Black Lives Matter-Ugliness of Racism.

Dixie Cup

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San Francisco board open to reparations with $5M payouts
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Janie Har
Published Mar 14, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 5 minute read

SAN FRANCISCO — Payments of $5 million to every eligible Black adult, the elimination of personal debt and tax burdens, guaranteed annual incomes of at least $97,000 for 250 years and homes in San Francisco for just $1 a family.


These were some of the more than 100 recommendations made by a city-appointed reparations committee tasked with the thorny question of how to atone for centuries of slavery and systemic racism. And the San Francisco Board of Supervisors hearing the report for the first time Tuesday voiced enthusiastic support for the ideas listed, with some saying money should not stop the city from doing the right thing.


Several supervisors said they were surprised to hear pushback from politically liberal San Franciscans apparently unaware that the legacy of slavery and racist policies continues to keep Black Americans on the bottom rungs of health, education and economic prosperity, and overrepresented in prisons and homeless populations.


“Those of my constituents who lost their minds about this proposal, it’s not something we’re doing or we would do for other people. It’s something we would do for our future, for everybody’s collective future,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, whose district includes the heavily LGBTQ Castro neighborhood.

The draft reparations plan, released in December, is unmatched nationwide in its specificity and breadth. The committee hasn’t done an analysis of the cost of the proposals, but critics have slammed the plan as financially and politically impossible. An estimate from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, which leans conservative, has said it would cost each non-Black family in the city at least $600,000.


Tuesday’s unanimous expressions of support for reparations by the board do not mean all the recommendations will ultimately be adopted, as the body can vote to approve, reject or change any or all of them. A final committee report is due in June.

Some supervisors have said previously that the city can’t afford any major reparations payments right now given its deep deficit amid a tech industry downturn.

Tinisch Hollins, vice-chair of the African American Reparations Advisory Committee, alluded to those comments, and several people who lined up to speak reminded the board they would be watching closely what the supervisors do next.

“I don’t need to impress upon you the fact that we are setting a national precedent here in San Francisco,” Hollins said. “What we are asking for and what we’re demanding for is a real commitment to what we need to move things forward.”


The idea of paying compensation for slavery has gained traction across cities and universities. In 2020, California became the first state to form a reparations task force and is still struggling to put a price tag on what is owed.

The idea has not been taken up at the federal level.

In San Francisco, Black residents once made up more than 13% of the city’s population, but more than 50 years later, they account for less than 6% of the city’s residents — and 38% of its homeless population. The Fillmore District once thrived with Black-owned night clubs and shops until government redevelopment in the 1960s forced out residents.

Fewer than 50,000 Black people still live in the city, and it’s not clear how many would be eligible. Possible criteria include having lived in the city during certain time periods and descending from someone “incarcerated for the failed War on Drugs.”


Critics say the payouts make no sense in a state and city that never enslaved Black people. Opponents generally say taxpayers who were never slave owners should not have to pay money to people who were not enslaved.

Advocates say that view ignores a wealth of data and historical evidence showing that long after U.S. slavery officially ended in 1865, government policies and practices worked to imprison Black people at higher rates, deny access to home and business loans and restrict where they could work and live.

Justin Hansford, a professor at Howard University School of Law, says no municipal reparations plan will have enough money to right the wrongs of slavery, but he appreciates any attempts to “genuinely, legitimately, authentically” make things right. And that includes cash, he said.


“If you’re going to try to say you’re sorry, you have to speak in the language that people understand, and money is that language,” he said.

John Dennis, chair of the San Francisco Republican Party, does not support reparations although he says he’d support a serious conversation on the topic. He doesn’t consider the board’s discussion of $5 million payments to be one.

“This conversation we’re having in San Francisco is completely unserious. They just threw a number up, there’s no analysis,” Dennis said. “It seems ridiculous, and it also seems that this is the one city where it could possibly pass.”

The board created the 15-member reparations committee in late 2020, months after California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a statewide task force amid national turmoil after a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, a Black man.


The committee continues to deliberate recommendations, including monetary compensation, and its report is due to the Legislature on July 1. At that point it will be up to lawmakers to draft and pass legislation.

The state panel made the controversial decision in March to limit reparations to descendants of Black people who were in the country in the 19th century. Some reparations advocates said that approach does take into account the harms that Black immigrants suffer.

