes Peak Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the former president of the Casper NAACP, said the verdict surprised him.

Ive seen it so many times, the cop usually gets off, Simmons said. I was set for the jury to go the other way.

People in Casper are raising their voices to protest racism and police brutality. Here are six of their stories.

Simmons says since the summers protests, momentum for Caspers own conference chapter has grown. He said Tuesday that the Casper group is around 70 strong, but the pandemic has delayed starting an official chapter.

But one convicted officer in Minnesota doesnt mean the whole system is going to change, activists from the Laramie Human Rights Network said Tuesday. Around 1% of U.S. officers who kill someone on the job face charges, and just 0.3% are convicted, according to data from watchdog group Mapping Police Violence.

The verdict still means that George Floyd was murdered, Illyanna Saucedo said. Its better than Chauvin being acquitted, but that is a pretty low bar for seeking justice.

Jimmy Simmons holds his first in the air as tears fall down his face during the eight minutes of silence in honor of George Floyd on June 5 in Casper. Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes.

Karlee Provenza, executive director of Albany County for Proper Policing, said she heard from some locals Tuesday who compared the Chauvin case to that of Derek Colling, the Albany County Sheriffs deputy who shot and killed Robbie Ramirez in 2018. A grand jury declined to indict Colling, who was involved in two earlier deadly shootings while working in Las Vegas and now faces a civil lawsuit filed by Ramirezs family. The Laramie shooting prompted protests and calls for reform in Albany County.

Watching that (Chauvin) verdict, is it justice? No, not really, said Provenza, who is also a state representative out of Laramie. I think justice is stopping police use of lethal force before it happens rather than going through the punitive system.

Casper woman accuses police officer of excessive force

Provenza said change needs to come through legislation and local policy to stop similar events from happening again. Wyomings policing statutes have remained unchanged for nearly 50 years, and attempts at reform in the Legislature this year failed.

There are some areas opening up to change in Wyoming in Laramie, for example, the city is considering installing a civilian oversight board for its police department. It would be the first of its kind in the state.

That was something that the city of Laramie wasnt considering before George Floyds death, Provenza said. To have this national conversation come here and spark protests opened up an opportunity to get some of that oversight.

The large crowd gathered outside the Minneapolis courthouse where a judge read out the three guilty verdicts for Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd erupted in celebration and tearful relief.

But Saucedo said the Laramie Human Rights Network has yet to see any concrete reforms by law enforcement in Albany County.

In Casper, activist Mariah Bovee said she had conversations with the police department last summer about how to make policing more transparent and weed out bad officers. She says she doesnt see it as an us versus them or police-versus-citizen issue, but a community issue where everyone has a stake.

Casper Police Chief Keith McPheeters declined to comment Tuesday.

Casper Police Chief Keith McPheeters marches alongside demonstrators honoring George Floyd on June 5 in Casper.

Bovee said Chauvins conviction is a step in the right direction, but she sees a lot of work that still needs to be done both in Wyoming and at the federal level. For a start, she said Wyoming needs to enact hate crime legislation (which also failed in the Legislature in March).

She cites issues with qualified immunity for officers, adding to a list of demands Bovee called for during a march in Casper last June in reaction to Floyds death including bias screenings, anti-racist and de-escalation trainings and citizen review boards.

Its going to take a cultural shift. Its going to be slow, but you have to keep at it, Bovee said. Im seeing some small shifts. Im very hopeful with our young people, because I think they are going to demand those changes.

Protesters raise their fits during eight minutes of silence honoring George Floyd at a vigil in Casper Friday, June 5.

Keisha Simmons stands at a podium delivering the final speech at a vigil for George Floyd in front of the Hall of Justice on June 5 in Casper.While many states are enacting police reforms, there appears to be little appetite for major changes in Wyoming.

Kailey Hardy poses for a portrait with a face mask bearing a red "x" over her mouth at a vigil for George Floyd in downtown Casper Friday, June 6.

Demonstrators stand in silence in honor of George Floyd Friday, June 5, in Casper.

Peaceful demonstrators march in silence along David Street towards the Hall of Justice for a vigil honoring George Floyd Friday, June 5, in Casper.

Demonstrators march along David Street towards the Hall of Justice for a peaceful vigil honoring George Floyd Friday, June 5, in Casper.

Hundreds gather in a parking lot in downtown Casper to take part in a march and vigil honoring George Floyd Friday, June 5.

Hundred gather in front of the Hall of Justice for a vigil honoring George Floyd Friday, June 5, in Casper.

During a moment of silence, demonstrators raise their fists in solidarity at a vigil for George Floyd in front of the Hall of Justice in Casper Friday, June 5.

Demonstrators raise their fists in solidarity during a moment of silence for George Floyd at a vigil in his honor Friday, June 5.

Shannon Burton, left, and Leah Ann Burton raise their fits along with hundreds of protestors during eight minutes of silence honoring George Floyd at a vigil in Casper Friday, June 5.

Armed civilians stand on the sidewalk watching a peaceful march along David Street towards the Hall of Justice for a vigil honoring George Floyd Friday, June 5.

