Category Archives: Black Lives Matter

Last summer, on the heels of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many took to the streets to protest the ongoing police brutality that disproportionately affects Black and brown communities. And then organizations jumped to proclaim Black Lives Matter in a show of solidarity.

Thats what it was, though: a show. It was a trivial, free, performative way to support the movement without actually changing anything.

Some orgs stopped right there; they proclaimed that Black Lives Matter and then moved on with their lives. Some took it a step further and hired a DEI consultant to teach their staff how to do diversity? I dont know, Im still kind of confused about the blanket statement DEI training because how do you teach diversity, equity, and inclusion?

So yeah, some orgs had some DEI training. Some hired in-house DEI staff in what I truly hope is not a performative gesture but an actual commitment to increasing diversity in their workplace.

A year later, though, its hard to gauge what has actually changed in most workplaces to create a more equitable and inclusive environment for staff of all ages, races, genders, religions, and marginalized identities. I do know that businesses are struggling to hire for all positions for profit, nonprofit, service industry, office workers, its all a challenge right now.

Why? Well, I bet I dont need to tell you why, honestly, because youre probably experiencing it too. A large number of folks have realized that they dont need to be in an office to get their work done. Others have realized that they arent paid a living wage for their work and have moved on to different careers that actually recognize their skills and expertise.

And then theres the less visible but still there stuff that can slowly exhaust you. These examples are in no way a comprehensive list of the kinds of things that staff have to deal with during the non-pandemic times. Add the fear, anxiety, and stress associated with a global pandemic that is rapidly approaching year two, and its a wonder any of us get up in the morning.

The inequity amongst pay for the same positions men with less experience inexplicably making more than women in the same role.

Office-wide staff holidays that adhere to Christian traditions and do not take into account the wide variety of religious and cultural celebrations that fall outside of those days off.

Inflexibility for working parents who cant always accommodate whats considered the norm due to a wide variety of kid-related things like child care, virtual school, illness, and genuine fear related to the ongoing pandemic.

Non-existent maternity leave policies as a friend reminds me frequently, the availability of short-term disability leave is not maternity leave.

The feeling that you cant be yourself at work. Worry that your hair, your accent, your style of dress, your cultural norms arent acceptable or will draw unwanted scrutiny.

Starting salaries that do not keep up with inflation or arent reviewed regularly what was considered a liveable starting salary six years ago would not at all be liveable today.

Im not just there to be negative, I swear. Ive also got some suggestions for those of you in positions of power at your organizations who really want to support your staff and dont want to stop at proclaiming Stop Asian Hate on social media.

Use your DEI consultant to do a comprehensive review of your organizations policies and procedures. Take a look at where you may be subconsciously discriminating based on race or gender. Is your dress code routinely enforced? Does it discriminate against certain races, genders, or religions? What do your hiring practices look like? How do you determine who is the best fit for a role, and how can you update that process to be more equitable? Are your staff holidays based on one religion? I personally think this is a much better use of your funds and your consultants time than having an agency-wide training to talk about why its important to value diversity.

Review your compensation and benefits packages regularly. Pathways to Housing PA did this recently, for the first time, and it turns out we were underpaying our staff in certain roles when compared to similar orgs/roles in our area. We invested $500,000 to raise starting salaries and establish parity across similar roles. Yes, you read that right: we invested over a half of a million dollars in raising staff salaries to ensure we were appropriately compensating our staff. We are also pursuing some changes to our benefits package to further do what we can to be equitable in our benefits. We want to pursue a more equitable compensation strategy and keep it up to date, especially since the majority of direct service providers are BIPOC folks from already marginalized communities.

Take a good hard look at your work from home policy. Sure, there are some jobs that absolutely cannot be done virtually, and that wont change. Restaurant workers cant take orders or cook food from home. But your accountants sure can. Creating or updating a policy that outlines where you can provide flexibility and where you cannot will help to be as direct as you can with staff about their options. And that policy shouldnt be based on the opinions of just one or two managers who tend to micro-manage they should be based in facts.

