Black Homeowners In Washington Change Racist Covenant Clauses That Support Servitude
Black homeowners in Washington state brought attention to the outdated covenant clauses that bar Black people from certain communities unless they are servants.
Black homeowners in several Thurston County communities were aware of racist language in their covenants that excluded residents who aren’t White, King 5 reported.
The illegal and unenforceable practice was deemed unconstitutional decades ago. But somehow was erased from homeowner paperwork in the Washington county.
Michelle Fearing, a homeowner in Thurston County, was completely appalled after she realized what her clause was actually saying. “It was shocking,” Fearing said. “I’m reading it going, ‘Whoa. Wow. That’s crazy.’” Fearing has a Beachcrest community covenant that was written in 1948.
It reads that, “No other than the white race shall be allowed to occupy any residence in this subdivision except servants.”
Fearing is now among 30 Thurston County homeowners who had the racist language omitted from the clauses ahead of the next time a property is sold.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Fearing said.
Thurston County has been busy sending out letters to community members about the clauses drafted in the early 1950s. Auditor Mary Hall instructed her staff to inform the public about the wording and how to have it removed.
“When I got to Washington state I was shocked how white it was. And now I understand why,” Hall said.
In the Stratford Park neighborhood, the clause shares the same racist language.
“No race or nationality other than the Caucasian race shall use or occupy any building on any lot,” the clause reads. The covenant did allow for “domestic servants, of a different race.”
Washington state recently passed House Bill 1335 where students at the University of Washington and Eastern Washington University will review existing deeds and covenants for discriminatory restrictions. In March, Thurston County declared racism as a crisis, The Olympianreported. What’s going on in Thurston County is expected in other counties within the state.
Rescue Workers Continue Hoping As Death Toll At Florida Building Collapse Keeps Climbing
Reuters – Rescue workers pulled a 10th body from the rubble of a collapsed Florida condominium on Monday, as officials vowed to keep searching for any possible survivors five days after the 12-story building fell without warning as residents slept.
Crews were using cranes, dogs and infrared scans as they looked for signs of life amid the ruins, hoping air pockets may have formed underneath the concrete that could be keeping some people alive.
“We’re going to continue and work ceaselessly to exhaust every possible options in our search,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told a news briefing.
The death toll appears certain to rise, and Levine Cava acknowledged the number of casualties is “fluid.” There are 151 people still unaccounted for.
The cause of the collapse at the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, near Miami, remains under investigation.
A 2018 engineer’s report found serious concrete deterioration in the underground parking garage as well as major damage in the concrete slab beneath the pool deck. The author, Frank Morabito, wrote the deterioration would “expand exponentially” if it was not repaired in the near future.
But Ross Prieto, then Surfside’s top building official, met residents the following month after reviewing the report and assured them the building was “in very good shape,” according to minutes of the meeting released by the town on Monday.
Reuters was unable to reach Prieto, who is no longer employed by Surfside. He told the Miami Herald newspaper he did not remember getting the report.
The engineer’s report was commissioned in advance of the condo seeking recertification, a required process for buildings that reach 40 years of age. The tower was constructed in 1981. An estimate prepared by Morabito Consultants in 2018 put the cost of repairs at $9.1 million, including electrical, plumbing and work on the facade.
After the meeting, Prieto emailed the town’s manager to say it “went very well. The response was very positive from everyone in the room. All main concerns over their forty year recertification process were addressed.”
Guillermo Olmedillo, Surfside’s town manager in 2018, told Reuters he did not recall hearing about any issues related to the tower based on the engineer’s report.
“The last thing I knew was that everything is OK, reported by the building official,” he said.
Gregg Schlesinger, a lawyer and former general contractor who specializes in construction-failure cases, said it was clear the deficiencies identified in the 2018 report were the main cause of the disaster.
But Donna DiMaggio Berger, a lawyer who works with the condo association, said the issues were typical for older buildings in the area and did not alarm board members, all of whom lived in the tower with their families.
Morabito Consultants was retained by the building in 2020 to prepare a 40-year building repair plan.
The firm said on Saturday that roof repairs were underway at the time of the collapse but concrete restoration had not yet started.
“We are deeply troubled by this building collapse and are working closely with the investigating authorities to understand why the structure failed,” it said.
