In a case that examined the problems of racial violence and vigilantism in America, a court today sentenced Travis McMichael to life in prison for federal hate crimes in the 2020 brutal murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was killed while running through a neighbourhood that was primarily white.
McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael, 66, and their next-door neighbour William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, were found guilty in February of attempting to abduct Arbery and assaulting him in violation of his civil rights. Later in the day, Gregory McMichael and Bryan are due to receive sentences.
The father of the victim, Marcus Arbery, wanted the judge to sentence the younger McMichael to serve the maximum amount of time possible in state prison on the federal counts during the initial hearing.
The murder of Ahmaud Arbery is one in a string of Black persons in recent years, which has brought racism in the US criminal justice system and law enforcement to light. It also emphasised the bigger problem of gun violence in the US.
The McMichaels were also found guilty of a federal gun offence during the hate crimes trial. The potential sentence for the most serious offence the defendants faced—hate crimes felony—was life in prison.
Former Glynn County policeman Gregory McMichael later worked for the district attorney’s office in the area. Roddie Bryan was employed as a mechanic.
On a February 2020 afternoon, Arbery was running through the green Satilla Shores neighbourhood when the McMichaels made the decision to get their firearms, get in a pickup vehicle, and give chase. Bryan, their next-door neighbour, joined the pursuit in his own pickup truck and grabbed his phone to capture Travis McMichael shooting a shotgun at Arbery from a close distance. Apart from his jogging clothing and sneakers, Arbery had nothing on him.
The McMichaels have stated that they thought Ahmaud Arbery seemed suspicious considering several break-ins in the neighbourhood. Bryan’s attorney said that his client got involved in the chase because he believed the target of the McMichaels’ pursuit had “done something illegal.” There has never been any proof linking Arbery to any Satilla Shore thefts.
In a recent episode of the New York Times podcast “The Daily,” an important reality about child care permeated the discussion: that for many families, access to quality child care requires significant financial resources. This is certainly the case in Minnesota, where the average cost of child care is more than $1,000 per month.
When looking deeper, we see how a lack of access to early childhood care and education is experienced across different communities – and how structural racism impacts access and quality.
Cost limits access
Structural racism impacts a family’s ability to access a quality early childhood care and education program. We see this through the average cost of care, coupled with racial and ethnic earnings disparities, which are larger in Minnesota than in the U.S. as a whole. (For instance, Black, Indigenous, Latine and Hmong workers in Minnesota have median annual earnings ranging from $27,900 to $35,000, while white workers have median earnings of $47,900.) These income disparities mean that Black, Indigenous and other parents of color have an even more difficult time affording child care than white parents.
Role of program funding
While Minnesota has state- and locally funded programs that help with the cost of child care, many eligible families are unable to access them due to insufficient funding. Among the children eligible based on their family’s income, 83% are not receiving early learning scholarships, 52% are not enrolled in Head Start and 94% are not enrolled in Early Head Start. The problem here is not lack of parental interest, but rather lack of funding.
Structure and schedule of licensed child care programs
The majority of licensed child care programs tend to be open from early morning to early evening. These hours of operation are a good fit for parents who work during that time frame (usually considered more white-collar, first-shift working hours), but that structure makes it next to impossible for parents to find care if they work jobs that have erratic or unpredictable hours. This varied schedule is a reality for parents who work low-wage jobs – jobs that are also unlikely to include employment benefits like paid time off. And Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian Pacific Islander and other parents of color are more likely to be in low-wage jobs compared to white parents.
Source: Sahan Journal
Also Read: Structural racism severely impacts the health of foreign-born Blacks and Latinx
Students at a middle school in Danvers, Massachusetts, have found anti-Semitic graffiti in a bathroom for the second time in two weeks, officials said Thursday.
A swastika symbol — used by the Nazis and by neo-Nazis — was found in a student bathroom at Holten Richmond Middle School on Thursday and reported to school officials, said Danvers School Superintendent Lisa Dana in a letter to the community.
Last week, “racist, homophobic and antisemitic graffiti” was found in a bathroom at the same middle school, Dana said in the letter, calling it a “hate incident.”
“We condemn this hate crime and want to be clear that this type of hateful and discriminatory behavior has no place at Holten-Richmond Middle School or in any Danvers public school,” Dana wrote. “We are very proud of the students who sought out a trusted adult to report it.”
She said the administration and police are investigating the incident and will take any “appropriate disciplinary and/or legal action.” The school also planned to hold team meetings on Friday, to educate students on the meaning and significance of the swastika.
The discovery also comes amid controversy surrounding allegations of violent, sexual, homophobic and racist hazing rituals against the 2019-2020 Danvers high school hockey team.
The Boston Globe reported that town officials attempts to cover up the incident earlier in November. Parents and teachers blasted the school for lack of transparency and the alleged cover-up, calling Dana’s removal as superintendent.
Source: NBC Boston
Also Read: Two schools targeted with vandalism, anti-Semitic graffiti
A Brooklyn man has been convicted of randomly attacking a rabbi as he was leaving synagogue, shouting anti-Semitic slurs while he strangled the helpless man.
