Janelle Monáe released a civil rights anthem called "Hell You Talmbout," which powerfully says the names of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Walter Scott, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Kimani Gray, John Crawford, Michael Brown, and Miriam Carey:
NBC silenced the artist when she spoke out in support of #BlackLivesMatter. The Guardian reports:
On the Today show, Monáe – who last week led a march in support of Black Lives Matter in Philadelphia – closed the song with a short speech.
“Yes, Lord,” she said. “God bless America. God bless all who’ve lost lives to police brutality. We want white America to know that we stand tall today. We want black America to know that we stand tall today. We will not be silenced.”
A Today show anchor then began speaking over her, saying: “We’ll have much more from Janelle Monáe … coming up.”
The show’s website subsequently featured videos of the performances of Tightrope and Yoga, but not Hell You Talmbout.
The Charleston City Paper reports how its local #BLM organization came under surveillance:
Black Lives Matter Charleston organizer Muhiyidin d'Baha says the group had to introduce a no-cameras policy at its meetings after the Scott shooting when newcomers started showing up and snapping pictures.
"We were aware that there were new people coming into the meetings that were asking a bunch of questions," d'Baha says. "We were aware that there were people coming into our initial meetings right after Walter Scott that were just taking pictures."
Recently released emails from North Charleston city employees show that the actions of protest groups including Black Lives Matter Charleston were being monitored by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the American Red Cross, both of which sent emails to city staff informing them about upcoming organizational meetings and the arrival of Ferguson, Mo., residents at a hotel in Summerville. D'Baha says he does not know if the newcomers at the meetings were working for a law enforcement agency, but the effect of their presence was palpable.
"These things were definitely happening and definitely scared people away with the knowing or not knowing of who was behind these cameras and what their intention was," d'Baha says. "There was a lot of fear, and there's still a lot of fear, among the people that need to rise up right now."
Elephrame reports that at least 1,000 #BLM demonstrations and events have gone on nationwide in a little over a year.
Click over to their website to see those events displayed in a variety of ways, including by geographical location and by date:
Political organizer and Harvard Law student Derecka Purnell writes for the New York Times:
The day after Michael Brown was killed, local young people immediately started small groups to identify systemic problems and solutions. Night after night, we would agitate, recruit and plan. Even after being tear gassed or smoke-bombed, many of us would retreat to churches or houses to discuss how to engage the young people on the street. College and law school students across the country formed groups as well, and created model legislation for body cameras and civilian review boards.
Images of tear gas canisters and burning gas stations are much more engaging than images of websites and planning meetings and lists of demands.
Right now, the national demands include the demilitarization of police forces, an “End Racial Profiling Act,” federal funding for local civilian review boards and body camera legislation. In Ferguson, activists are working to dismantle the broken municipal court system, limit prosecutorial discretion, end overpolicing and prepare better representatives to run for local office.
Unarmed fourteen year old Radazz Hearns was shot seven times from behind by a NJ police officer. He survived. His family
requires help for his medical needs:
Thanks to Kossack writer Shaun King for promoting the GoFundMe in his Twitter feed.
Here's some background on the Hearns case, as reported by attn:
Rhonda Tirado was sitting outside of her home and watched as the van pulled up to the group. She told the Times of Trenton that the officers appeared "amped and didn't give that little boy a chance."
"There was no room for no chase. They just shot that little boy right there. I don't think those little boys had no clue what was going on. I think they was at the wrong place at the wrong time.''
Other witnesses have reported seeing one officer throw up his hands, apparently in disbelief after one of the other responding officers unloaded his weapon on the boy. "Why they have to shoot me?" Hearns reportedly cried out.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General's office declined to say how many shots were fired by the State Police trooper, but reports suggest that the officer discharged at least 10 bullets. Two State Police troopers involved in the incident have been put on administrative leave.
#WhyTheyShootMe is now trending on Twitter: