Monthly Archives: February 2024

When LSA freshman Lamees Abdel Sattar first began work on her research project for her class, Afroamerican and African Studies 290, she originally chose to focus on exploring how the Black Lives Matter movement built solidarity. The project requires students to collect social media data to analyze the effect of social media in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Three days before the project was due, however, Abdel Sattar decided she wanted to shift her focus to researching disparities in health outcomes for Black women, specifically in maternal mortality rates. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Abdel Sattar said she felt supported by her professor, Ashley Crooks-Allen who is also a Dubois-Mandela-Rodney/NCID postdoctoral fellow through her process of choosing a topic to research.

I realized when I was doing (my project originally), it was based more on my own experiences rather than using a different lens to look more into BLM, Abdel Sattar said. I recently changed mine to disparities within health care for Black women and maternal mortality rates. My professor, theyre actually the nicest person ever. The draft of the project was due in three days, and Im like, Professor, is it OK if I completely change what Im doing? I have completely different ideas, and I just want to try something new.

Crooks-Allen designed their section of AAS 290 as a mini-course that explores the Black Lives Matter movement in order to more broadly understand how social media shapes activism. In an interview with The Daily, Crooks-Allen said the analysis of social media is especially important in understanding the Black Lives Matter movement in particular, as its expansion was directly connected to social media. They also explained what their goals for their students are.

I work with students to understand the progression of the movement over time and how social media has impacted the movement and how it has continued to grow in these social media spaces, Crooks-Allen said. Im looking at ways that activism takes place online, as well as how social media is mobilizing force for social movements, and BLM in particular.

For the students final project, Crooks-Allen knew they wanted students to extrapolate findings from social media data. Crooks-Allen wanted students to focus on not only quantitative social media data but also quantitative interview data. In class, they taught students how to conduct interviews by demonstrating the process of writing comprehensive interview questions, as well as allowing time for mock interviews.

It felt vitally important for students to be able to actually talk to people about these issues as theyre happening, Crooks-Allen said. With interviewing, (it is) really important to highlight the importance of storytelling, especially in the Black community. Being able to understand peoples narratives and actually see people who are affected in the work that were doing as researchers, I think is vitally important.

Crooks-Allen said that students took the initiative to write and repeatedly revise their interview questions to make sure they were both concise and came across exactly as intended.

When I was recently reviewing the reflections from the interviewing practice, a lot of students mentioned that they had thought their questions were going to be great questions, Crooks-Allen said. Students that had really long questions, after practicing them, were able to revise their questions in a way that they felt satisfied with, and they were excited to do their interviews.

Lydia Kelow-Bennett, assistant professor of Afroamerican and African Studies, is a mentor to Crooks-Allen. In an interview with The Daily, she said Crooks-Allens teaching style engages students in the classroom while providing them with a wealth of practical skills.

What I really love about Professor Crooks-Allens work is that they really get students involved in the process of qualitative research, Kelow-Bennett said. One of the things that I know for a fact is (AAS 290) is a very interactive class; (Crooks-Allen) actually teaches their students how to do qualitative social media research. It really enriches students interactions with social media.

Abdel Sattar agreed with Kelow-Bennett and said Crooks-Allens engaging teaching style created a positive effect on the classroom environment.

(Class) is always exciting, Abdel Sattar said. Its very discussion-based, but not demanding. The professors actually super good with that by having us in smaller groups. Its so easy to have a good conversation. Everyones so open to learn, and everyone has different backgrounds, so it just creates a good classroom environment.

While conducting her research project on the disparity in maternal mortality rates among different racial groups, Abdel Sattar said she was shocked to learn the historical context behind the misconception that Black people have a higher pain tolerance than people of other races, and how it contributed to the prevalence of medical experiments conducted on Black people.

All of this is very systematic, Abdel Sattar said. The health care role is also connected to the belief that Black people had a lower pain tolerance. During slavery and post-slavery and during Jim Crow, (doctors) would do medical treatments and experiments on Black women without anesthesia. Systematically, theyre less likely to get health care and get support even after slavery, even after Jim Crow, and theyre at such a disadvantage in that rooted bias of them having a higher pain tolerance.

Abdel Sattar said that, although her decision to take the class was originally a spur-of-the-moment choice, she has learned more than she expected.

The class really fosters an environment to learn more, Abdel Sattar said. Im reading more about BLM in a way that I would have never expected, like some of the data I learned, I was like, Wow, I did not know this. I had no idea it could be this extreme. Within class, you get a completely new outlook, and then being able to do my own research project, I got to choose something that I was interested in. I actually wish the class was a full semester. Wed be able to cover so much more content because theres so much information out there.