Levine Cava vowed officials will “get to the bottom” of why the building collapsed but said the priority right now is searching for survivors.
‘TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE’
Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said workers have found voids large enough to keep victims alive.
“Not to say that we have see anyone down there, but we’ve not gotten to the very bottom,” he said.
He said searchers have heard some sounds, such as tapping of scratching, though he acknowledged it could be metal shifting. But he emphasized that there is no set amount of time after which the rescue effort should cease.
The teams include experts sent by Israel and Mexico to assist in the search.
Some relatives of those missing have provided DNA samples to officials, and family members were permitted to pay a private visit to the site by special arrangement on Sunday, Levine Cava said.
The police have identified eight victims, including a couple married for nearly 60 years and a mother whose teenage son is one of the few known survivors.
At a makeshift memorial a block away, tributes to the victims and “missing” posters hung on a chain-link fence, with flowers and children’s toys strewn about.
Given the scores of those still missing, the disaster may end up one of the deadliest non-deliberate structural failures in U.S. history.
Ninety-eight people perished when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C., gave way from the weight of snow during a silent movie screening in January 1922. Two interior walkways collapsed into the lobby of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, during a dance party in July 1981, killing 114.
(Additional reporting by Brendan O’Brien, Brad Heath, Peter Szekely and Kanishka Singh; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Alistair Bell)
Gwen Berry Felt ‘Set Up’ By Timing Of National Anthem During U.S. Olympic Trials
Team USA hammer thrower Gwen Berry went viral over the weekend after she was seen seemingly protesting the national anthem.
Berry came in third at Saturday’s U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon. While standing on the podium, Berry turned to the side and put her hands on her waist when the national anthem played. The first and second place competitors faced the flag and placed their right hands over their heart. Toward the end of the “Star Spangled Banner,” Berry put a black T-shirt with the words “Activist Athlete” on her head, CBS Newsreports.
But Berry feels the timing of the national anthem was a “setup” against her after ESPN noted it was delayed by five minutes from when it was initially scheduled to play.
“I feel like it was a setup, and they did it on purpose,” Berry said. “I was pissed, to be honest.”
She has already vowed to use her platform at the Tokyo Olympics to raise awareness of social injustice in the U.S., People reports.
“They said they were going to play it before we walked out, then they played it when we were out there,” Berry said of the time delay. “But I don’t really want to talk about the anthem because that’s not important. The anthem doesn’t speak for me. It never has.”
Back in 2019, Berry famously protested during the Pan Am games by raising her fist while on the podium, CBS Sportsreports.
“My purpose and my mission is bigger than sports,” Berry said. “I’m here to represent those … who died due to systemic racism. That’s the important part. That’s why I’m going. That’s why I’m here today.”
A spokesperson for the USA Track and Field addressed the scheduled timing of the national anthem.
“[T]he national anthem was scheduled to play at 5:20 p.m. today. We didn’t wait until the athletes were on the podium for the hammer throw awards,” the spokesperson said. “The national anthem is played every day according to a previously published schedule.”
However, for some reason, on Saturday, the national anthem was played at 5:25 pm.
U.N. Rights Chief: ‘Stop Denying Racism And Start Dismantling It’
Reuters – Nations should “start dismantling racism,” set up reparations programs and prosecute law enforcement officials for unlawful killings of people of African descent, the U.N. human rights chief said on Monday.
Michelle Bachelet, in a global report sparked by the murder of African American George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, said police use of racial profiling and excessive force is entrenched in much of North America, Europe and Latin America.
Structural racism creates barriers to minorities’ access to jobs, healthcare, housing, education and justice, she said.
“I am calling on all states to stop denying, and start dismantling, racism; to end impunity and build trust; to listen to the voices of people of African descent; and to confront past legacies and deliver redress,” Bachelet said.
The report called for creating victim compensation programs and national reparations programs, including payments, with input from affected communities.
Jamil Dakwar of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) welcomed the recommendations. “This historic report provides a blueprint for the United States and other countries to begin reckoning with the long history of systemic racism that permeates through policing and other state violence and structural discrimination against Black people,” he said.
Bachelet welcomed a “promising initiative” by U.S. President Joe Biden in signing an executive order in January to address racial inequity.
At least 190 people of African descent have died worldwide at the hands of law enforcement officials in the past decade – most of them in the United States, the report said.