Build a culture that embraces authenticity. At the end of the day, building a space where staff feel free to show up as their authentic selves will benefit your organization. Fear of retaliation that keeps folks from feeling like they can be themselves means theyre not operating at their best. Id love to see more DEI training focus on this instead of the we need to be able to have hard conversations brand of DEI. BIPOC folks already know how to have difficult conversations and theyre not the ones who are on the hook when things go wrong; its the folks with the privilege who need to adjust their work styles to build trust.

This is just a small sampling Im not an expert, just someone who cares a lot who sees room for improvement. Im grateful that my organization is doing some of these things, especially making such a massive investment in equitable salaries, but I know were not the only ones.

What is your organization doing? What can they be doing better? What has worked and what hasnt? Send me your thoughts!

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A year after the declarations of 'Black Lives Matters', was it all a show? - Generocity

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) There is controversy at a popular butcher with locations in New York City and Connecticut. Workers walked off the job, after the company took down signs supporting Black Lives Matter and other causes.

Its a butcher shop typically bustling with business, but instead the doors are closed at Fleishers four locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Westport, Connecticut.

It doesnt feel good to be told that youre not of value, said Ajani Thompson, manager of the location in Park Slope.

Dozens of workers, including three that spoke to CBS2s Andrea Grymes, walked off the job last month in protest. They say Fleishers investor Rob Rosania demanded that signs in the shops supporting gay pride and Black Lives Matter be taken down.

The injustice that was incurred by many employees of this company, this disrespect is so deep, I cant help but stand by all of the people who left and be one of those people, myself, added Christopher Edmunds, the assistant manager in Westport.

(Photo: CBS2)

CBS2 reached out to Fleishers for comment. A spokesperson referred Grymes to a letter Rosania later sent employees, which said, in part, I realize removing the signs that express support for the basic human rights of our Black and LGBTQ employees and customers was not in that spirit of supporting your feelings for this, please accept my heartfelt apologies.

In Park Slope, a gay pride sign has returned to the window.

Most shoppers Grymes spoke with said they stand with the workers who walked.

I am completely in support of that. All of those things that were up reflect how everyone feels here and I do believe they should be allowed to express it, patron Ophira Eisenberg said.

I support the employees 100%, another person said.

I dont think they shouldve walked out, but I dont think they shouldve taken the signs out, either. Both sides overreacted, added Charlie Norwalk of the Upper East Side.

Signs on the door say Fleishers will be temporarily closed through the end of August. Workers said Rosanias apology is not enough to make them come back.

The letter also said the company will be having meetings with staffers as it rededicates the business to being a welcoming place for everyone.

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Butcher Fleishers Dealing With Controversy After Removal Of Black Lives Matter, LGTBQ Signs Prompt Workers To Walk Off Job - CBS New York

Last summer, as protesters marched through the streets of Cincinnati and many other U.S. cities, Alandes Powell had an idea: paint a large-scale Black Lives Matter mural on the street in front of Cincinnati City Hall in time for Juneteenth.

Just days later, the mural was a reality, helped along by 17 lead artists and their assistants who make up the collective called Black Art Speaks. This year, the mural got a renovation and a special sealant to protect it long into the future.

Powell says Black Art Speaks is just getting started. The group is hosting a celebration Aug. 14 at the mural themed around economic empowerment and financial health.

Joining Cincinnati Edition to talk about how the mural came about so quickly, why it needed updating and what's next for Black Art Speaks is the group's founder Alandes Powell.

Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.

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Cincinnati's Black Lives Matter Mural Gets A Restoration As The Artist Collective That Painted It Plans What's Next - WVXU

The field in the Park City Council primary election on Tuesday briefly addressed the Black Lives Matter mural that was put on Main Street in 2020, an indication there continues to be simmering emotions about the polarizing work and the process that led to the creation of the mural and others with social justice themes at the same time.