Daily Staff Reporter Anna Jerolimov can be reached at annajero@umich.edu.

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AAS 290 examines social media and BLM movement - The Michigan Daily

Organizers with Black Lives Matter in Saratoga Springs said Thursday that they will file complaints against a couple of former city officials. This comes after an investigation and report released by state Attorney General Letitia James' office found the ex-elected officials colluded with law enforcement to intimidate and arrest BLM protesters in 2021.

Group members called the report confirmation of corruption in city government, not only in the Spa City, but across the country, that is interfering with rightful dissent. At least a couple dozen advocates rallied on the steps of Saratoga Springs City Hall to share their thoughts on the report.

The AG's investigation found former Mayor Meg Kelly and former Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton ordered Police Chief Shane Crooks to arrest protesters. In a series of texts, the former mayor said, I hate these people, good job tonight, according to the report. This was after five protesters were arrested on July 14 because of warrants, according to Crooks.

The AGs report claims there were no warrants.

The report also shows Kelly prompted Child Protective Services to investigate Lexis Figuereo, a prominent BLM organizer, and the mother of his children. The inquiry was unfounded.

Kelly released a statement Wednesday afternoon.

The statements contained in the Attorney Generals report that I was not fully cooperative with the inquiry are patently false," she said.

She released her attorney's letter to the AG's office, responding to the report. Dalton has not returned a Spectrum News 1 request for comment.

A dozen other protesters were arrested over the course of two months after the July demonstration for minor offenses. All those charges have since been dismissed.

An attorney representing several people involved with Saratoga BLM said the report provides a blueprint of what comes next.

We cannot allow any governmental body in New York state to tolerate, or to ignore, the depths of racism, the history of racism, the legacy of racism and the current pain caused by existing racism in their communities, Mark Mishler said.

There has been some turnover in city government during this investigation, including Kelly and Dalton. Current Mayor John Safford declined an on-camera interview Thursday, but provided a statement.

The New York State Attorney General's Office has released its report, findings and recommendations following its investigation into incidents which occurred in 2021 involving members of the City of Saratoga Springs Police Department. City officials are now reviewing the report, learning from its content, and proceeding with the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and practices to address the recommendations made by the Attorney General's Office. There are several areas in the report for which the City will seek additional clarity from the Attorney General but, first and foremost, the City is committed to continuous improvement in service to the public.

Figuereo expressed dissatisfaction with members of the new administration.

Weve heard John Stafford speak about BLM a lot. Weve heard Tim Coll talk about BLM a lot. I havent had one phone call with Tim Coll, I havent had one phone call from John Stanford, he said. I have not seen them try to bridge any gaps whatsoever, what Ive seen is them creating more of a gap in our community.

The group says it remains committed to making change and will make its presence known for as long as it takes.

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Saratoga Black Lives Matter organizers respond to AG probe - Spectrum News

READING - Marking the third time thieves have swiped the banner from the Woburn Street property, a homemade Black Lives Matter sign again turned up missing earlier this month from Readings Unitarian Universalist Church (UUCR).

According to church officials, who responded to the Feb. 10 theft by hanging a fourth flag over the entrance to the church, they view the latest incident as being motivated by hatred of their social justice message.

But UUCR minister Rev. Dr. Laura Solomon and church congregants say they will not be dissuaded.

When it comes down to it, a banner is just a banner, Solomon reportedly told congregants in the wake of the Feb. 10 theft. [The real work and commitment becomes apparent in] the promises we make to each other[t]hat we might answer the call of dismantling white supremacy culture within ourselves, our organizations, and our society.

After meeting in recent days with Reading Director for Equity and Social Justice Albert Pless, Solomon and other church leaders plan to host a multi-faith service aimed at encouraging the entire community to promote the causes of equity and justice.

The March 9 gathering, being labeled Black Lives Matter: A Multi-faith Gathering for Commitment, will begin at 1 p.m. in the UUCR at 239 Woburn St. and will include the participation of the Reading Clergy Association and the towns office of equity and social justice.

The service will be followed by opportunities for fellowship, discussion, and planning further engagement with anti-racism work in Reading.

The UUCR Church began flying its Black Lives Matter banner at the corner of Summer Avenue and Woburn Street back in 2020, when the years-old political movement exploded in popularity in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd Jr. at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Church officials say that first banner was stolen last June as Reading commemorated Juneteenth, which officially became a state and federal holiday in 2022. Given that the celebration commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, church officials had little doubt the first theft was motivated by racial animus.

