Daily Archives: September 22, 2021

Janae Spooner

Like a lit match to a pool of gas, a single murder sparked an explosion of outrage and change, furthering the Black Lives Matter Movement. Many people are probably familiar with the surge in support for the black lives matter movement. During the summer there were peaceful protests, rioting, violence, and a call for justice.

The murder of George Floyd broke the camels back and served as a catalyst of indignation. On May 25th, police officers took Floyd into custody and used excessive force in pinning him down, eventually leading to his murder. This murder was recorded and spread across the internet, leading to a strong resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. The social media presence of the movement exploded, spreading awareness to any listening individual. I asked Maya Spooner, a Black young adult fluent in social media about her experience with the movement on social media, I see the hashtag, I see all sorts of fundraisers related to BLM or black people in need regularly. I see discussions n what ppl would like BLM to do, I see discussions on what BLM has done, or what they dont do.

Although the recent surge in popularity is how many came to know about the black lives matter movement, BLM has a rich history of advocating against the oppression of black people in America. Starting as a simple hashtag, the growth of the BLM organization is definitely a sight to behold. Based mostly on social media, this organization relies on the internet to promote the black-centred political movement to the masses. Unfortunately, another act of violence was the motivation for the rudimentary beginnings of the movement.

In 2012, after the shootings of Trayvon Martin, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter began to grow in popularity as a protest against the acts of police brutality towards black people in America. In 2013, three women, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi started the political movement called #BlackLivesMatter. Since then, the project has only risen in popularity across the nation, gaining recognition, working towards the liberation of black people- even queer and disabled- in Americas oppressive system. They are accepting donations and support at the link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

A major moment in black liberation history was the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police. On May 25th, Floyd was taken into custody by Minneapolis police under suspicion of using counterfeit money to buy a pack of cigarettes. The police ended up using excessive force in order to subdue Floyd; kneeling on his neck as he called out for help until his inevitable death from suffocation. This entire ordeal was filmed by onlookers hoping to use the evidence to hold the officers accountable. This incident spread like wildfire, with people rightfully getting upset at the obvious misuse of power by the police force. Melinda Aaron, a black woman old enough to experience racism at its height looks back on her reaction to the announcement: I remember the worst thing that I heard about George Floyds death was the length of time that policeman had his knee on his neck.

I cant breathe. Some of the last words of Floyd as he pleaded for his life; for mercy from the cop kneeling on his kneck. These words served to provoke the nation, effectively opening up their eyes to the atrocities acted upon black people by police. This lead to a series of several events as the masses attempted to get justice. I asked Brianna Cruz-Cortez what she remembered, a young adult who experienced this summer first-hand through social media, and she said: I think I found out [about George Floyds death] through social media probably like Instagram or one of twitters momentsand then I would see protests in posts

Much of the BLM movement was located on the internet, raising awareness through social media and the like. During the summer of discontent, fundraisers, infographic and petitions helped the cause by spreading information and allowing people to come together in a unified front. Cruz-Cortez recalls how she helped to spread awareness, a group of my peers and I would take turns to spread around petitions that were important, and wed try to educate each other on social issues that we thought were current to our time and where we could actively make changes by spreading this information. Many organizations for the movement have followed suit, using social media to reach out to the younger generation in the hopes of enlisting their help. Delaware State University has its own Instagram dedicated to diversity and acceptance on campus. At dsu_diversity on Instagram.

The aftermath after the surge in outrage in response to Floyds murder on May 25th was as follows: peaceful protests were observed all across America in an effort to bring attention to the injustice in the systemic oppression enforced by the police force. Similarly, violent riots broke out alongside these protests, adding an urgency to the matter, and pointing more attention to the cause. Cruz-Cortez Gives her opinion on the riots, I was all for the riots and even when they got violent I was still for them because I think it was their place to tear down the very infrastructure that was used to oppress them.

Now, the BLM movement is a well recognized and heavily supported movement by many across America. Although support seems to have waned, sadly, it is only a matter of time before another act of police brutality will incite more action. The cycle still remains that is actively oppressing black people in America with the use of the police force. We can only hope that eventually, change will come about to free black people in this nation. Until then, our actions and displays can serve as reminders for the people we have lost to this violence. We can all do our part for the better of the BLM Movement.

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The Black Lives Matter Movement of the Summer of 2020 - The Hornet

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A Utah school district has landed in the middle of the classroom culture war after explicitly banning LGBTQ pride flags and Black Lives Matter flags from being displayed in any of its buildings.

The spokesman for Davis School District in northern Utah says that administrators there believe the symbols have become too politically charged. And they want schools to remain neutral on all issues.