Seven of the eight City Council candidates attended a forum hosted by the issues-oriented activist group Future Park City at the Mustang restaurant on lower Main Street. One of the leaders of Future Park City, Angela Moschetta, inquired about the process undertaken by City Hall prior to the creation of the murals on Independence Day last year. There was intense criticism afterward about what was seen as a lack of publicity prior to the appearance of the murals as well as questions about whether the mural was designed to align the community with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Moschetta has previously criticized the process. She asked the candidates on Tuesday whether they supported the City Hall process. Six of the seven candidates who attended said they did not. The one who did support the process was Tim Henney, who is the only incumbent member of the City Council seeking reelection this year.

Henney later in the event provided additional comments, saying the mural was a beacon and a welcoming message. He said he supports diversity and said he has seen more Black people and other minorities on Main Street than in the past. He acknowledged he has not spoken to Black leaders in Utah, though.

The other candidates at the event did not explain in any depth their reasoning for withholding support for the process.

The murals, particularly the Black Lives Matter work, caused a splintering as supporters and those who question the movement mobilized. The Black Lives Matter mural was vandalized shortly after it was created, spurring a community conversation about race.

Some people both supporters and opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement itself raised concerns at the time about the process prior to the creation of the murals. There were especially worries that the plans had not been widely publicized before the murals appeared while there were also questions about the use of taxpayer monies.

The controversy continued into this spring and the summer. Moschetta in May confronted Park City leaders about not involving Black people in the planning of the murals. Mayor Andy Beerman cut off Moschetta during the May meeting in a rare move to end someones public input. He claimed her comments amounted to personal attacks.

Social justice issues generally have not been crucial to City Hall elections, which for decades have tended to focus on topics related to growth, such as development, traffic and the economy. Latinos are the only minority group living inside the Park City limits in any significant number. Candidates over the years, including those currently competing in the City Council election, have appeared to support the broad ideals of social justice.

The forum on Tuesday was a rare opportunity for the public to see most of the candidates in person and together. City Council candidate Thomas Purcell was not in attendance.

The event was held as the balloting continues in the vote-by-mail primary election. Voters will advance four of the eight candidates to Election Day in November. The primary is Tuesday. The voters on Tuesday will also drop one mayoral candidate from a field of three. The candidates for the mayors office are incumbent Mayor Andy Beerman, City Councilor Nann Worel and investment banker David Dobkin.

Some of the candidate highlights from the forum included:

John Greenfield saying he supports the concept of public-private partnerships in housing projects designed for the workforce rather than City Hall pursuing projects on its own. He added that City Halls housing efforts should focus on essential workers and families.

Daniel Lewis indicating he has experience with direct lines of communications and that he would ask the tough questions and use compassion as a member of the City Council.

Jeremy Rubell describing himself as someone who has the ability to relate across the socioeconomic spectrum and to work as a bridge builder.

Michael Franchek claiming that he and his son were terrorized by the Park City Police Department, a reference to a claim he has made that an officer violated his constitutional rights. He said he wants better training for the police.

Tana Toly wanting to learn why some Parkites do not frequent Main Street and raising the question of the way to ensure people at Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort get to Main Street.

Henney conceding City Hall several years ago pressed an idea to hire a firm to provide free rides covering short distances before the proposed program was ready. He said the process should not have occurred as it did.

Jamison Brandi saying he would continue to work in the service industry if he wins a seat on the City Council, adding that the community needs to balance full-time Parkites and visitors as it addresses the concept of sustainable tourism.

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Park City candidates briefly address polarizing Black Lives Matter mural on Main Street - The Park Record

An Illinois man has been sentenced to almost 9 years in federal prison for his involvement in a Black Lives Matter riot in Minneapolis last year.

Twenty-nine-year-old Matthew Rupert of Galesburg, Illinois will serve 105 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for setting fire to a cell phone store during the riots that followed the death of George Floyd, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Minnesota released on Tuesday.