“With the exception of the case of George Floyd, no one was held accountable,” Mona Rishmawi, who supervised the report, told a news conference.
It selected seven “emblematic cases”, including that of Floyd. A judge sentenced former police officer Derek Chauvin on Friday to 22-1/2 years for his murder, video of which galvanized the international Black Lives Matter protest movement.
Other victims include an Afro-Brazilian boy, 14, shot dead in an anti-drug police operation in Sao Paulo in May 2020 and a Frenchman of Malian origin, 24, who died in police custody in July 2016.
“One (Brazilian) mother in particular said to us ‘you always talk about George Floyd. Every day we have a George Floyd here and nobody talks about it’,” Rishmawi said. “We realized that we were only touching the tip of the iceberg.”
Racism is most prevalent in countries linked to the former trade of an estimated 25-30 million Africans for enslavement or colonialism, resulting in large communities of people of African descent in countries such as Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Colombia, France and the United States, the report said.
“There is today a momentous opportunity to achieve a turning point for racial equality and justice,” Bachelet said.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, Editing by William Maclean and Bernadette Baum)
Louisiana State University Medical Students Treat Ill Patient During Flight To Greece
Two med students from Lousiana State University were recently put to the test during a long flight to Greece.
Heather Duplessis and Lauren Bagneris responded to a flight captain’s call for medical professionals during a flight to Greece, NOLA.com reported. A woman on the flight had grown lightheaded and became ill due to low blood sugar and heat exhaustion.
Duplessis and Bagneria sprung into action to save the day. They worked to calm the patient and cool her down. They gave her juice and food while communicating with a ground-level doctor and checking her blood pressure, pulse and blood sugar, LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans said in a Facebook post.
“The patient ended up feeling much better thanks to these two talented doctors in the making and their LSU medical education,” the school said.
The two students have received nothing but praise in comments left on the school’s social media accounts.
“Well done,” one Twitter user said. “Good thing they were there,” added someone else.
“Wow, scary times. Thank them for stepping in. Hope everyone was able to enjoy our beautiful country Greece when the plane finally landed,” one Twitter user added.
Over on Facebook, many people were thankful for the students’ good deed in the sky and how they were in the right place at the right time.
“Praise God that the students were on the flight and the passenger is ok,” one Facebook user said. “They will be wonderful doctors! We’re so proud of your service.”
“Awesome,,job thank God for these two young women of color,,,,showing compassion,love ,and care for others,,,thank you LSU,” said someone else.
“So glad they were on board. Makes. Me even more proud of our grandson, Joshua, who is starting 3rd year at LSUMS,” said one supporter and proud grandparent of a fellow LSUMS student.
Michael Eric Dyson Apologizes For Calling Trump Supporters ‘Maggots’
Vanderbilt University professor Michael Eric Dyson has apologized for calling Trump supporters “maggots” on MSNBC last week.
During a segment last week, Dyson denounced recent criticisms of Critical Race Theory adding “In speaking about the maggots—I’m sorry—the MAGA.”
Dyson took the time to apologize Friday during MSNBC’s coverage of the Derek Chauvin sentencing.
“Let me apologize on this program. I was trying to be cute and clever when I was talking about MAGA, therefore ‘MAGAts,’ not ‘maggots,’” Dyson said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOCGBTm5eLk
Dyson added that he did not anticipate the backlash from White audiences in his statement. Dyson said in the following days he received a significant amount of hate comments.
“I didn’t anticipate that, you know, brothers and sisters who are White would hear it as that. So I deeply and profoundly apologize for that,” Dyson said. “But I have been hit with an onslaught of death threats and being called the N-word out of White rage for a mistake I made, for which I am willing to apologize certainly.”
Dyson also called Trump supporters “mediocre, mealy-mouthed snowflakes” during Wednesday’s broadcast.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson compared Dyson’s comments to former KKK leader David Duke and other segregationists.
“Read what he says about race, and ask yourself if he sounds any different from Bull Conner or David Duke. Only the colors have changed,” Carlson said.
Although Dyson apologized, he also defended the reaching of Critical Race Theory, which Republicans and their supporters have fought tooth and nail. The professor supported teaching Critical Race Theory, saying it’s a study of systems, not individuals.