Confirming those suspicions, church leaders discovered the second banner missing after the following Januarys Martin Luther King Jr. Day remembrances.

It is clear that this timing is intentional, and stealing our banner on these dates intensifies these acts of hate, Solomon reportedly told church congregants in the wake of the second incident. As a faith community, we are called to engage our larger community in the work of love, justice, and liberation.

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Church officials call for community unity in wake of 'Black Lives Matter' flag thefts - Woburn Daily Times

To the editor,

Oh. My. Gosh. We all know its out there. We know its more in the open since Trump. Many of us know it is systematic and underpins our nations social system. But to see such blatant racism expressed in our local newspaper is particularly unsettling. I am referring to Carol Fullers (George Floyd is Not a Hero, Pierce Co. Journal, 2-14-24) when she refers to the war on cops is all about Black votes (paraphrased).

George Floyd was unarmed, did not resist, and was involved in a petty crime involving less than $20. To watch his death and say he wasnt murdered is out of ga-ga land. Ms. Fuller, here is why George Floyd is a hero: He reignited the Black Lives Matter movement. He assured there would be an outcry when gentle, boy-like Eiljah McClaine, who played his guitar for sheltered animals to calm them during his lunch break, was murdered by police and paramedics. And when unarmed Tyre Nichols was savagely beaten to death by cops as he cried in pain and called for his mother. And when Irvo Otieno was handcuffed, shackled, and like George Floyd, had the life snuffed out of him over the 12 agonizing minutes.

There are so many more: Jamar Clark, Philando Castille, Daunte Wright, Amir Locke, Freddie Gray, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Say their names.

George Floyds death impassioned the Black Lives Matter, not just in the U.S., but across the globe, including over 60 other countries. Ms. Fuller, certainly you realize that we can never say all lives matter until BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Jacqueline Murray Brux

Town of River Falls

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Letter to the editor: Black Lives Matter - Pierce County Journal

A new study led by researchers at the University of Washington and Northwestern University found about 80% of parents spoke to their children about the Black Lives Matter movement within a year of the murder of George Floyd.

But the way white parents and Black parents explained the social justice movement and talked about race in general with their children varied widely, researchers found.

Among Black parents, 78% affirmed the movement and/or acknowledged systemic racism, researchers found, while only 35% of white parents reported similar messaging.

Meanwhile, white parents were significantly more likely to discuss the movement by focusing on equality, without acknowledging racial injustice.

While emphasizing "everyone is equal" can be a powerful and important message for children, it's a sentiment that may not answer questions kids have about why they see injustices, such as their Black peers being disciplined at higher rates compared with white students, said co-author Andrew Meltzoff, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington.

"So [for] parents who want to do the best thing for their children, it does become something families should want to introspect about where are children going to learn about the racial and gender inequalities that exist?" he said. "Do you as a parent want it to be a taboo topic at home, where you're having race-avoidant or evasive conversations?"

Data from the study came from online survey responses collected between November 2020 and January 2021 from 725 socioeconomically diverse parents living in metro areas across the United States. Respondents were evenly divided between Black and white parents.

Researchers focused on parents with kids between 8 and 11 years old, a period of "great development of identity" when many kids have started to display racial biases and also report experiencing racial discrimination by peers.

"Children are beginning to think, 'Who am I in relation to society? What will I become when I'm older? How do I belong?'" said Meltzoff, who also serves as co-director of the UW Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences.

For decades, social scientists studying racial socialization the process of teaching kids about race and racism have found it is a part of healthy child development that can be beneficial for children.

For this study, researchers hoped to learn how the nationwide protests in 2020 calling for racial justice and accountability influenced how parents talk to their children about race. The study was published online in Developmental Psychology last month.

Past research indicates Black families and parents of color have historically been more likely to talk about race with kids earlier on and help children better navigate racism and bias they may experience, Meltzoff said.

White parents, in contrast, tend to avoid talking about race. If they do, it's often in a way that diminishes the significance of race in society or emphasizes egalitarianism. Those trends persisted even after high-profile cases of police brutality against Black people and mass shootings targeting people of color, previous studies found.

But after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, when the nation became consumed by calls for racial justice, has found conversations around race have begun to shift, with white parents in particular being more willing to talk about race and racism with their children.

The study marks one of the first forays into exploring the nuances of what those conversations look like, Meltzoff said.

Among parents who talked to their kids about the Black Lives Matter movement, about 45% of Black parents explicitly acknowledged race and inequality, researchers found, compared with about 23% of white parents.

