Black Seattle Police Chief Resigns After Council Votes to Defund the Police
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 12, 2020

Black Seattle Police Chief Resigns After Council Votes to Defund the Police

The ‘defund the police movement has been causing rifts around the country. Based on the decision of the Seattle City Council, the Seattle Chief of Police has resigned due to cuts in the police budget, according to CBS News.

Carmen Best, the city’s first Black police chief, has decided to walk away from the force after the Seattle City Council on Monday voted 7-1 to reduce the budget of the police department by $3.5 million, less than 1%, for the rest of the year. $17 million will be invested in community safety programs. The City Council has also approved reducing the department by as many as 100 officers through layoffs and attrition.

Best’s resignation takes effect on Sept. 2. Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz has been appointed by the mayor to become the interim chief.

“I am confident the department will make it through these difficult times,” Best said in her resignation letter. “You truly are the best police department in the country, and please trust me when I say, the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you. … I look forward to seeing how this department moves forward through the process of re-envisioning public safety. I relish the work that will be done by all of you.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan, who picked Best to lead the department in July 2018, said she accepted Best’s decision “with a very heavy heart.”

“I regret deeply that she concluded that the best way to serve the city and help the department was a change in leadership, in the hope that would change the dynamics to move forward with the City Council,” Durkan stated.

She also stated disappointment with the city council.

“It is unfortunate Council has refused to engage in a collaborative process to work with the mayor, Chief Best, and community members to develop a budget and policies that respond to community needs while accounting for — not just acknowledging — the significant labor and legal implications involved in transforming the Seattle Police Department,” Durkan said in a statement after the city council vote.

by Dana Givens

August 12, 2020

Only 47% Of Young Black Americans Under 30 Plan to Vote For Joe Biden: Report

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden confirmed Tuesday that California Sen. Kamala Harris will be his running mate for the upcoming election in the fall. This comes after intense pressure for Biden from various critics to choose a Black woman as his vice president pick. However, a new survey shows there are still some Black Americans who aren’t sold on electing Biden as president.

While Biden has proven to have strong support among older Black voters, young Black voters are still elusive. According to data collected by American University, only 47% of Black Americans under 30 years old surveyed confirmed that they would be voting for the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, this November in comparison to 70% for Black Americans between the ages of 30-59. Seventy-three percent of respondents under 30 said they would vote for Biden in the upcoming presidential election.

The data further highlights the generational differences go beyond views on Biden but the Democratic Party and election process overall. The study found that 47% of Black Americans under the age of 30 believe that the Democratic Party is welcoming toward the community compared to 77% of Black Americans over the age of 60. Twenty-seven percent of Black Americans under 30 were welcomed by the Republican Party compared to 7% of Black Americans over 60.

graph
Image via American University

 

Young Black Americans have also been more critical of remarks made by Biden, including when he recently he implied that the African American community isn’t as diverse as the Latinx community.


“Unlike the African American community with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things,” he said during a video interview.

Whataburger Fires Black Employee for Wearing Black Lives Matter Face Mask
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 12, 2020

Whataburger Fires Black Employee for Wearing Black Lives Matter Face Mask

A Black Whataburger employee lost her job after a white customer made a complaint about her wearing a Black Lives Matter face mask last week, according to TheGrio.

The firing took place at a Whataburger in Fort Worth, Texas, which is located in a predominantly Black neighborhood. When the customer noticed the Black Lives Matter face mask on the face of a 19-year-old worker, Ma’Kiya Congious, she requested the phone number to corporate headquarters. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Congious said, “I asked, ‘Is it something I did wrong? She said, ‘They should not allow you to wear that mask … don’t worry about it you’ll be hearing from corporate.’”

Congious stated that she had been wearing the masks for days leading up to the incident. But, the manager told her, “Whataburger wants you to wear a mask that has no opinions whatsoever on them. You’re entitled to your personal opinions and that’s fine. But at Whataburger, we don’t want to portray them because some people may be offended. This is a big business.”

The former worker felt she needed to protect herself, so she recorded the conversation.

“Whataburger doesn’t want to get into anything political because we’re just hamburgers and fries,” she added.

When a confused Congious asked for clarity on the face mask policy at the fast-food restaurant, the managers then called the police on her.

“Officers made the scene and spoke with the female ex-employee who stated that all she wanted was the number to corporate to file a complaint,” a Fort Worth Police department spokesperson told The Star-Telegram. “Ex-employee was provided number by the manager and then left scene without incident.”

