This 4 June 2020 video from the USA says about itself:
Man Gives Powerful Speech to Black Protesters in Houston | NowThis
‘You are proud, intelligent, committed African American people. And don’t you let nobody steal that from you tonight.’ — Listen to this man’s emotional speech to Black protesters in Houston, Texas.
In US news and current events today, here were some inspiring words shared at the Black Lives Matter protest in honor of George Floyd in Hoston, Texas.
BILL BARR’S SECRET POLICE Just a few hundred feet north of the White House on Wednesday afternoon, armed agents of the federal government clad in a patchwork of colors and protective gear stared down peaceful protesters demonstrating for Black lives. Yet what was perhaps most alarming was what was not visible: any insignia revealing their identity or even the name of the agency they work for. Attorney General William Barr is commanding this fearsome and anonymous alphabet soup of law enforcement agencies to guard federal property and suppress unrest. [HuffPost]
TRUMP WENT FULL FASCIST FOR A PHOTO OP. WHAT’S HE WILLING TO DO TO STAY IN POWER? Authoritarianism experts who worried about Trump’s tendencies during his campaign and his first years in office are now sounding fresh alarms following the clearing of a park adjacent to the White House using gas, flash-bang grenades, pepper pellets and other aggressive tactics ― all so he could stand in front of a church he does not attend and be photographed holding a Bible. “It was everything that an autocrat is,” said Gail Helt, who watched for signs of democratic decay in Asian countries during her dozen years as a CIA analyst. Trump has defended the photo op, calling it “symbolic.” [HuffPost]
Trump is already rewriting the history of his botched response to protests.
New York Times staffers slam paper for publishing GOP senator’s send in the troops op-ed.
Memo to the NYT: Black lives aren’t up for debate.
Philadelphia Inquirer apologizes for “deeply offensive” headline on protest editorial.
Rubber bullets may be “nonlethal” — but they can still maim and kill.
What to wear to a protest to keep yourself protected.
32 powerful signs from anti-racism protests around the world.
NYPD GETS AGGRESSIVE WITH PEACEFUL PROTESTERS Thousands of demonstrators stepped out in Manhattan and Brooklyn during the third night of a citywide curfew. But the gatherings quickly escalated as the 8 p.m. restrictions set in. Jumaane Williams, New York’s public advocate, shared footage of police officers aggressively moving demonstrators, some using batons, away from a gathering outside Brooklyn Borough Hall. He slammed the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, saying he did not expect the behavior after the mayor “came into office pledging to reform the type of aggressive policing I experienced tonight.” [HuffPost]
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS PLAY CATCH-UP ON BLACK LIVES MATTER Joe Biden’s remarks about George Floyd’s killing at a historically Black church in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday, weren’t what protesters wanted to hear. “Instead of standing there and teaching a cop, when there’s an unarmed person coming at them with a knife or something ― you shoot them in the leg instead of in the heart, is a very different thing,” Biden said. “There’s a lot of different things that could change.” The comment sparked anger among the most progressive activists, who call for defunding the police, ending racist law enforcement practices and holding police accountable at a federal level. [HuffPost]
Lili Reinhart comes out as bisexual, supports LGBTQ for Black Lives Matter protest.
Karamo Brown of “Queer Eye” urges LGBTQ people to call out racism.
TEXAS LT. GOV.: RACISM WON’T STOP UNTIL WE ‘ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST’ Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick claimed that the root of America’s racial problems was the lack of faith by “the left. ”Speaking after more than a week of demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd, Patrick tried to pin the nation’s long and deep-rooted racial problems on people not being religious enough ― and more specifically, “the left” not accepting Jesus Christ. Patrick said on Fox News that Floyd’s killing and the unrest breaks his heart and that it’s an issue of “loving God.” Patrick also said laws can’t fix racism, only Jesus and God can. [HuffPost]
3 MORE COPS CHARGES IN GEORGE FLOYD’S KILLING Three more now-former Minneapolis police officers have been charged in the killing of George Floyd. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison charged Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng with aiding and abetting Floyd’s murder. Ellison’s office is also upgrading the charges against Derek Chauvin, the officer seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck, to include second-degree murder without intent. Chauvin’s bail, which was previously set at $500,000, is now $1 million. [HuffPost]
CALIFORNIA BLOCKS FACIAL RECOGNITION BILL California lawmakers blocked a bill that could have expanded the use of facial recognition technology by companies and government, including law enforcement, as protesters nationwide continued to call out racism and unjust policing. The legislation didn’t garner enough votes to move forward in the legislative process. Assemblymember Ed Chau, who introduced the bill, wrote in a CalMatters opinion article that it was meant to “regulate the use of facial recognition technology by commercial, state and local public entities.” [HuffPost]
Dear Kitty. Some blog 
There has never been a time more urgent to state clearly that Black lives matter. The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, David McAtee, and George Floyd are tragically just five of millions of lives lost to centuries of systemic racism and racial violence in this country against Black people.
The moment we are in — racial violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis — has laid bare the systemic and pervasive racism that makes Black communities in our country fear for their families’ health, safety, and lives every single day.
The trauma felt by our friends, colleagues, and fellow activists of color is raw and has persisted for far too long. The loss of innocent lives, the lack of justice experienced over and over again, and the cumulative and ongoing toll of fear and racial violence should move us all to outrage and to action.
LCV is standing in solidarity with Black-led racial justice organizations across the country in observing a National Day of Mourning today, and we ask you to join us in a day of reflection and hope for racial reconciliation and an end to the violence that is ravaging the nation. LCV is also joining Black-led racial justice organizations in calling on Congress to take swift and decisive legislative action on a range of policing issues, including use of force, police accountability, racial profiling, militarization, data collection, and training. In the days and weeks ahead, we will be letting you know about other actions we are taking and opportunities for you to support stronger, anti-racist policies and call on leaders to act.
One of the most important things we can all do right now is to support Black-led organizations at the center of this fight for the dignity and safety of Black communities. Here are just a few organizations on the front lines of this work that need our financial support right now:
Black Lives Matter works to organize and mobilize in response to anti-Black violence and structural inequality.
Black Visions Collective works to build movements from the ground up with an integrated model to create the conditions for long-term success and transformation.
Color of Change leads campaigns that build real power for Black communities by helping people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us.
Thank you for being a voice for justice at this urgent moment. Racial justice, human dignity, and freedom for Black communities are worth fighting for. We must all do more. The time to act is now.
In solidarity,
Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters
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