EVERY BLACK LIFE MATTERS PRESIDENT KNOCKS BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AS 'TOO NARROW' IN SCOPE

"Matthew Rupert chose to drive more than 400 miles from his home in Illinois to Minnesota to engage in violence and destruction, all while broadcasting it for the world to see. Peaceful protest was not on his agenda," said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk. "Arson, looting, property damage, and the glorification of it, will not be tolerated. Today, justice has caught up with Mr. Rupert as he must now account for his crimes."

Court documents show that Rupert entered a boarded-up Sprint store and ordered others to pile boxes on the ground before dousing them with lighter fluid and setting them on fire, causing extensive damage.

"I lit it on fire!" Rupert yelled as he ran away.

PRINCETON OFFERING 'BLACK LIVES MATTER' COURSE TAUGHT BY PROFESSOR WITH 'COMMITMENT' TO 'CRITICAL RACE THEORY'

Rupert livestreamed many of his violent acts on social media and at one point yelled, "We come to riot, boy!"

"Ive got some bombs if some of you all want to throw them back," Rupert could be heard saying in the social media posts.

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Officials say at the time of his arrest Rupert was in possession of a hammer and a heavy-duty flashlight.

It has been estimated that rioting across the nation following Floyds death destroyed over $1 billion worth of property.

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BLM rioter who set Minneapolis store on fire sentenced to almost 9 years in prison - Fox News

Black Lives Matter and Antifa "thugs" now serve in the "militia wing" of the Democratic Party, "Life, Liberty & Levin" host Mark Levin said on his show Sunday.

Levin began his opening monologue with a focus on "soft tyranny," warning viewers that it is "getting increasingly more aggressive" in the United States.

"You see the demands when it comes to vaccines. You see bureaucrats shutting down businesses purposely. You see Democrats and Republicans in Congress getting together on an infrastructure bill. Twenty-seven hundred pages, one point two trillion dollars. You have people on television, so-called Republicans, promoting it who have no idea what's in it and all the social manipulation and social engineering that they attach to these spending bills. That's not a representative republic. That's not a constitutional republic. That's not a federal republic. You know what that is? It's what Thomas Jefferson called it. That's tyranny by legislature," he said.

Levin later turned his fury to President Biden, remarking that it's "too bad he doesn't understand he's an autocrat."

"We have tyranny by the executive branch. They don't want to know what we think. They don't ask for our input," Levin said.

" We have a House of Representatives where the Speaker of the House rules like she's some kind of a fascist," he continued. " She has proxy voting so members don't have to show up. They don't even have to show up."

Levin, visibly outraged, tore into the media for empowering the "force" within the Democratic Party.

"These autocratic regimes, in these Marxist and fascist regimes. What do they have? They have their thugs. And all through last summer, their thugs were burning cities, attacking cops, assaulting people, killing people, and the media supported it," he said. "The media celebrated it. Their candidate for president could barely utter words that it was a bad idea. Their vice-presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, she was helping support a movement to get these people off."

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"Now, this is not a constitutional republic when this sort of thing is happening. What's happening is we're empowering the Democrat Party. We're empowering this one force. And this is what they do in autocratic regimes," he warned.

"They have one party systems. Look at California, look at New York, look at Illinois, look at some of these other states.that's going to be America if they get their way."

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Levin: BLM and Antifa are the 'militia wing' of the Democrat Party - Fox News

In March, Warner Bros. Television severed ties with Greg Spottiswood following an investigation looking into allegations of racial insensitivity in the writers room of All Rise, where Spottiswood served as creator and co-showrunner. This was a far cry from late 2019, when five of the shows original seven writers left the show after bringing forward similar allegations, including concerns about the depictions of characters of color, but the studio reported not finding cause to remove Spottiswood.