Last week, Whataburger released a statement regarding the incident.

“Whataburger supports racial equality,” the statement said. “This is simply a matter of enforcing our uniform policy. Whataburger employees are provided company-issued masks that comply with our policy and adhere to CDC and local government guidance.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 12, 2020

President Trump Calls Kamala Harris ‘The Meanest, The Most Horrible, Most Disrespectful’ US Senator

President Donald Trump attacked Sen. Kamala Harris shortly after Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden announced her as his vice presidential pick, according to The Daily Mail.

Biden announced Tuesday afternoon that Sen. Harris is his running mate, marking the first time in history that a Black woman has been chosen on either the Democratic or Republican Party’s presidential ticket. If elected, Harris would become the first woman, first Black, and first Asian American vice president of the United States.

“I have been watching her for a long time and I was a little surprised. She was extraordinarily nasty to Judge Kavanaugh, now Justice Kavanaugh,” Trump said criticizing the freshman senator. “She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing, the way she was, the way she treated now Justice Kavanaugh. And I won’t forget that soon,’ he continued. “I thought she was the meanest, the most horrible, most disrespectful of anybody in the U.S. Senate,” he added.

According to Deadline, Trump also called Harris “the most liberal person in the U.S. Senate, and I thought that Biden would try to stay away from that a bit because with what they are doing with open borders and sanctuary cities ..with all the things that they are doing, I would have thought it would have gone a different way.”

Despite his criticism, President Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump made some monetary donations toward previous campaigns when she was California’s attorney general. He gave $1,000 to her campaign in 2013 and $5,000 in 2011. Ivanka also gave $2,000 in 2013. Harris’s presidential campaign said that she donated Trump’s $6,000 to an immigration group back in 2015.

At Trump’s press conference on Tuesday, when asked about his contribution to Harris’ previous campaign, reporters didn’t get a response.

Andrew Yang Says It’s Time To Implement A Four-Day Workweek Amid COVID-19
by Dana Givens

August 12, 2020

Andrew Yang Says It’s Time To Implement A Four-Day Workweek Amid COVID-19

The COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus pandemic, has completely changed the way we live and work in our society. In order to contain and combat the viral outbreak, states have implemented social distancing provisions and have closed down numerous office buildings since large gatherings were banned with many companies being forced to change to a remote-based system. Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang recently came out to advocate for more corporations to take it a step further and start implementing a four-day workweek amid the public health crisis.

In an interview with Business Insider, Yang discussed the importance of making the change to increase productivity, especially amid the viral outbreak. “It would help get us off of this hamster wheel that we’re on right now, where we’re all sort of racing against the clock in service of this like giant capital efficiency machine,” Yang said to Business Insider. “And the race is driving us all crazy.”

Companies like Microsoft’s subsidiary in Japan have already announced that their workers will be switching to a four-day workweek with the “Work-Life Choice Challenge.” Andrew Barnes who works as the CEO of Perpetual Guardian discussed the transition to a four-day workweek with his company in New Zealand in 2018. “The world has now said, ‘Actually, we have this great experiment called COVID-19,'” Barnes said to Business Insider. “We’re questioning how the world will work and shape going forward. Your biggest risk now is not getting ahead, because to get ahead of the curve, you’ve got to introduce something like this.”

“In our business, some people will take a day off. Some people will take two half-days. Some people will work five days, but they will work compressed hours,” he added. “So what we’re talking about is a reduction in the working week. Not everybody comes out with a three-day weekend. For some people it is, but for a lot of people, actually, the last thing they want is to have a three-day weekend.”

More Than A Dozen Cities Are Defunding Their Police Departments
by Derek Major

August 12, 2020

More Than A Dozen Cities Are Defunding Their Police Departments

At least 12 cities across the country have cut funding from police department budgets or decreased officer numbers and more are in the process.

According to Forbes, Seattle is the latest city to announce a defunding effort. On Tuesday, Seattle’s City Council passed a $3.5 million cut to the police budget and a downsizing of 100 officers. Police Chief Carmen Best resigned soon after.

New York also approved budget cuts this summer, despite significant pushback from the NYPD and police unions. The city cut $1 billion from its budget, reallocating $354 million to mental health, homelessness, and education services.