Under San Francisco’s draft recommendation, a person would have to be at least 18 years old and have identified as “Black/African American” in public documents for at least 10 years. Eligible people must also meet two of eight other criteria, though the list may change.


Those criteria include being born in or migrating to San Francisco between 1940 and 1996 and living in the city for least 13 years; being displaced from the city by urban renewal between 1954 and 1973, or the descendant of someone who was; attending the city’s public schools before they were fully desegregated; or being a descendant of an enslaved person.

The Chicago suburb of Evanston became the first U.S. city to fund reparations. The city gave money to qualifying people for home repairs, down payments and interest or late penalties due on property. In December, the Boston City Council approved of a reparations study task force.
San Fran Woke will go broke if this is implemented. Sad really... And where on earth would they get $1 houses?
 

spaminator

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Seven Virginia sheriffs deputies arrested in death of suspect
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Dan Whitcomb
Published Mar 15, 2023 • 1 minute read

Seven sheriffs deputies of Henrico County, Virginia, have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of a suspect who was being transported to a mental health facility from jail.


Irvo Otieno, 28, died on March 6 as he was being admitted to Central State Hospital in Petersburg, Virginia, Dinwiddie County Commonwealth Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said in a written statement. Petersburg is in central Virginia, roughly 25 miles (40 km) south of Richmond.


“Mr. Otieno’s family was notified by my office this morning of these charges and I will continue to work with and for his family in relation to pursuing this case to its fullest extent,” Cabell Baskervill said.

Medical examiners have not released a cause of death for Otieno. Prosecutors say they were told Otieno was restrained during the intake process because he was being “combative.”

The New York Times reported that Otieno, who immigrated to the United States from Kenya when he was 4, may have died from asphyxiation as he was being smothered on the ground by officers.


“As Henrico County Sheriff and on behalf of our entire office, I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Irvo Otieno,” Henrico County Sheriff Alisa Gregory said in a written statement released to WWBT.

“The events of March 6, at their core, represent a tragedy because Mr. Otieno’s life was lost. This loss is felt by not only those close to him but our entire community,” Gregory said.

The deputies were placed on administrative leave and the sheriff’s office would conduct an independent investigation into the incident, Gregory said in the statement.

Authorities have not said why Otieno was taken into custody or why he was being transferred to a mental health facility.

The defendants were identified as Randy Joseph Boyer, 57, Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37, Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45, Bradley Thomas Disse, 43, Tabitha Renee Levere, 50, Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48, and Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Seven Virginia sheriffs deputies arrested in death of suspect
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Dan Whitcomb
Published Mar 15, 2023 • 1 minute read

“As Henrico County Sheriff and on behalf of our entire office, I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Irvo Otieno,” Henrico County Sheriff Alisa Gregory said in a written statement released to WWBT.

"Well, except of course the seven members of our office who beat him to death."
 

Dixie Cup

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Well, if they did what they're accused of, I hope they throw the book at them. But recently it's become apparent that all that is reported may not necessarily be true so I'll await the final determination. A lot of people are being accused of things they aren't guilty of so I wait with "baited breath" for the facts to come out.
 

pgs

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Well, if they did what they're accused of, I hope they throw the book at them. But recently it's become apparent that all that is reported may not necessarily be true so I'll await the final determination. A lot of people are being accused of things they aren't guilty of so I wait with "baited breath" for the facts to come out.
And miss out on a good ole fashion public lynching , what fun is that ?
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Well, if they did what they're accused of, I hope they throw the book at them. But recently it's become apparent that all that is reported may not necessarily be true so I'll await the final determination. A lot of people are being accused of things they aren't guilty of so I wait with "baited breath" for the facts to come out.
There's video.

NB: It's "bated breath" (bated means "held" or "stopped") unless your breath smells like bait.
 

spaminator

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Seven deputies charged with murder in the death of Black Virginia man
10 people so far are facing second-degree murder charges in the case

Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Sarah Rankin
Published Mar 16, 2023 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 6 minute read

DINWIDDIE, Va. — Video from a state mental hospital shows a Black Virginia man who was handcuffed and shackled being pinned to the ground by seven deputies who are now facing second-degree murder charges in his death, according to relatives of the man and their attorneys who viewed the footage Thursday. Three people employed by the hospital have also been charged.


Speaking at a news conference shortly after watching the video with a local prosecutor, the family and attorneys condemned the brutal treatment they said Irvo Otieno, 28, was subjected to, first at a local jail and then at the state hospital where authorities say he died March 6 during the admission process.