A lot has changed in that short year and a half, however. In this specific case, more concerns about the boss behavior resulted in a second investigation. But in the wider world, there were calls for a racial reckoning in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others. The Black Lives Matter movement saw a surge in protests and the need for more diversity, greater inclusion and true equality was discussed in workspaces and headlines around not just the entertainment industry, but the country. For some Black actors, the discourse of summer 2020 included teachable calls to action for such efforts and what it truly means to be an ally in and around Hollywood. For many, it also drove home just how badly that change is widely needed.

The unfortunate truth is that as a Black person as a Black artist this last year is indicative of what we know that the world to be, says actor Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country, Lou). Its hard for me to separate this last year from any other year. I am aware that other folks have felt an enormous awakening over the past year but, for me, the unfortunate truth is it feels like more of the same. Black folks have to wake up and live with this reality every single day.

That reality includes the fact that only 8% of the highest-ranking jobs in television are held by people of color, according to the 2020 UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report. Furthermore, according to a study on Black representation conducted by McKinsey & Co. earlier this year, the handful of Black creatives who are in prominent above-the-line positions (creator, producer, writer or director) find themselves primarily responsible for providing opportunities for other Black talent, including promoting them. (Black people who are production staff are largely shut out of critical roles unless a senior staffer is Black, that study found.) Lack of agency and advocacy serve as direct reflection of how racial insensitivity has been allowed to flourish for so long.

Producer and actor Nnamdi Asomugha spent a year and a half taking the script for Sylvies Love, a 1960s-set love story between two Black characters, to different companies and being told those executives didnt know who the audience was for the film. He eventually decided to just make it himself. It premiered at Sundance in January 2020 and Amazon Studios scooped up the distribution rights. The events of the past year have made Asomugha even more conscious of the projects and teams with which he aligns himself.

We really just wanted to make a beautiful story that people could fall in love with and that told our story as Black people from a different lens than people were used to seeing, especially in the civil-rights era, he says. I feel like a lot of the time were so used to a certain type of film and the people that usually make the decisions are used to seeing a certain type of film and a lot of times you want your life or your experience to be reflected on the page and on the screen, and I feel like a lot of people we went to, or maybe all of them, just didnt see their world in the script. I think it was fear of the unknown.

Samira Wiley filmed Season 4 of The Handmaids Tale in 2020. The Hulu dystopian drama features a predominantly white cast and comes from a white creator and showrunner. Although she recalls having so many conversations on set about what was happening in the world, those conversations, she notes, were between herself, O-T Fagbenle and Amanda Brugel, all of whom are Black actors.

We see each other every day on set, and all we can do is sit here and talk about what was happening at the moment, Wiley says. Being stuck in the pandemic, but also the racial reckoning, everything thats happening with George Floyd, with the aftermath from that. It was just a lot. I dont think its the work of Black people in America to try and fix this problem.

She shares that she received a slew of well-intentioned Im sorry messages in the wake of last years events. Theres a line [between] you trying to investigate and better yourself, but then theres also coming to a Black person and trying to ask them every single thing. And thats all well and good [but] thats not going to fix anything. And actually, it really has nothing to do with me. Thats you getting your guilt off of your shoulders. Thats not the work.

What does constitute the work, according to Smollett, is knowing the details of history so that we can move forward in a more nuanced way.

I think about the power of images historically. Emmett Tills mother having the courage to say, I want this image of my son to be out there. I want the world to see what they did to him, she says. The world could not say they did not know what was happening any longer. They couldnt look away any longer.

Keeping these stories in the news matters, but she believes putting them in narrative storytelling does, as well, especially when those behind the camera finally get to tell the truth of our stories.

I think Lovecraft Country really opened up a lane for such work to happen, adds Jonathan Majors. To put the organic, communal integrity and decorum of our work and our words inside the industry at large. I look forward to the day when theres a brain trust and unity amongst us as a culture that we create together and collaborate together. Were on our way. We, as a culture, are beginning to beautify ourselves even more. I look forward to when thats commonplace.

Danielle Turchiano contributed to this report.