So no flags fly in our schools except for the flag of the United States of America, said spokesman Chris Williams. (He later clarified that some schools have flags from sports team or international countries that are unrelated to politics.)

The rule has emboldened conservative crusaders who, like Utah Board of Education member Natalie Cline, have suggested that classrooms are no place for identity politics. They see the decision as a win.

But it has touched off backlash from community activists, who say that flying the pride and BLM flags tells students from marginalized backgrounds that they are welcome. They argue that its about fostering belonging and community not displaying any political views.

And theyre worried that Black and Latino students or LGBTQ students will no longer feel like there are safe places they can easily spot in a school when they are the minority in the state.

These people who want to remove the flag, they dont understand what it means to us, said Amanda Darrow, the director of youth, family and education at the Utah Pride Center. That flag represents love and acceptance.

The rule in Davis School District, Williams said, has been in place for a few years. But it drew attention this month when it was sent out in an email reminder to teachers and administrators.

Screenshots swirled around on social media. One from North Layton Junior High said the rule on flags also extended to any other decorations, including stickers that a teacher might wear. No rainbow pins or pins listing pronouns, for instance, are allowed. It added: It does not matter what we have done in the past.

Williams said the district is just following state law.

Utah law doesnt specifically say anything about flags in the classroom. But it does instruct teachers to never mention their political or religious views. The ACLU of Utah also has said that an educators right to freedom of speech is limited in the classroom.

But interpreting those instructions and statutes has played out differently in different districts, when it comes to whats allowed to be pinned on the walls next to the ABCs or the periodic table. Some, like Davis, have taken a hard-line approach, casting a broad net over what they see as political.

Meanwhile, other districts let almost anything fly.

In Salt Lake City School District, Principal Nicole Palmer has probably 40 flags flying in the atrium of Rose Park Elementary where students first walk in each morning on their way to class.

She started with flags representing every country and nationality of the kids there; the population of the school on the west side of the state capital is 71% students of color. She thinks it would be even more important in most Utah schools where white students are the majority. Theres also a few Indigenous tribal flags that Palmer is working to get more of.

And at the very front are the rainbow stripes of the progress pride flag and the black polyester fabric of the Black Lives Matter flag.

You find yourself represented in one or more of the flags, Palmer said. Its intended to be comforting and reassuring and validating. I want students to see that they are wanted here and seen here for who they are every part of who they are.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The atrium of Rose Park Elementary in Salt Lake City, where an LGBTQ Pride flag and a Black Lives Matter flag hang along with flags of the United States, other countries, and local tribes, in 2020.

Its personal for Palmer. But it also hasnt gone without some pushback, which boiled over last fall.

Palmer has had a standard rainbow pride flag flying at the elementary for a few years, ever since the principal met a transgender student at the school who was transitioning. She wanted the student to know that they were welcome and recognized; she also designated a gender neutral bathroom.

The whole intent of hanging the flags is to communicate through symbols, Palmer said. You cant just hang a flag, though. You have to be a welcoming school through actions, too.

Last November, the principal upgraded the flag to the progress pride flag, which is more representative of all identities in the LGBTQ community, including individuals of color.

At the same time, Palmer added the Black Lives Matter flag, feeling prompted to do so after a sixth grade student asked her about it in response to the nationwide protests against the mistreatment of individuals of color, including often at the hands of police.

Once they were up, she took a video and posted it to Instagram, tagging Rose Park Elementary. Palmer wrote: Welcome to our new flags.

The next morning, she was confronted with hundreds of angry calls and threatening emails.

Eric Moutsos, a prominent conservative activist in Utah, had shared the video on Facebook, calling on his followers to demand the school remove the flags, especially the Black Lives Matter one. In his own conversation with the principal, Palmer said, he told her that it was illegal to fly the flags in a school.

It caught me completely off guard, Palmer said.

She called the district to see if she had done something wrong. She had never hidden the flags. In fact, she had taken the superintendent on a tour around the school.

The superintendent called her back directly and said she had his support. Palmer let go of a breath she felt shed been holding in her chest.

Then-superintendent Larry Madden also followed up with an email to the district community, saying he was proud of the flags and hoped Palmer wouldnt take them down. He said the 3-foot-by-5-foot pieces of colorful cloth are not a political statement.

The decision to hang these flags is backed by policies in our district that bolster ALL students and specifically prohibit discrimination, Madden wrote. The flags show our students and families we love them and want them to succeed. Thats a goal I hope the entire community can support.

The new superintendent of the district, Timothy Gadson, told The Salt Lake Tribune that stance still stands under his administration, too.