They called on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in the case, saying Otieno’s constitutional rights were clearly violated.

“What I saw today was heartbreaking, America. It was disturbing. It was traumatic. My son was tortured,” said Otieno’s mother, Caroline Ouko.

Otieno’s case marks the latest example of a Black man’s in-custody death that has law enforcement under scrutiny. It follows the the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier this year and comes nearly three years after the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.



Ben Crump, who represented Floyd’s family and is now working with Otieno’s, quickly drew a comparison.

“It is truly shocking that nearly three years after the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, another family is grieving a loved one who allegedly died in nearly the exact same manner — being pinned down by police for 12 agonizing minutes,” Crump said in a statement.

Mark Krudys, another attorney for Otieno’s family, said at the news conference that the video showed all seven of the deputies now facing charges pushing down on Otieno, who was in handcuffs and leg irons.

“You can see that they’re putting their back into it. Every part of his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality,” he said.


Ten people so far have been charged with second-degree murder in Otieno’s death. The seven Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies were charged Tuesday and additional charges were announced Thursday against three people who were employed by the hospital.

The footage the family watched Thursday has not been publicly released. But Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill also described it in court Wednesday, saying at the first hearing for the deputies that Otieno was smothered to death, local news outlets reported.

Baskervill said Otieno did not appear combative and was sitting in a chair before being pulled to the ground by the officers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.


She announced Thursday in a news release the additional charges against the hospital employees: Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie. They were being held without bond, and it wasn’t immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak on their behalf. A spokeswoman for the state police said she didn’t know if they had obtained counsel, and none were listed in court records. The news release did not say what role they are alleged to have had in Otieno’s death.

Additional charges and arrests are pending, Baskervill said.

Otieno, who was a child when his family emigrated from Kenya and grew up in suburban Richmond, had a history of mental health struggles and was experiencing mental distress at the time of his initial encounter with law enforcement earlier this month, his family and their attorneys said.


That set off a chain of events that led to him spending several days in custody before authorities say he died March 6 as he was being admitted to Central State Hospital south of Richmond.

Krudys said the footage from the hospital also showed a lack of urgency to help Otieno after the deputies determined “that he was lifeless and not breathing.”

Otieno was a deeply loved young man, an aspiring musician who had been a well-known high school athlete, Krudys said.

“There is goodness in his music and that’s all I’m left with now — he’s gone,” Ouko said at the news conference while clutching a framed photo of her son.

“I cannot be at his wedding. I’ll never see a grandchild … because someone refused to help him. No one stood up to stop what was going on,” she said.


Otieno was first taken into custody March 3, according to a timeline provided by Henrico County Police, a separate agency from the sheriff’s office.

The police department said in a news release that officers encountered Otieno while responding to a report of a possible burglary in suburban Richmond, and that based on his behavior, they put him under an emergency custody order and took him to a local hospital for evaluation.

According to Krudys, Otieno was experiencing a mental health crisis and a neighbour called police over concerns about him gathering lawn lights from a yard. He said Otieno’s mother tried to de-escalate the initial response from a crowd of police officers and said the family supported him being taken to a hospital for treatment.


But while he was at the hospital, police said he became “became physically assaultive toward officers, who arrested him” and took him to a local jail that is managed by the Henrico Sheriff’s Office, where he was served with several charges.

While Otieno was in jail, he was denied access to needed medications, the family attorneys said. The family also viewed video from that facility on Thursday, which they said showed Otieno was subjected to further brutality by unidentified officers.

Crump said he was pepper sprayed, and Krudys said the video showed officers on March 6 charging into his cell, which was covered in feces, as Otieno was naked and handcuffed. The video shows officers carrying an “almost lifeless” Otieno out by his arms and legs “like an animal” to a vehicle to be transported to the state hospital.


“My son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog,” Ouko said.

Shannon Taylor, the commonwealth’s attorney for Henrico County, said in a statement Thursday that she’s conducting a review of what happened in the jail that day, and she pledged to release her findings. The Henrico sheriff declined comment beyond a statement released earlier in the week.

Around 4 p.m. on March 6, employees of the sheriff’s office arrived at Central State Hospital to admit Otieno, according to Baskervill. It was not until 7:28 p.m. that evening that state police were called to investigate his death, she said.