Demonstrators hold signs and stand in solidarity at a peaceful vigil for George Floyd Friday, June 5, in Casper.

Silent demonstrators march along David Street towards the Hall of Justice passing a man holding up a Gadsden flag with his fist raised Friday, June 5, in Casper.

A group of armed civilians stand in the middle of David Street watching a vigil for George Floyd in downtown Casper Friday, June 5. The group declined to give their names or state their purpose for attending.

A young armed civilian walks along the periphery of a silent march down David Street towards the Hall of Justice for a vigil honoring George Floyd Friday, June 5. The armed civilian would not give his name but was among a group who stated their purpose for being present was to protect the First Amendment and keep the peace.

Amya Shropshire pose for a portrait wearing a shirt depicting Trayvon Martin at a vigil for George Floyd in Casper Friday, June 5. Martin was killed by George Zimmerman in Florida, Zimmerman was later found not guilty at a trial.

An upside down American flag is held aloft as demonstrators gather to walk in honor of George Floyd Friday, June 5, in Casper.

Keisha Simmons speaks at a vigil for George Floyd in front of the Hall of Justice in Casper Friday, June 5, while artist Josh Kravik holds up a photo collage depicting a portrait of Floyd.

Local artist Josh Kravik created a photo collage portrait of George Floyd using photos of other victims of police brutality and held it on display at the vigil for Floyd during a vigil in his honor in front of the Hall of Justice in Casper Friday, June 5.

Local artist Josh Kravik used photos of victims of police brutality to create a portrait of George Floyd on display at a vigil in his honor Friday, June 5, in Casper. Kravik used photos of graduations, celebrations and other uplifting images, "It was important to me that I only sourced pictured of people that were happy, not violence, said Kravik. This man may be why were all here but everyone that came before also needs to be remembered.

A demonstrator at a march and vigil for George Floyd wears a Guy Fawkes mask backwards Friday, June 5, in Casper.

Teagan Bizzell, 7, sits on her uncle, George Clam's shoulders at a vigil for George Floyd in Casper Friday, June 5. Bizzell and her sibling are both biracial adopted into a white family. Her mother said the reason she brought Bizzell to the demonstration, "I want them to know when they grow up that their voice will always be heard."

Stacy Mapp holds up a speaker while it plays "We are the World' as the demonstrators participating at a vigil for George Floyd arrive in front of the Hall of Justice on David Street in Casper Friday, June 5.

Shadows of protesters stretch to the steps of the Hall of Justice as they gather for a vigil honoring George Floyd Friday, June 5, in Casper.

Jimmy Simmons holds his first in the air as tears fall down his face during the eight minutes of silence in honor of George Floyd on June 5 in Casper. Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes.

Rosetta Jones wears a face mask with the words "we can't breathe" written as she attends a peaceful vigil for George Floyd in downtown Casper Friday, June 5. Jones said as she was walking on her way to the demonstration people in a truck yelled a racial slur at her. A group of fellow demonstrators who witnessed the event joined her and walked with her to the gathering for the march and vigil. "That's what this is about," says Jones, "I'll stand with you."

Hundreds gather on David Street in front of the Hall of Justice for a peaceful vigil honoring George Floyd Friday, June 5.

Casper Police Chief Keith McPheeters marches alongside demonstrators honoring George Floyd on June 5 in Casper. The City Council discussed the protests at its Tuesday evening meeting.

Teagan Bizzell, 7, sits on her uncle's shoulders as she raises her fist in solidarity during eight minutes of silence for George Floyd Friday, June 5, in Casper.

Isaiah Dobbins walks arm in arm with fellow demonstrators leading a march down David Street towards the Hall of Justice for a peaceful vigil for George Floyd Friday, June 6, in Casper.

Keisha Simmons speaks to a crowd of hundreds gathered in front of the Hall of Justice in Casper for a vigil honoring George Floyd on Friday. The group that organized the vigil, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, is looking to start a chapter in Casper.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the Hall of Justice to honor George Floyd are reflected in the windows of the building Friday, June 5, in Casper.

A man raises his first in solidarity at a vigil for George Floyd in downtown Casper Friday, June 5.

Armed civilians watch from the sidewalk as demonstrators who attended the vigil for George Floyd disperse from downtown Casper Friday, June 5.

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After conviction in Minnesota, Wyoming activists say there's more work to be done - KPVI News 6

Derek Chauvin is guilty on all counts, a jury ruled. Now, campus DEI leaders are asking: Where do we go from here?

The University of Alabamas Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host a virtual event titled Where Do We Go From Here? The Chauvin Case and Social Justice on April 21 at 6 p.m.

Derek Chauvin, formerly an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, was dismissed in May 2020 after he killed a handcuffed George Floyd. On April 20, after the deadly arrest sparked nationwide protests, a jury found Chauvin guilty on all three charges of murder and manslaughter.

UA President Stuart Bell announced the event in an email hours after Chauvin was found guilty. In the message, he highlighted the importance of the Universitys current diversity plan, the Path Forward Diversity Report.