In California, both Los Angeles and San Francisco made budget cuts to their police departments. Los Angeles, which sports the third-largest department in the country, approved a $150 million budget cut from its $1.86 billion proposed budget. San Francisco approved a $120 million slash to its police and sheriff’s department and Oakland cut $14.6 million from its law enforcement budget.

Even the nation’s capital cut its police budget by $15 million earlier this summer. Other cities that have cut their police budgets include Baltimore; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia; Hartford, Conn.; Norman, Oklahoma; and Salt Lake City.

Many of these budget cuts are being done to move money back into social services that were cut after the 2008 housing crisis. With more people homeless and drug-addicted in the U.S. than a decade ago, millions of dollars have been taken from department budgets and are being poured back into homeless services, drug treatment, and other social issues.

The Trump administration and Republicans have fought against the law enforcement budget cuts. When Best resigned, Attorney General Bill Barr called the budget cuts irresponsible.

“This experience should be a lesson to state and local leaders about the real costs of irresponsible proposals to defund the police,” wrote U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr of Best’s resignation.

President Trump has also called out city and state leaders for cutting department budgets. Trump has also said Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden supports defunding the police. However, Biden has said multiple times he does not support cutting law enforcement budgets.

 

Barack Obama, Others Congratulate Kamala Harris On VP Nomination
by Derek Major

August 12, 2020

Barack Obama, Others Congratulate Kamala Harris On VP Nomination

Former President Barack Obama issued a statement Tuesday congratulating Sen. Kamala Harris on earning the Democratic Party’s nomination for vice president.

According to BET, Harris is positioned to be the first Black and South Asian woman to be vice president, should she and Biden win the election in November.

Obama tweeted congratulations to Harris saying she is more than prepared for the job and that “she’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake.”

 

“Joe Biden nailed this decision. By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America’s next vice president, he’s underscored his own judgment and character,” Obama wrote. “Reality shows us that these attributes are not optional in a president. They’re requirements of the job. And now Joe has an ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead.”

Others who praised the California Senator with congratulations include Sen. Elizabeth Warren, voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams, and actress Mindy Kaling, who called Harris’ nomination an exciting day “for our entire country of course, but especially for my Black and Indian sisters, many of us who have gone our entire lives thinking that someone who looks like us may never hold high office.”

Harris was an early contender for the presidential nomination and even took some shots at Biden during the primary debates challenging his record on race, his support of the 1994 crime bill, and his treatment of Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

Harris dropped out of the race last December and put her support behind Biden, endorsing him in March.

“When I started my run for president, I said America needs a president who reflects the decency and dignity of the American people; a president who speaks the truth; and a president who fights for those whose voices are too often overlooked or ignored. I still believe that to this day.” Harris said in a statement in March. “That is why I am proud to announce I am endorsing my friend, Vice President Joe Biden, for President of the United States.”

by Derek Major

August 12, 2020

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Noticeably Absent As Decisions On Reopening Schools Loom

While public schools discuss reopenings amid the coronavirus pandemic, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is sitting at home in Michigan.

According to NBC News, DeVos owns a sprawling waterfront estate with an around-the-clock security detail paid for by taxpayers. At the same time, DeVos has been a hardline advocate of President Trump’s demand that schools reopen in full and in person, which could put millions of teachers and students at risk of infection.

Many education advocates are looking at the education secretary to offer guidelines to public schools as they struggle with the immense challenges of reopening during a pandemic. However, DeVos told the Washington Examiner in June she’s been working remotely from home with a public schedule that has been mostly empty for the past several weeks, including no events on her public schedule for this week.

The conservative site, the Federalist Society said DeVos has been holding events not listed on her public calendar, including several sponsored by the conservative site. The education secretary has also participated in a few events for private schools and advocacy for vouchers, including a roundtable July 23 at a private Christian school in Ohio.

Additionally, DeVos’ office told NBC she has been in constant contact with governors and state superintendents virtually and in person.

However, Noelle Ellerson Ng, associate executive director for advocacy at The School Superintendents Association, which represents public school superintendents in 49 states, said the group hasn’t heard from DeVos once this year.

“We would stand ready to answer that call. That’s my job, to be a direct liaison to the federal government,” Ng told NBC.

State officials are also looking for guidance from DeVos. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont told MSNBC Friday he still doesn’t know “what, if anything, the feds are going to do to help.”

On July 29, DeVos and Vice President Mike Pence visited a classroom at Thales Academy, a network of private nonsectarian community schools in North Carolina.