“All critical race theory is saying as a theory of law is that it’s not about individual acts of bigotry, or bias, or racism. It is a systemic and institutional network that must be somehow discerned and dismantled.”
In addition to teaching at Vanderbilt, Dyson has also taught at Chicago Theological Seminary, Brown University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University, DePaul University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Former Bad Boy Rapper Shyne Appointed Leader Of Belize’s Opposition Party
We reported last year that former Bad Boy rapper Moses Barrow, better known to the hip-hop world as Shyne, declared his election to his native Belize’s House of Representatives. Less than a year later, Shyne was appointed leader of Belize’s conservative opposition party, last Thursday.
Shyne took to his Instagram to send a message to his country’s constituents after being appointed.
“Officially Sworn in as Leader of the Opposition for Belize!” he wrote.
“Thank Gd for the perseverance and iron will to continue on to this point despite all challenges and difficulties. Thanks to my family, my Mesopotamia Constituents and my Opposition colleagues in the House of Representatives whose trust and confidence in me has [sic] put me in this position to receive this responsibility and privilege of a lifetime to serve as Leader of the Opposition.
“All that I have been through in my 42 years on earth has prepared me for this historic moment in time to be able to shoulder this responsibility, to deliver on this opportunity to build my Nation. I pray for continued wisdom, strength and stamina to serve and lead my Nation. The sanctity of the office I hold lies in its mandate to be a vehicle of betterment and advancement for the masses especially those disenfranchised, overlooked and underprivileged. This moment in history will forever serve as an inspiration to all people from all backgrounds especially the youth, the disadvantaged the impoverished, that there is nothing beyond their reach.”
Hon. Shyne Barrow
Leader of the Opposition
House of Representatives
MP for Mesopotamia
UDP
Shyne is no stranger to politics as his father, Dean Barrow, was elected the prime minister of Belize back in 2008, making him the first Black leader of the country. The elder Barrow also served as deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs from 1993 until 1998 and was then leader of the opposition from 1998 until the United Democratic Party (UDP) won the election in February 2008.
Zambian News Anchor Interrupts Live Broadcast To Claim He Hasn’t Been Paid
One news anchor in Zambia has gone viral after confronting his network on live television about not being paid.
Kalimina Kabinda interrupted his live news broadcast on Zambia’s KBN TV on June 19 to claim that he and his colleagues haven’t been paid their wages by the news station, The Independentreported. Kabinda had started the news roundup as he normally would before transitioning into an unexpected plea for employee wages.
“Away from the news, ladies and gentleman, we are human beings. We have to get paid,” Kabinda said, as noted by CNN “Unfortunately, on KBN we haven’t been paid. Everyone else haven’t been paid, including myself. We have to get paid.”
The news station blasted Kabinda’s on-air appeal as a “one-night stunt of fame.” But, Kabinda reposted the clip to his Facebook page saying he only did what many journalists are too afraid to do.
“Yes I did that on live TV, just because most journalists are scared to speak out doesn’t mean journalists shouldn’t speak out,” Kabinda said.
The network’s CEO, Kennedy Mambwe, blasted Kabinda’s claims in a Facebook statement and accused the news anchor of being drunk during the broadcast.
“As KBN TV, we are appalled with the drunken behaviour exhibited through a video clip that had gone viral on social media and staged by one of our part-time presenters during what should have been the main news bulletin last night,” Mambwe said, the new york Daily Newsreported.
“Members of the public may wish to know that KBN TV like any other institution, has very well established grievance procedures for all members of staff through which they can channel their complaints,” Mambwe continued. “Therefore, last night’s behaviour by Kabinda Kalimina is out of character and does not represent who we are as a station.”
He called out Kabinda’s “despicable behaviour” and encouraged viewers “to treat that ‘One-Night stunt of Fame’ with the contempt it deserves.” Mambwe said disciplinary action would be taken against Kabinda and said the network was launching an investigation into “how a drunken part-time presenter found himself on air unabated.”
Killer Mike’s Greenwood Bank Postpones Launch Again Due To High Customer Demand
Rapper Michael “Killer Mike” Render announced his Greenwood banking platform’s debut has been postponed for a second time due to high customer demand.
Greenwood’s Co-founder, Ryan Glover, told CNN Business the Black and Latinx-owned digital banking platform’s early 2021 launch date was pushed back to July due to a higher than anticipated demand after its website debuted the previous October.