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Reckoning With Race in Hollywood: How the Events of 2020 Created Conversations on Set and Off - Variety

When Jennifer Coolidges character, Tanya, runs into a man from the BLM inThe White Lotus Episode 4 on HBO, she assumes hes part of the Black Lives Matter movement. However, Jon Gries character, Greg, is a part of a different BLM. Heres why the mix-up regarding the organizations means more than viewers might think.Napoleon Dynamites Uncle Rico might be a part of the death at the tropical Hawaiian resort.

Jon Gries joinsThe White Lotusas a guest star in episode 4 as Greg from the BLM. He appears to be trying to enter Tanyas room after her spa treatment. Greg apologizes to Tanya for attempting to enter the wrong room. Then he tells her that he was on a deep-sea fishing trip with a bunch of guys from the BLM. Greg is a divorced, single older man, and he asks Tanya to dinner.

Although Tanya had dinner plans with the spa manager, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), she quickly cancels them for the new guy. When Tanya apologizes to Belinda, she adds that Greg is from a Black Lives Matter group hoping that this makes the cancellation better. However, it wasnt the BLM that Tanya thought it was in this episode of The White Lotus.

RELATED: The White Lotus: Which HBO Cast Member Has the Highest Net Worth?

Later at dinner, Tanya asks Greg how he became involved in Black Lives Matter. What made him want to dedicate his life to activism? Greg is momentarily confused and then begins laughing.

Greg is with the Bureau of Land Management, not Black Lives Matter. However, the misunderstanding doesnt matter to Tanya, and she ends the night inviting Greg inside for a nightcap.

HBOsThe White Lotustouches on Kais (Kekoa Scott Kekumano) family land in the same episode someone from the BLM shows up. According to the BLM website, the Bureau of Land Managements mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

So, the people whose mission is to protect the land vacation together at a resort that stole the land from the native islanders.

They were the ones who actually evicted us, Kai told Paula about the hotel in the first few minutes ofThe White LotusEpisode 4. The government terminated our lease illegally.

RELATED: Succession Fans Moved on to The White Lotus Is It a Similar Series?

Many viewers believe that Kais story about the land is trustworthy and want him to steal the bracelets.

I think his story is true, but I think hes also going to rob the family so that he can get his brothers a good lawyer and they can get their land back, one viewer wrote on Reddit. I honestly like Kai, and to him, I say, do what you need to do, hunk. Steal those infidelity bracelets!

However, other viewers think something might happen between the BLM character on The White Lotus and Kai.

[Its] definitely interesting that [Kai] discusses his family land being stolen, one fan wrote onReddit. Then a government land management agent (the modern-day version of the guys who stole all the land from native Americans) shows up. Something brewing there?

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'The White Lotus': The BLM Mix-Up Could be More Important Than You Think - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

A Black Lives Matter chapter founder in Minnesota has resigned, claiming that the organization isnt concerned about helping black communities or helping improve the education quality in Minneapolis, according to a video published last week.

Rashard Turner, the founder of a Black Lives Matter chapter in neighboring St. Paul, said he started the branch in 2015 but became disillusioned roughly a year after becoming an insider within the left-wing organization, according to a video released by TakeChargea group that rejects various provisions promoted by Black Lives Matter, including critical race theory-linked claims that the United States is inherently racist.

After a year on the inside, I learned they had little concern for rebuilding black families, and they cared even less about improving the quality of education for students in Minneapolis, Turner saidin the video.

That was made clear when they publicly denounced charter schools alongside the teachers union. I was an insider in Black Lives Matter. And I learned the ugly truth. The moratorium on charter schools does not support rebuilding the black family. But it does create barriers to a better education for black children. I resigned from Black Lives Matter after a year and a half. But I didnt quit working to improve black lives and access to a great education.

Representatives for Black Lives Matter didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

Approximately a year after George Floyds death in Minneapolis, support for the group has plummeted in the United States, according to a recent poll from Morning Consult. Only 48 percent hold favorable views about the organization, down from 61 percent last May.