“Thales is a great example more schools could emulate,” DeVos said during the visit. “You didn’t wait for guidance from the Department of Education. You didn’t ask for permission.”

Days later, several fourth-grade students were asked to quarantine after a student tested positive for -coronavirus. Additionally, Georgia’s largest school district, which was set to return to in-person learning, was forced to retreat back to virtual instruction, after more than 250 district school employees were excluded from work due to a positive case or contact with a case.

Still, DeVos continues to echo President Trump’s demand that public schools reopen for in-person instruction, regardless of the levels of infection in their communities. She also insists that it isn’t her job to help localities determine how to do so safely.

LAPD Draws Weapons on Black Teens Who Didn’t Commit A Crime (Video)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 12, 2020

LAPD Draws Weapons on Black Teens Who Didn’t Commit A Crime (Video)

A video surfaced online of police officers in California drawing their weapons on unarmed Black teenagers who didn’t commit a crime, according to TheGrio.

Tammi Collins, the mother of one of the boys detained, said her son and his friends were being attacked by a homeless man last Friday at a bus stop while on their way home. The homeless man had pulled out a knife and attempted to use it on them. A restaurant worker called the police and instead of searching for the man, the police officers pointed their weapons at the teenagers.

This video was taken at the scene of the incident.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

I wanted to share what happened to my son yesterday in SCV when he was with a couple of friends sitting at a bus stop headed home. He was attacked by a gentleman (homeless guy) who approached them and first asked them if they had any crack then tried to take their things. The guy became so aggressive that he took his shirt off pulled out a knife and whip them tried to stabbed them. His friends only had their skate boards to cover them from the knife and whip so they held it out to keep distance from this guy. Several bystanders including the restaurant manager of Buffalo Wild wings called the police to get help for the boys but “One” caller called the police and reported two black guys are attacking a homeless guy. This is how the police responded. This is something my son and his friends will never forget. I’m still wonder how will I ever help my son recover from this traumatic experience. Please pray for my family. Please Share to protect our kids!!!

A post shared by Tammi Collins (@tammilaray) on

According to The Defender Network, Santa Clarita Mayor Cameron Smyth released a statement on Monday, which reads in part:

“We have spoken to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and we are aware that a full investigation is underway regarding the level of response by the deputies. We have asked that the review be expedited and any necessary actions be taken. In addition, we have asked that the deputy be removed from the field pending the outcome of the investigation.”

by Selena Hill

August 11, 2020

Kamala Harris Makes History as the First Black Woman VP Pick on a Major Party’s Presidential Ticket

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced Tuesday afternoon that Sen. Kamala Harris is his running mate, marking the first time in history that a Black woman has been chosen on either the Democratic or Republican Party’s presidential ticket.

Biden shared the news that he’s teaming up with the 55-year-old California senator in a tweet.

In another tweet, Biden praised Harris, who became the first Black woman to serve as attorney general in California and the second Black woman to be elected as a U.S. Senator.

If elected, Harris would be the first woman, first Black, and first Asian American vice president of the United States.

Last month, the freshman senator detailed what a Biden presidency would mean for Black Americans, touting Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan for economic recovery and racial equality. Under the plan, $150 billion would be invested in minority businesses, the minimum wage would be raised to $15 an hour, cash bail would be eliminated, and formerly incarcerated people would be provided temporary housing upon release from prison.

“This plan that Joe Biden is offering around dealing with racial disparity in the economy is a very important step because he is acknowledging that racial equities have to be a part of the priority,” said Harris during an exclusive interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.

She went on to highlight parts of his plan that would cancel $10,000 of student loan debt for borrowers with federal student loans and make both public colleges and private HBCUs tuition-free for families making up to $125,000 a year.

“Ninety percent of black students take out student loans. And what he is proposing as part of his ‘Build Back Better’ plan is that for families who have an income of $125,000 or less, they will be able to attend HBCUs, including private HBCUs and public universities and colleges, tuition-free,” said the Howard University grad.


Last year, Harris opened up at the 2019 BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit about being underestimated as a Black woman. “There have been moments where throughout my career people underestimated my ability to get something done,” she said during a keynote fireside chat.

She added that people also doubted her ability to win an elected office. “I’ve had the setback of attempting to run for office that nobody thought that we could win and all that comes with that.”

However, she turned those negative perceptions into a source of motivation. “Good, underestimate me,” she said. “I can work with that.”


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