James Vincent, 44, attacked Rabbi Menachem Moskowitz, 52, after the Jewish man gave a friendly wave on April 21, 2018, near Rutland Road and E. 46th St. in East Flatbush.
“You f–king Jew, you Jews took my house and mortgage,” he yelled at Moskowitz as they passed each other.
Moskowitz kept walking, but Vincent ran up from behind and began to choke and punch him.
A few onlookers stopped the attack. Moskowitz picked up his yarmulke as Vincent ran off. He suffered a black eye and fractured ribs.
Cops were able to identify Vincent using video surveillance that captured him using a credit card to buy ice cream before the assault.
He was arrested six days after the attack.
A jury found Vincent guilty in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Wednesday of strangulation and assault as a hate crime. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 13.
“He started grabbing me, trying to choke me,” the victim told the Daily News days after the attack. “He said, ‘You f—ing Jews! You stole my money! I gotta kill you!’”
“I thought I was going to die,” Moskowitz, a father of nine, said.
Source: NY Daily News
Also Read: Police: Dead Pig Found at NJ Rabbi’s Home in Anti-Semitic Crime
Brooklyn man Brooklyn man
A white Boston City Council candidate is getting slammed over a campaign flyer she’s circulating that shows a photo of her in color and her Black opponent in grayscale, while noting the “stark differences” between them.
According to the New York Post, Mary Tamer’s campaign sent out the promotional material to voters last week, but some are pointing out the racism on the flyers.
“Mary Tamer’s city councilor campaign has gone full-blown racist. If you’re in Boston and live in District 6, vote for Kendra Hicks,” a resident wrote on Twitter, referring to Tamer’s opponent.
“As if the baseless fear-mongering and falsehoods here weren’t bad enough, they had to darken Kendra Hicks’ skin tone in the photo. This couldn’t go into the recycling bin fast enough,” another voter wrote.
Tamer and Hicks are both running for the city’s District 6 seat.
In response to the criticism, Tamer’s campaign denied the flyer was racist, claiming the “stark differences” were reflective of policy not race.
“The Tamer Campaign, which abhors all forms of racism, sent out a mailer citing clear policy differences between Mary and her opponent, Kendra Hicks,” Tamer’s account tweeted. “The photo used was never intended to cause harm or show racial animus, but it is clear, based on the feedback we have received and heard, that it did not set the right tone.”
While the campaign said it “learned a valuable lesson,” they stopped short of apologizing.
“What we intended to focus on and will continue to focus on are the significant policy differences between Mary and her opponent,” Tamer’s account tweeted
Monday (October 18). “Elections are about choices, and District 6 voters have a clear choice to make on November 2.”
Hicks has also reacted to the flyers and accused Tamer of sending the “racist trope” to make her appear “more menacing” to Boston voters.
Source: Bet
Also Read: Racism Is Declared a Public Health Crisis in New York City
The Girl Scouts of North East Ohio are fighting racism by creating a new initiative — the Social Justice Seeker program, while the national organization conducts an audit in a quest to become more inclusive.
The Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio partnering with the YWCA of Greater Cleveland for its 21-day challenge to create racial equity and social justice challenge for girls, volunteers and staff. The challenge aims to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership, utilizing a multi-media approach to complement the journey.
Fallon Pulley, director of Girl Experience, said the program will be a two-tiered, online experience for troop leaders and members. There are currently four sections available for review, including Exploring Identity, Anti-Racism, STEM, and Leadership & Activism.
After each adult section is completed, girl content in the form of downloadable PDFs will “unlock,” and once girls complete the activities, they will earn the Social Justice Seeker patch.
“It’s our hope that requiring access to content this way will encourage adults to take a deep dive into articles, videos, and podcasts and have a knowledge base before reviewing girl activities with their troops/groups,” said Jane Christyson, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts Northeast Ohio.
“Each section reviews everything from understanding how you identify socially and how your identities may intersect along with understanding racism and bias to how to be actively anti-racist,” Christyson said. “Because of an ever-changing landscape, we anticipate we will update program content every 12-18 months to maintain its relevancy.”
Christyson says the program just finished its piloting phase and will be available to all volunteers in May.
The Girl Scouts of the USA received $500,000 from the Ford Foundation in its commitment to dismantle systemic racism within the organization and promote diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and racial justice.
Read the complete article at: Cleveland
Also Read: Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Cleveland City Council condemns racism against Asian Americans
Days after former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay deleted her Instagram account due to online bullying, the producers of “The Bachelor” have released a statement in support of the star.
The executive producers of the dating franchise are condemning all racist harassment of Lindsay, who they applaud for using her voice to educate the public.
“As executive producers of ‘The Bachelor’ franchise, we would like to make it perfectly clear that any harassment directed towards Rachel Lindsay in the aftermath of her interview with Chris Harrison is completely inexcusable,” the statement, posted Monday on Twitter, reads.
“Rachel has received an unimaginable amount of hate and has been subjected to severe online bullying, which, more often than not, has been rooted in racism. That is totally unacceptable,” the statement continues. “Rachel has been an incredible advocate for our cast, and we are grateful that she has worked tirelessly towards racial equity and inclusion.”