One respondent, a 35-year-old Black mother, said she told her son, "People are protesting to help make sure that Black lives are treated fairly and that we get equal rights with others," and that "it's important to always fight for what's right."

About 20% of white parents emphasized all people are equal without acknowledging racial injustices, compared with about 9% of Black parents.

"In this world everyone have rights to live no matter what is his/her color, races or whatever. God created us equally," wrote another respondent, a 43-year-old white father, describing to researchers what he told his child.

Researchers found about 14% of white parents (compared with 1% of Black parents) who said they spoke to their children about the movement did not share their own thoughts about how those conversations went in their survey responses, instead often just copying and pasting statements from Wikipedia or typing in nonsense.

For parents who didn't talk about BLM with their children, white parents were more likely to give statements denying the existence of racism and less likely to say they talk to their kids about race and racism generally, just not about the movement specifically.

Moving forward, Meltzoff said he and other researchers would like to further investigate how these conversations occurred among other racial groups, such as in Asian and Latino households. He said they also hope to follow up with surveyed parents to see how the nature of their conversations around race have evolved since 2020.

"Society changes, and you don't know what's going to stick," he said. "When it's a salient topic and kids are seeing it on TV, many parents needed to have conversations with their children. [But] the issues with structural inequalities haven't disappeared or dropped to zero in 2024, so we're very interested in what current conversations would be like."

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Study: How parents talked about Black Lives Matter differed by race - Yahoo News

The Attorney General concludes that, in 2021, [then-Public Safety Commissioner Robin] Dalton, [then-Mayor Meg] Kelly, and [then-city Police Chief Shane] Crooks implemented an unconstitutional official policy of retaliating against BLM protesters based on their speech, reads the report. The sweeping arrests violated the police departments written policies to protect protesters First Amendment rights. But they were conceived of and approved by the highest decision makers in city government. Because those arrests were caused by official hostility to the protesters and their message, they violated the First Amendment.

The conclusion stems from an investigation by the Attorney General Letitia James following the arrest of around a dozen protestors in between July and September 2021. The charges in those arrests were primarily dropped, while some were adjourned in contemplation of dismissal. The AG's investigation delved into comments made by officials at the time, interviews with members of the public including BLM members, other sworn testimony and approximately 276,809 documents, according to the report.

The arrests of BLM members led to a federal lawsuit filed by Saratoga BLM co-founder Lexis Figuereo and the city paying out thousands of dollars for the attorney fees of prior officials.

BLM has not released a statement on the report, but is expected to hold a press conference Thursday. The Attorney Generals Office declined to comment Wednesday.

The report criticizes city officials, as well as police department command staff, for not following policy and procedures, pursuing unsupported charges and creating an official policy of retaliating against BLM protesters during what the AG said were sometimes raucous, but peaceful demonstrations.

Numerous text messages between then-city officials and police department leaders called for the arrests of BLM members and activists several times in 2021, with the messages beginning from Dalton in March 2021.

Dalton texted both Crooks andRob Arrigo, who the report identifies as a Libertarian Party leader,about arresting protesters, according to the report.

At one point, Dalton messaged Crooks on July 14, 2021 arrest those motherf and that she would throw Crooks a ticker tape parade if he did arrest people.

They are on my list too, Crooks replied.

Crooks would go on to specifically identify Saratoga BLM co-founder Chandler Hickenbottom and Figuereo as two people who should be arrested, telling the AG in the report that he assumed they would be arrested for disorderly conduct or disrupting traffic.

Dalton also indicated in texts she wanted to punch Hickenbottom in the mouth and kick BLM protester Molly Dunn in the mouth for remarks they had made.

The AGs report also provides texts sent by Kelly asking that Child Protective Services be called to make sure his kids are being cared for correctly.

In order to identify protesters, police also conducted surveillance of them, according to the report.

The AGs report indicates that the police department sent a surveillance team out to identify people involved with Saratoga BLM and the protests a violation of the department policy.

...the SSPD forbids officers from recording the identity of those involved in First Amendment activity unless they are suspected of a crime, the report states.

However, the report asserts that two of the officers on that team Matthew Miller and John Guzek were narcotics officers at the time who had little training on the First Amendment.

Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll said Miller is no longer with the department but Guzek is.

In the report, the AG states that no BLM protesters had been arrested for violent behavior, possessing a weapon or damaging propertyin the city before and, besides rumors, there was no indication that protesters had weapons or other contraband during the protests.

There was no justification for policing the protesters with the same surveillance techniques used in narcotics investigations, the report states.

