Inside The Mind Of White America – BBC News

 

 

[Editor’s Note: I ask this as a 65 year-old white guy: What the hell is wrong with so many white people? My cartoon above is a humorous expression of something dark and vile baked deep into the bones of white people; to one extent or another, all white people. Myself, I am ashamed to admit, included. There’s nothing funny about it. It is the great undone work of this nation and our individual lives. — Mark L. Taylor]

BBC (6/20/16)

The concept of there being “two Americas” is almost as old as the nation itself. From the outset there were the landowners, the ruling class – the “haves”. And then there were the have-nots. That divide has been economic but also racial, with minorities claiming a disproportionately small share of the nation’s substantial wealth. And yet, a 2013 Pew Research Center study showed that half of white Americans surveyed do not feel that African Americans are treated less fairly by the police, employers, doctors and others. Only 13% of blacks felt the same way.

Amid the current backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement and increasing wealth disparity, Clive Myrie from the BBC’s This Week’s World delves into what white Americans understand – or don’t – about race.

Link to Story and 9-Minute Video

Just a few recent examples…

  • Joe Rogan On Woman Who Called Cops On 8-Year-Old For Selling Water: 7-Minute Video

 

  • Watch: Black Teen Body-Slammed & Arrested For Selling Water Outside Philadelphia Zoo — Shocking video appears to show a black boy being body-slammed by police and arrested for selling water outside the zoo in Philadelphia. The video, posted on Thursday by a woman named Dominique Davis, shows the cops run up on the boy, tackle him, slam him to the ground and cuff him amidst a chaotic scene where bystanders attempt to intervene. … Read the Rest and 1-Minute Video

 

  • White Man Calls Cops On Black Family Using Community Pool — Then Demands They Confirm Mom’s ID — A white man was busted harassing a black family using their own community pool. The man, who is identified only as “Adam” in the video, called the police on a black woman who gave him her address. The incident happened on Wednesday and was captured on video. … Read the Rest and 1+-Minute Video

 

  • White Woman Calls Police On Black Woman Just For Smoking A Cigarette — White people continue to call the police on black people who are not committing crimes with alarming frequency. A new video shows a white woman yelling at a young black woman for smoking a cigarette in a parking garage, then calling the police on her. The woman, Jasmine Edwards, is forced to show her ID card to the police when they show up. … Read the Rest and 3-Minute Video

 

  • Fraternity Accuses Restaurant Of Canceling Event Because Members Are Black — A predominantly black fraternity in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is suing a local restaurant it says refused to rent an event space to members because, they were told, “we’ve had problems with your kind before.”… Read the Rest and 5+-Minute Video

 

  • White Texas Man Guns Down Black Teenager For Setting Off Fireworks — Then Claims Self-Defense — A white man in Austin has been charged with first-degree murder after shooting and killing a black teen over a fireworks dispute early on Independence Day. The Austin-American Statesmen reported Friday that 41-year-old Jason Roche claimed he shot 19-year-old Devonte Ortiz in self-defense after the young man allegedly reached for his gun. According to police, video evidence taken at the scene of the crime proved otherwise. … Read the Rest

  • Neighbors Call Cops On 12-Year-Old Black Kid For Delivering Newspapers — Police in Ohio are denying that racial profiling played any part after police confronted a 12-year-old black paperboy in the latest scandal over people calling 9-1-1 to report “completely benign” behavior by people of color. The child’s mother posted a Facebook post on Friday explaining the police response to delivering newspapers on the “first day” of the child’s paper route. Posting a photos of her son delivering the papers in shorts and a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) T-shirt, the child’s mother, Brandie Sharp, explained what happened. … Read the Rest

 

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“Things That Make White People Uncomfortable”: NFL’s Michael Bennett On Kneeling For Racial Justice

Democracy Now! (6/26/18)

Over the past two seasons, dozens of National Football League players have knelt during the national anthem to protest police shootings of black teenagers and men like Antwon Rose, a 17-year-old unarmed African-American teenager who was shot dead by East Pittsburgh police last week. The NFL’s on-field protests began in August 2016 when quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the anthem to protest racism and police brutality.

The National Football League announced last month that it will fine teams if players refuse to stand for the national anthem before games. Under the new rules adopted by the league’s 32 owners, players will be allowed to stay in the locker room during the anthem.

We speak with NFL three-time Pro Bowler and longtime activist Michael Bennett, who has been part of a movement, led by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, protesting police shootings of unarmed black men. Bennett was recently traded to the Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles—the same team President Trump recently disinvited to the White House. He is the author of a new book, “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable.”

Link to Story, transcript and 14-Minute Video