As a University, we will continue our Path Forward, including our mission of changing lives not just through education, research and service but also building on the values of inclusivity, respect and justice for all, Bell said.

UA students, faculty and staff can register for the event online.

Professor of law Montr D. Corodine and director of system security Steve Anderson will discuss the [Floyd] case and its effects.

Corodine was also involved in an UA-sponsored discussion with the defense attorney of George Zimmerman, the officer who shot and killed Trayvon Martin.

Anderson is an alumnus of the UA criminal justice department and served on the Tuscaloosa Police Department for nearly two decades. He began working for the UA system in 2019 after retiring from TPD.

Bell provided a link to both the webinar and a collaboration with the DEI Intercultural Diversity Center, the Counseling Center and the Student Care and Well-Being Office, which are offering support and resources for all students, faculty and staff. He stressed the importance of seeking help during this time.

The tragic events that have occurred over the last several months, and that led to todays verdict in the murder of George Floyd, have impacted us all especially our communities of colorI encourage our campus community to seek out campus resources and to support one another.

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Campus community to discuss Chauvin verdict - The Crimson White - The University of Alabama Crimson White

There is a reason that so many lawns and store fronts brandish Black Lives Matter signs, Ms. Maynard [letter, Signs].

On April 12, we learned of another Black man, Daunte Wright, who had been shot and killed by police, again in Minnesota, for some supposed minor traffic violation. And last week, the trial arguments ended for the police officer who is accused of killing George Floyd by kneeling on his chest and neck for over 9 minutes, this for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill.

More and more people are starting to recognize the truth that, in America, Black lives have not mattered, have never mattered and still do not matter today. Take another look at those signs and read them carefully this time. They do not say only Black Lives Matter. They do not say Black Lives Matter more. They do not say other Lives Do Not Matter. But what they are saying, begging really, is for the rest of us to understand that Black Lives Matter, too and we need to stop dismissing them as though they are not important!

For example, before Daunte and George, we watched as police put Eric Garner in a chokehold in New York City and held him until he died for selling cigarettes on the street. Then Breonna Taylor died in her bed when police stormed her apartment in the night looking for non-existent drugs. And there was John Crawford who was killed by police as he checked out a toy gun inside a Walmart. And 12-year-old Tamir Rice, shot within seconds of the arrival of a police officer as he played with a toy gun. And how about Trayvon Martin, walking home to his fathers apartment with some candy and shot by George Zimmerman. And none of these killers was ever held accountable.

In fact, the only reason that former Officer Derek Chauvin is being tried in the death of George Floyd is that someone filmed the whole sordid thing and shared it with the world!

It is a sad fact that, according to the Washington Post Fatal Force, updated April 15, Black people in America make up about 13% of the total population but over 50% of those killed by police. In addition, Blacks comprise 40% of the U.S. prison population, and according to PolitiFact, June 29, 2018, large numbers of them jailed not because they have been found guilty of anything but because, once accused, they have been unable to pay bail. Languishing in prisons for weeks, months, even years while awaiting trial, these people lose their jobs, their homes, their families, not for anything they have done but because they couldnt afford to pay off their jailers!

As a people, Black Americans suffer in countless other ways. Starting with the Emancipation Proclamation, laws were passed in America to guarantee that People of Color will be kept poor and powerless. Banks refused them loans or charged exorbitant interest rates. Real estate agents showed them only homes in poorer neighborhoods. Companies hired only for lower paying and less responsible jobs. Even the U.S. government refused returning Black soldiers access to the GI Bill.

Since schools are supported by property taxes in the U.S., poor people necessarily have schools that are deficient in almost everything. Old buildings, asbestos, faulty plumbing with lead pipes, inadequate textbooks, no libraries or school nurses, Black children struggle to learn and even to believe in themselves. With so many parents incarcerated, many unjustly, children struggle at home as well, living on a single parents minimum wage, inadequate food and housing and health care. They grow up fearing the police, learning from their parents experiences that Black people do not fare well in law enforcements hands.

The fact that any Person of Color ever succeeds at anything other than sports in this country is a testament to the courage, determination, intelligence and hard work of every one of them. And succeed they do! Doctors, nurses, lawyers, ministers and priests, teachers, accountants, bankers, designers, artists, architects, scientists, mathematicians, inventors, authors, lawmakers and a president name it and you will find exceptional examples all around you. Still, even these accomplished people must deal with the prejudicial attitudes that whites impose on them.

A few years ago, we heard about an older Black man, a well-dressed minister, who pulled into a store parking lot when he felt himself going into a diabetic hypoglycemic attack. He needed a shot of glucose (sugar), fast. Instead, the store manager called the police who assumed he was overdosing on drugs and refused to hear the mans pleas, dragging him out of his car, handcuffing him and holding him until he died. What are the chances that a white man would have experienced the same response?

Those signs, Ms. Maynard, are an invitation for us to learn more about why Black Americans are asking us to care and a desperate call to grant them the same respect and concern we demand for ourselves.

Read more:
My Turn: Those signs are an invitation for us to learn more - The Recorder