Soon after, Palmer noticed that others were chiming into the comments on the Instagram post and sending her kind emails to counteract those protesting the flags. Some said they wished they had those flags up when they went to school. Others found the ones representing their counties and wrote things like, Go Kenya! Many in the LGBTQ community, specifically, thanked the principal; some said they believed the flags would save student lives.

Since then, more LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter flags have been popping up across the district. One administrator received a grant to buy more and distributed them to every school.

With Davis and Salt Lake City school districts at opposite ends of the issue, where does that leave other schools in the state? Which example can they or should they follow?

Mark Peterson, the spokesman for the Utah Board of Education, said it is up to each district or charter to set their own policy on flags.

There is no rule from the state board on flags outside of the American flag, which all schools are required to have. Schools are also instructed to have students recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning (which parents can also choose to opt out of). But thats it, Peterson said.

(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Students at Park Valley School say the Pledge of Allegiance in this file photo.

The Utah Legislature has not weighed in on the issue, so unless theres more clear direction there, districts have only to follow the fuzzy area of state law that prohibits educators from sharing their personal beliefs on religion or politics.

With that, it comes down to what school districts individually decide is too political. At Canyons School District, for instance, theyre trying to cut down the middle.

Teachers can only hang flags on their walls if its directly related to curriculum, said spokesman Jeff Haney, such as a Soviet era flag in a history class. But teachers can decorate their personal desk however they see fit including putting a pride flag or Black Lives Matter flag there.

If they want to put a statue of Buddha on their desk or a mug with rainbow there, then they can, Haney said.

He added that he believes districts are operating in an era where theres enhanced scrutiny of schools, with culture wars erupting over lessons about race and more students and parents filming things in the classroom. That has caused the district to try to be more cautious with its rules. Canyons, Haney said, wants to be neutral in both appearance and action.

His comments come after a Utah teacher left her job at Lehi High School this year after she was recorded sounding off to her students in a profane address that jumped from former President Donald Trump to the COVID-19 vaccine, climate change and the LGBTQ community. The prohibition on speech like that, though, is more clear cut in state law than flying a flag.

A video of the teachers talk was posted online by Moutsos, the same conservative leader who called the principal at Rose Park Elementary over the flags there.

And last year in Utah, one school came under fire for not doing enough to support the LGBTQ community after one student cut down a pride flag to cheers, while another school drew criticism for a teacher proudly wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt.

Its left many districts feeling afraid, Haney said, and like theyre stuck no matter what they do, open to the crossfire from both sides of the issue.

The Davis School District spokesman said the hope is that by having no flags, theyll avoid division and no child will feel alienated.

This direction is surely not something that slights anyone, he said. We have to be welcoming to every student that walks in the class. We cannot set up a situation where students walk in feel attacked or uncomfortable.

He added that all schools in the district have a gay straight alliance club; and students are still free to express themselves, wearing pride or BLM shirts if they want. And the police Thin Blue Line flag is also banned from being flown, he noted, suggesting theres no favoritism shown.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Demonstrators honk their horns as they drive in downtown Salt Lake City, during a rally for justice for George Floyd, in solidarity with Minneapolis, as Derek Chauvin's trial starts on Monday, the rally was sponsored by Utah Against Police Brutality, on Saturday, March 6, 2021.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Supporters of law enforcement gathered at City Hall in Salt Lake City for a rally in support of police hosted by the Utah Business Revival on Saturday, June 20, 2020.

The Fraternal Order of Police union in Utah said it supports the decision. It put out a letter last year criticizing the teacher over the shirt for Black Lives Matter, suggesting that has become a political organization. Schools should be a neutral learning place, union President Brent Jex said.

Black Lives Matter, though, has said its group is not political, saying members want justice and fair treatment for people of color.

Some groups, including the Black Lives Matter chapter in Utah, have said they feel the American flag has become a political symbol. So where is the line drawn? And who gets to draw it? Can kindergarten classrooms not have rainbows on their walls now?

Darrow, with the Utah Pride Center, believes that as it stands, school administrators have too much power to choose what is or isnt considered political. And those decisions to not make some students feel uncomfortable, she said, prioritize those who dont come from marginalized backgrounds.

She said when she was in high school in Utah in the early 2000s, she had not yet come out as LGBTQ. She didnt feel safe.

Darrow remembers, though, a few teachers having a pride flag in their classroom then and instantly feeling like it signaled she was in a safe space. I was so afraid to be bullied for who I was, she said. But when I saw those flags, I would just smile.