In court Wednesday, a defence attorney suggested that two medical injections Otieno received may have played a role in his death, which Baskervill disputed, the Times-Dispatch reported.


The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not released its final determination on how Otieno died.

Two of the deputies were released on bond, according to court records and local media. The others remained in custody, with hearings set for next week.

Edward Nickel, an attorney for Deputy Bradley Disse, one of the defendants who was released, said in an email Thursday that Disse has served “honorably” during a 20-year career with the sheriff’s department.

“He is looking forward to his opportunity to try this case and for the full truth to be shared in court and ultimately vindicated,” Nickel said in an email.

The Associated Press sent emails and other inquiries and left messages Thursday attempting to reach attorneys listed in court records for the other deputies.


The Henrico Fraternal Order of Police-Lodge 4 stood by the deputies in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday, urging against a rush to judgment and stressing that the charges are yet to go through the rigors of the legal system.

News outlets, including AP, have sought video of the altercation. Officials are withholding it, citing the pending investigation. Crump said Thursday the family believes the public should see the footage.

“How do we build trust unless we have transparency, and then we have accountability?” he said.

— Associated Press reporter Ben Finley in Norfolk contributed to this report.
 

spaminator

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Missouri man guilty in shooting over disabled parking spot
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Mar 16, 2023 • 1 minute read

ST. CHARLES. Mo. — A suburban St. Louis man has been convicted of shooting an Amazon delivery truck driver during a dispute over a disabled parking spot.


Larry Thomlison, 70, of St. Charles, was found guilty Monday of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the March 2019 shooting of 21-year-old Jaylen Walker, who was paralyzed from the waist down, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.


Prosecutors said Walker had illegally parked his delivery ban in a disabled parking spot and was talking to another Amazon driver when Thomlison confronted him.

When Thomlison, who was driving a car with a disabled permit placard, tried to photograph him, Walker pushed the phone away and Thomlison punched him, police said.

When the two men fell to the ground during their fight, Thomlison pulled out a gun and shot Walker in the back, prosecutors said.

Thomlison will be sentenced May 1.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Missouri man guilty in shooting over disabled parking spot
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Mar 16, 2023 • 1 minute read

ST. CHARLES. Mo. — A suburban St. Louis man has been convicted of shooting an Amazon delivery truck driver during a dispute over a disabled parking spot.
That ain't racism, that's two assholes sorting out who's the bigger asshole.
 

spaminator

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City of Markham staffer on leave after using N-word in George Brown guest lecture
The college called the incident "disturbing and troubling."

Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Mar 17, 2023 • 1 minute read

George Brown College says it is investigating after a guest speaker used the N-word during a case study presentation on Wednesday.


The downtown Toronto college says it condemns the use of the racial slur in the strongest terms and called the incident “disturbing and troubling.”


The city of Markham confirmed in a statement that the language was used by a member of its staff in a case study presentation on an arbitration decision presented to students.

City spokesman Bryan Frois says the staff member was placed on administrative leave and a third-party investigator has been brought in to review the situation and make recommendations.

George Brown president Gervan Fearon says the college also immediately launched a formal investigation.

Fearon says its Office of Anti-Racism, Equity and Human Rights is connecting with students from the class to provide supports and will take action to prevent the incident from happening in future.
 
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Dixie Cup

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Edmonton
City of Markham staffer on leave after using N-word in George Brown guest lecture
The college called the incident "disturbing and troubling."

Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Mar 17, 2023 • 1 minute read

George Brown College says it is investigating after a guest speaker used the N-word during a case study presentation on Wednesday.


The downtown Toronto college says it condemns the use of the racial slur in the strongest terms and called the incident “disturbing and troubling.”


The city of Markham confirmed in a statement that the language was used by a member of its staff in a case study presentation on an arbitration decision presented to students.

City spokesman Bryan Frois says the staff member was placed on administrative leave and a third-party investigator has been brought in to review the situation and make recommendations.

George Brown president Gervan Fearon says the college also immediately launched a formal investigation.

Fearon says its Office of Anti-Racism, Equity and Human Rights is connecting with students from the class to provide supports and will take action to prevent the incident from happening in future.
OMG - was the n-word used "in context" or is it someone just wanting to raise crap about absolutely nothing. Likely the latter.
 
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Taxslave2

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No context in the article. He could have been reading Tom Sawyer, or even a court transcription. Or even a piece of machinery.
 
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