Read the complete article at: Variety
Days after former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay deleted her Instagram account due to online bullying, the producers of “The Bachelor” have released a statement in support of the star. The executive producers of the dating franchise are condemning all racist harassment of Lindsay, who they applaud for using her voice to educate the public. “As executive producers of ‘The Bachelor’ franchise, we would like to make it perfectly clear that any harassment directed towards Rachel Lindsay in the aftermath of her interview with Chris Harrison is completely inexcusable,” the statement, posted Monday on Twitter, reads. “Rachel has received an unimaginable amount of hate and has been subjected to severe online bullying, which, more often than not, has been rooted in racism. That is totally unacceptable,” the statement continues. “Rachel has been an incredible advocate for our cast, and we are grateful that she has worked tirelessly towards racial equity and inclusion.”
Honors College Takes a Stand in Fight to End Racism
Honors College Takes a Stand in Fight to End Racism
Amidst the chaos and hate in the world, Texas A&M University-Commerce honors college has announced they are in the fight to end racism.
Dr. Ray Green, dean, honors college, sent out an email on Oct. 6, to his students stating that the honors college stands against racism and he hopes the honors college community will play a role in that.
Dr. Green mentioned that people can be sorted into three categories: racists, non-racists, and anti-racists.
An anti-racist person is someone who acts against racism and works toward a more inclusive society.
Amidst the chaos and hate in the world, Texas A&M University-Commerce honors college has announced they are in the fight to end racism. Dr. Ray Green, dean, honors college, sent out an email on Oct. 6, to his students stating that the honors college stands against racism and he hopes the honors college community will play a role in that. Dr. Green mentioned that people can be sorted into three categories: racists, non-racists, and anti-racists. An anti-racist person is someone who acts against racism and works toward a more inclusive society.
“You should not rent to Mexicans or Hispanics since this would lower our property values!”, “Hispanic people are liars!”
These are some of the wordings Marylin and Kazuo Tsuchiya told their neighbors who was trying to rent his house to prospective tenants.
Audio Recordings from the Court Hearing
Here are the recordings from the court hearing where they admitted they made racist remarks: Download the file
Marilyn’s email pushing her neighbor not to rent to “Mexicans”
In early February of 2019 when Marylin and Kazuo Tsuchiya noticed that new tenants of Hispanic or Mexican background are moving to their neighborhood they could not stand it and decided to use any type of tactics and intimidation to push their neighbor not to rent to them. The fact was that out of three tenants none were Mexican or Hispanic race, they were White American, Japanese, and Hawaiian native! However Marylin & Kazuo Tsuchiya thought they were Hispanics just because one of them had a small trailer behind his truck! For that reason they decided that none of them should be their neighbors.
They told their neighbors that the prospective tenants have a landscaping business and everyday the area is going to be crowed with Mexicans coming from Home Depot to work with them! The fact is that the new prospective tenants were all into mortgage and real estate businesses but Marylin & Kazuo Tsuchiya told their neighbor that they were lying that they are into real state business! They told their neighbors that renting to Mexicans or Hispanic people would lower our property values and therefore we should not rent to them! Ironically Marilyn herself has a gardening and landscaping business herself and her husband’s business is gardening tour! After they failed to push their neighbor not to rent to the three respected professionals whom were not even Hispanic decent, they started a series of intimidation and harassment against the new tenants and this led them to appear in court. They also contacted the city telling them that the neighbor does not have a required permit for ADU, shed, and stairs that have been there for 10 years and it has never been an issue for Tsuchiya family! Furthermore, they are against any children to play in the neighborhood and in the past they had harassed the neighbors whose children were playing or riding bikes in the cul-de-sac. Marilyn had told neighbors that they should have a quiet neighborhood and not having kids in the cul-de-sac, at the court the judge rebuked them that if they want to have a quite neighborhood they should move to the woods! They regularly call the police for every little thing from kids playing to people washing their cars.
Marilyn writing to her neighbor that “the Hispanics” are not good neighbors!
Another case of tenant harassment by Marilyn
Name: Marilyn Tsuchiya
After El Paso shooting, Mexican Americans can no longer
Name: Kazuo Tsuchiya
Their Business: Japan Specialized Group Tours
https://japansgtours.com/
LET’S SPEAK OUT AGAINST RACISM AND BIGOTRY!
It suddenly seems that Bernie Sanders—the democratic socialist candidate competing in the Democratic primaries—might actually have a chance of winning a significant number of primaries, thus becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in 2020.
As Holly Otterbein and David Siders write in Politico, the man who was written off by party insiders “as a candidate with a committed but narrow base who was too far left to win the primary” is now forcing the party’s leaders to reevaluate that assumption. The authors argue that “in the past few weeks, something has changed.”
Dan Pfeiffer, an Obama adviser, told them that Sanders could win Iowa and New Hampshire and create a groundswell by the time the South Carolina primary takes place (which Joe Biden is now favored to win) as well as Super Tuesday. By then Bernie might be an unstoppable force. NBC news national political correspondent Steve Kornacki told Newsweek that “if he starts winning, there could be a bandwagon effect.”