Yet, according to the report, the officers pulled over two protestersafter they departed a protest on July 14, 2021.

NeitherAlexus Brown nor her boyfriend Marcus Filien are identified as the protester in the AGs report, however the date and details match the story provided to The Daily Gazette at the time.The two spoke to The Daily Gazette just days after the stop indicating police supplied no reason for the stop. Lt. Bob Jillson told The Daily Gazette at the time that someone had been making multiple trips back and forth to the car and its out of normal character.

The stop of Protester 1 was not based on reasonable suspicion but instead a pretextual stop motivated by Saratoga Springs official policy of retaliation against BLM protesters, the AGs report states.

Following the arrests of demonstrators in September 2021, around half a dozen Saratoga BLM supporters were blocked by city police officers from accessing Saratoga Springs City Court during the arraignments of fellow activists.

The city claimed the courts closed access, however, it was the city police department, according to the report.

The two officers who had closed the court claimed that a sergeant told them to do so, the report states. The sergeant claimed that the two officers misunderstood his order. When officers learned of that statement, they contended that the sergeant had explicitly ordered the courtroom closed.

Crooks eventually chalked the ordeal up to miscommunication.

The actions of city officials and the police department caused some activists to take a step back from protesting, according to the report.

After being arrested on September 7, 2021, Molly Dunn hasnt protested again and would be too anxious to go to a protest now, the report states.

Brown also noted she took a step back from demonstrations and Jamaica Miles, founder of community group All of Us, told the AGs office that she took a pause, noting she had children and had to make a decision.

Figuereo and Hickenbottom said people were less inclined to attend their protests because they could be arrested, with Hickenbottom stating in the report that it made our followers more apprehensive.

Other activists did continue to protest.

I am here to make the world a little bit better, even if that means state retaliation, saidAdam Walker, another protester quotedin the report. To make real change, you have to make sacrifices, and that is something I accept.

The AGs office contends in its report that, on numerous occasions, the police department didnt follow its own policies, properly investigate incidents or discipline officers.

Crooks said the AGs assertions that officials created a retaliatory policy against BLM is not correct.

Retaliation of any kind is not tolerated and against department policy, all complaints made to the department were investigated and decisions were made based on the known facts and state law, he said in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon.

The AGs report also stated that the city, Kelly and Crooks did not adequately respond to subpoenas. Kelly said in an emailed statement Thursday that is patently false.

My attorney has sent the Attorney General the attached letter proving the report statements are untrue and asking that the report be amended to reflect the truth, she said in an email Wednesday.

Kelly provided the letter her attorney Karl Sleight sent to the AG regarding the investigation, in which Sleight points out what they contend are multiple inaccuracies in the report.

It is profoundly disappointing that the Attorney General failed to produce a product that could have been a helpful guide to the current City Council to understand the intricacies of the First Amendment and what is, and is not, protected speech, the letter states. Instead, after several years and a significant expense of taxpayer dollars, the Report is incomplete, error-ridden, and a skewed work product that appears meant for purposes other than improving the City of Saratoga Springs.

The AG has put forth eight recommendations to the city and police department that requires the city and its police department to change policies and procedures around responding to protests and activists, including prohibiting city officials from ordering the arrest of protesters and prohibiting the use of surveillance of activists. The agreement could also require the city to bolster its record-keeping policies after the Attorney Generals investigators couldnt locate key public records relevant to their investigation.

The city would also have to improve the internal affairs and disciplinary process in the police department as well as create after-action reports following a police response to protests.

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AG: Saratoga Springs BLM activist arrests violated rights - The Daily Gazette

It is well-established that workers have the right to join together to improve their working conditions including by protesting racial discrimination in the workplace, said Chairman Lauren McFerran in a statement. It is equally clear that an employee who acts individually to support a group protest regarding a workplace issue remains protected under the law.

In an email statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Home Depot, based in Atlanta, said it disagreed with NLRB's decision.

The Home Depot is fully committed to diversity and respect for all people, the company said. We do not tolerate any kind of workplace harassment or discrimination.

The right to wear clothing with BLM insignia or other social justice apparel in the workplace became a big issue in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May 2020.

That same year, American Airlines announced that it would let employees wear Black Lives Matter pins on their uniforms, calling it a matter of equality and not politics. The company joined Starbucks, Delta Air Lines and other major companies that let employees wear items supporting the movement that protests police violence against Black people.

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Labor board: Home Depot violated labor law by firing an employee who drew 'BLM' on work apron - The Atlanta Journal Constitution