The second delay, much like the first, is to ensure the platform can handle the increasing amount of customers and traffic on its site when it debuts. Greenwood has shifted its focus from obtaining customers to rolling out services to those who’ve signed up for the platform.
Last week, Greenwood’s Chief Marketing Officer David Tapscott said Greenwood’s leaders now anticipate those on the waiting list will be able to open accounts under Greenwood’s platform before the end of the year and will be open to the general public in early 2022.
“Adding [more] people onto a waitlist just delays how long it’ll take us to get through it,” Tapscott told CNN Business on Wednesday. “Our first commitment is to deliver the best product possible to the marketplace and we’re not going to rush that. We believe our customers have enough confidence in what we’re doing that they will stay with us on that journey.”
Last week, Greenwood announced fintech leader Dylani Herath has joined the banking platform as its vice president of engineering. Herath will be tasked with ensuring the company’s software can expedite Greenwood’s rollout.
Greenwood’s banking platform has received more than $40 million in Series A funding since its launch in October. The platform has also been backed by large banks including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Truist Bank. Other major investors in Greenwood include Wells Fargo, PNC Bank, Banco Popular, and SoftBank.
The bank takes its name from the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was once home to a thriving Black business community known as Black Wall Street until the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Contrarian Investing: A Potential Money Maker Or Risk Taker For Black Investors
There are no assurances when it comes to investing. That is certainly true for contrarian investing.
That investment style occurs when an investor intentionally goes against the crowd. For instance, an investor may buy stocks when most others sell and then will sell as others buy. Contrarian investing is largely about hunting for stocks that may have been oversold, or gambling against stocks that are overrated with steep valuations.
Black Americans examining investment options might want to consider contrarian investing related to stocks. But they must be sure to do some research before making such investments.
The Finder.com’s guide on contrarian investing reports how betting against the herd can bring strong returns but also can be risky. A financial comparison site, Finder.com, claims it helps people make the best decisions tied to handling money. Credit cards and various loans are among the financial products it examines.
BLACK ENTERPRISE connected via email with Sheri Bechtel, Finder’s share trading and investments editor, to share why contrarian investing maybe be a good investment choice for Black investors now.
“Contrarian investing is, in general, a smart investment strategy, because you avoid this mob mentality that pushes a stock’s value way up. Specifically for Black American investors, this strategy is a way to grow that generational wealth that helps bolster Black communities.”
That said, Bechtel added it is a tough time for the strategy right now. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of contrarians were going into airlines or cruise stocks, but those stocks have already rebounded, so the entry point has already passed for them. She says the idea is you want to get in when certain stocks are performing poorly.
“One of our contrarian picks, Suncor Energy as an example since it’s one of our picks for a contrarian strategy. That stock has seen a 35.97% return over the past year, whereas the S&P 500 has seen a 35.69% one-year gain. That’s pretty comparable.”
She offered tips on what Black investors should consider before making contrarian investments.
“Nothing is ever a sure thing, so even though you suspect a particular stock or sector is going to see gains, that won’t necessarily happen. While there may not be certain risks specifically associated with race there are other factors to consider,” Bechtel said.
She pointed out the Ariel-SchwabBlack Investor Survey noted a growing number of young Black Americans under the age of 40 participating in the stock market. While this movement is positive and helps to narrow the gap between young Black and white investors there is still work that needs to be done to ensure the same resources and engagement.
She says a good example of contrarian investingdone right is when investors jumped into crashing travel sector stocks during the pandemic. Most investors avoided that sector because no one was traveling and those stocks were nosediving. “But getting in low paid off well once the travel sector rebounded earlier this year.”
Like other investments, Black investors should do their homework before taking on contrarian investing.
“Research is essential. You’ll want to find sectors or stocks most investors are ignoring or avoiding because they’re performing poorly. Keep an eye on news that could impact these stocks down the road,” Bechtel says. “Choose wisely, and you could see a relatively small initial investment grow once that sector or that particular stock rebounds.”
She says the downside is that sometimes following the herd is the better strategy. “Sometimes they’re right. And if you’re wrong, you could lose some or all of your investment, so it’s important to do your research and make sure you have the risk appetite to potentially lose some money.”
