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Chief Bernard Parks: DA Candidate George Gascon is Not Who He Says He is
Op-EdOpinionPolitical

Chief Bernard Parks: DA Candidate George Gascon is Not Who He Says He is

Bernard Parks June 25, 2020

In the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd, we witnessed an outpouring of grief and support.  We have also begun a long-overdue conversation about police & community interaction, most notably concerning the use of violence by police officers towards people of color.  As an African American man and a former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, I welcome this conversation and believe that much good can arise from this discussion. 

Weapons of War on Our Streets?
Op-EdOpinionPolitical

Weapons of War on Our Streets?

Rep. Alma AdamsJune 18, 2020

John Adams and his son, John Quincy, were the only two of our first 12 Presidents who didn’t own slaves.  

I mention this for two reasons: first, to demonstrate how the control and devaluation of Black lives formed the foundation of our political thought; and second, to reinforce that Adams may be more qualified than most founding fathers to speak about justice. 

He wrote, “we are to look upon it as more beneficial, that many guilty persons should escape unpunished, than one innocent person should suffer.”  

We Hurt, We Cry, and We Continue to Ask Why The Killing of George Floyd
Op-EdOpinion

We Hurt, We Cry, and We Continue to Ask Why The Killing of George Floyd

Sandra J. Evers-ManlyJune 18, 2020

June 12, 2020, marks the 57th anniversary of the killing of my cousin, Medgar Evers. Who was shot in the back in his driveway by a white supremacist and member of the KKK. It took 31 years to get a conviction for his murder. Some could finally call it justice, but justice is never served when someone you love is murdered. 

As MLK asked in 1967, Where Do We Go from Here: Community or Chaos?
NationalOp-EdOpinion

As MLK asked in 1967, Where Do We Go from Here: Community or Chaos?

Charlene CrowellJune 18, 2020

The nationwide protests against the heinous killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman, is reminiscent of the 1960s era of turmoil and voices that fervently called for social and economic justice. Today’s turbulent times seem that history is repeating itself. 

In addition to George Floyd, recent tragedies took the lives of a Black Louisville EMT in the middle of the night while she was asleep in her own bed. In another fatal incident, a young Black Georgia man jogging in daylight was shot dead. None of these three unarmed people deserved to die violently. 

African American State of Affairs Pandemic
Op-EdOpinion

African American State of Affairs Pandemic

Dr. Barbara RhodesJune 11, 2020

The current pandemic presents nothing new to African Americans in terms of disproportionately impacting our communities in every dimension of life. The fact is, as has been noted in any number of commentaries and references on social media in the wake of the Covid-19 virus, we have been experiencing a pandemic since our first days on the shores of this country-a pandemic of racism. Emancipation provided a lowering of the viral load, as have the legislative outcomes of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, but the stark reality is that it’s a virus that continues to impact the consciousness of many Americans and continues to mutate with varying presentations requiring vigilance and a consistent intervention of social outcry and activism.  

Build A Movement
Op-EdOpinion

Build A Movement

Senator Isadore Hall, IIIJune 11, 2020

Racism is America’s original sin. Racism that built this nation using the free labor of enslaved Africans. Racism embedded in our original Constitution, claiming that my Black ancestors held only 3/5 of value compared to a white person. Racism that led to racial segregation and discriminatory laws in education, housing and employment. Racism that created a system of law enforcement designed to disproportionately incarcerate Black Americans. For over 400 years, America has used racism to build a wall around Black Americans. This wall has kept Black Americans excluded from opportunities to learn, to work and to vote.   

Free Us From the Chains (Once and for All)
Op-EdOpinionPolitical

Free Us From the Chains (Once and for All)

Councilmember Curren D. Price, Jr.June 4, 2020

We have seen the face of racism, we have had to look deep into its soulless eyes and empty hearts for over 400 years. It rears its ugly head in cycles, recently in the cold-blooded murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.

Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson’s Statement on the Death of George Floyd
Op-EdOpinionPolitical

Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson’s Statement on the Death of George Floyd

Sentinel News ServiceJune 4, 2020

“As a Black man who watched the George Floyd take his last breath while the 200 lb. weight of a police officer was leveraged on his neck for 8 minutes, I was overwhelmed with pain and anger. George repeatedly pleaded that he could not breathe as two other officers held him down in that fatal position. Another Minneapolis officer watched as his body succumbed to the attack and went limp. 

The Heinous Murder of George Floyd and Race in America
Op-EdOpinionPolitical

The Heinous Murder of George Floyd and Race in America

Steve BradfordJune 4, 2020

As Vice-Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and Chair of the Senate Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color — and more importantly, as a human being — I am appalled by the senseless killing of George Floyd. His death is another tragic reminder of the police violence that has devastated Black families and communities for decades.