A USA Today survey found that 36 percent of Americans now would describe Floyds death as a murder, down from 60 percent last summer.

A poll in May conducted by the newspaper revealed that the Black Lives Matter call to defund the police has even less support, with only 18 percent of respondents supporting it.

It comes amid recent controversies surrounding Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the organization who resigned after a series of reports about her real estate portfolio and finances. Following the reports publication last month, Cullors asserted that she didnt misuse any donations to Black Lives Matter.

In a statement last week, Cullorsa self-described trained Marxistsaid, With smart, experienced, and committed people supporting the organization during this transition, I know that BLMGNF is in good hands The foundations agenda remains the sameeradicate white supremacy and build life-affirming institutions.

Cullors told The Associated Press that her departure was planned more than a year in advance and wasnt related to the reports about her finances and her multiple homes, claiming they were right-wing attacks meant to defame her character.

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Black Lives Matter St. Paul Founder Says He Resigned ...

Black Lives Matter protests during the Democratic National Convention

Asa Khalif, an organizer for Black Lives Matter and a member of the Philly Coalition for Real Justice,

Video by Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

The Black Lives Matter movement is in the national spotlight again this month, following the high-profile killings of two black men by police and the killings of police officers by black men in Dallas and Baton Rouge.

With the movements attention comes a familiar refrain: Why doesnt Black Lives Matter focus onblack-on-black crime?

Its a question asked, in various forms, from Facebook to cable networks to comments on this site. The answer, one writer says, is Black Lives Matter isnt solely focused on the loss of black lives but also on a lack of justice.

When a civilian has committed a violent crime, theyre generally arrested, tried and then convicted, Franchesca Ramsey, a writer and activist who discusses race, explainsin the MTV series Decoded (which you canwatch here in full).

Conversely, theres a lot of evidence that its very rare to secure an indictment against a police officer for excessive force. And an indictment is just a trial; it isnt even a conviction.

Black Lives Matter isnt just about the loss of life, which is always terrible. Its about the lack of consequences when black lives are taken at the hands of police.

Police officers shot and killed nearly 1,000 people last year, according toaWashington Postdatabase.Eighteen officers faced chargesfor such shootings that year.

While nearly twice as many white Americanswere killed by on-duty officersthan blacks,thePosts updateddatashowed,black Americans remained 2.5 times as likely to die at the hands of police when adjusting for population.

And when unarmed, the data showedthat black Americans were five times as likely to be fatally shot as white ones.

Black Americans do find violence within the black community troubling: A YouGov poll from April shows a plurality of black Americans think its a bigger problem than racial injustice, as Voxs Victoria M. Massie notes.

"(The) survey underscores what the people in these communities have long argued that police brutality and crime are not mutually exclusive concerns for African Americans," she wrote.

Black Americans have launched anti-violence effortsin their communities (Ramsey mentions aPBS documentary about them,The Interruptors). Butmany in theBlack Lives Matter movementhave described"black-on-black" criticismsa diversionthat ignores underlying issues like poverty.

What we know is that gun violence absolutely presents tragedy every single day, said Brittany Packnett, a prominent voice in the movement,on PBS NewsHourin December. But if black life really matters to people who insist that black-on-black crime is the real issue, then pay attention to poverty."

Poor white Americansexperience violent crimes at rates virtually equalthat of poor black Americans,asMassie points outina2014 Department of Justice study.Black and white Americans kill members of their own races atsimilarrates, too.

According to2014 FBI data, 90% of African-American homicides were committed by African Americans. Similarly, 82% of white American homicides were committed by white Americanswhat we might, but dont, call white-on-white crime.

The difference:Morethan one in four black Americans livein areas of extreme poverty,according toa 2015 Century Foundation study. Only one in 13 whites live in such areas.

(h/ts Decoded, Vox)

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Why Black Lives Matter doesn't focus on black-on-black crime