Excerpt from:

This Utah school district has banned LGBTQ pride and Black Lives Matter flags, saying they are 'politically charged' - Salt Lake Tribune

Ted Nugent was challenged by a Black man during a political rally in Centreville, Michigan, where the guitarist called Black Lives Matter a terrorist organization.

Only around 100 people attended Nugents appearance on Friday (September 17th) as part of the Jack Coleman Presents Ted & Shemane Nugent Constitution Tour. Apparently, 600 attendees were expected.

Nevertheless, a camo-clad Nugent took the stage to pontificate his right-wing views to the mostly white crowd. At one point, Nugent touched on Black Lives Matter, even goading the audience to challenge his opinions regarding the movement.

Arent there any BLM punks who want to come up and harass me? Nugent asked, as reported by local news station WWMT.

At that point, a Black man named Jalen Brown approached the stage, asking for the mic from Nugent.

Bravely, Brown stood directly in front of the stage and proceeded to speak in support of Black Lives Matter, despite a chorus of boos from the mostly white crowd.

Nugent then resorted to personal insults, calling Brown a varmint and saying black lives dont give a sh*t about black lives before calling BLM a terrorist organization.

Prior to leaving the stage, Brown reminded the crowd that were not here by choice and black lives matter, too, but again, the crowd berated him with chants of U-S-A! and the ultimate cry of ignorance, all lives matter!

Later, Brown told WWMT, As soon as he said Black Lives Matter was a terrorist organization, I took that personally.

One can only admire Brown for standing up to Nugent, considering the latters track record for racist sentiments. Over the years, hes asserted that it would have been best had the South won the Civil War in a Washington Times column and once said blacks were not hard workers while repeatedly using racial slurs.

Watch Jalen Brown confront Ted Nugent at the Michigan rally below.

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Ted Nugent Confronted at Rally Where He Called Black Lives Matter a Terrorist Organization: Watch - Consequence

QFC and Fred Meyer violated federal labor law when store officials prohibited workers from wearing union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons, according to a ruling by Region 19 of the National Labor Relations Board.

Seattle-based UFCW 21 announced in a Sept. 17 press release that the board informed the union of the ruling against both companies, which are owned by Kroger.

Specifically, Region 19 (Alaska, Montana, Oregon and Washington) found merit in UFCW 21s charges that Kroger violated the law by: 1) failing to bargain with the union over a change in workplace conditions in this case the practice of allowing the wearing of buttons at work; and 2) prohibiting workers from taking action together in this case, by wearing Black Lives Matter messages to protest racism in the workplace and in society, generally, according to the press release.

Seattle-based Region 19 will now seek a settlement agreement with Kroger, which would likely require a change to company policy, according to the union. If a settlement cannot be reached, Region 19 would typically issue a formal complaint and a trial would be held before an Administrative Law judge, whose ruling would be subject to an appeal to the NLRB in Washington D.C.

This is very uplifting, said Sam Dancy a front end supervisor at the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle. When workers were trying to speak out through these buttons and collectively say Black Lives Matter and Kroger said to take the buttons off, that was an insult. This decision is welcome news in our work to bring attention to social and racial injustice in the workplace and in our neighborhoods.

A QFC spokesperson issued the following statement in a Sept. 17 email to the Kent Reporter.

We look forward to reviewing the proposed settlement agreement, according to the spokesperson. Our company is unequivocal in standing with our Black associates, deeply listening and taking action to advance more diverse, inclusive and equitable communities.

UFCW 21 President Faye Guenther released the following statement.

In the wake of this welcome action by the NLRB, we are calling on Kroger to respect workers rights and take meaningful steps to address racial inequities in Kroger workplaces, Guenther said. Among other things, Kroger needs to do a better job of hiring and promoting African Americans at every level of the company and making it clear that it will not tolerate racism from customers or employees.

After Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on May 25, 2020, many UFCW 21 members working in grocery and retail stores chose to express their opposition to racism by wearing face masks (otherwise worn for protection from COVID-19) or other items bearing the Black Lives Matter slogan.

Although Kroger issued public statements expressing sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement, managers at Kroger-owned stores in Western Washington started ordering UFCW 21 members to remove Black Lives Matter masks in August 2020, according to the union press release.

UFCW 21 responded to the companys Black Lives Matter ban by collaborating with Fred Meyer and QFC workers to distribute union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons with the UFCW 21 logo. When managers banned the union buttons, UFCW 21 filed charges in September 2020 with the National Labor Relations Board.

UFCW 21 represents over 46,000 workers at grocery stores, retail, health care and other industry jobs.

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Grocery store workers have right to wear Black Lives Matter buttons - Mercer Island Reporter