On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died before our eyes as a police officer knelt on his neck for approximately 9 minutes on a street in Minneapolis. Had Darnella Frazier, then 17, not captured the murder on her cell phone and posted it to Facebook, Floyd would have been yet another Black man to die in police custody – a statistic. Instead, George Floyd became a powerful symbol of persistent inequality and systemic injustice against Black Americans and a wake-up call for all. The response was historic – from the scores of leaders making forceful statements every day about racial justice to the $50 billion that U.S. companies pledged (but not necessarily paid) to support Black communities. To understand the complexities of where we stand as a nation, though, look no further than the racially motivated mass murder at a Buffalo grocery store on May 14. In an effort to capture the reality of being Black in America, we decided that we wanted to hear from leaders in the community. Here are … [Read more...] about Two Years After George Floyd, Black Leaders Reflect On Change
Pan american road trip
Biden’s latest Taiwan gaffe stokes tensions with Beijing
- A + A (May 24): President Joe Biden is seeking to show US resolve against China, yet an ill-timed gaffe on Taiwan risks undermining his bid to curb Beijing’s growing influence over the region. Whether intentional or not, Biden provoked China with a vow to defend Taiwan militarily. After saying that US policy on Taiwan “had not changed at all” during a news conference in Tokyo, he then answered “yes” when asked if the US would act “militarily” to defend the island in the event of a Chinese attack. “It’s a commitment we made,” Biden added. White House officials later walked back the remark, saying the president was only promising US aid to help Taiwan defend itself in the event of hostilities. That would be akin to what the US is doing in Ukraine, where Biden has vowed not to send troops. “The policy has not changed at all, and I stated that when I made my statement,” Biden said Tuesday when pressed by reporters to clarify the US position. The president’s … [Read more...] about Biden’s latest Taiwan gaffe stokes tensions with Beijing
Who’s On Vladimir Putin’s ‘Blacklist’? Not Donald Trump Or Fox News
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Close to 1,000 Americans from across the spectrum of politics, business, journalism, entertainment, faith and advocacy have been permanently banned from entering Russia , a largely symbolic move that has generated a lot of buzz about those included, and excluded. The 963 citizens, including president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris—and her husband, Doug Emhoff —were named by Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry Saturday to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “blacklist,” or what one translation called a “stop list.” It’s all in response to the United States’ historic sanctions and its humanitarian and military support of Ukraine, nearly three months into Moscow’s invasion. “In the context of response to the constantly imposed anti-Russian sanctions by the United States and in connection with incoming requests about the personal composition of our national ‘stop list,’ the Russian Foreign Ministry … [Read more...] about Who’s On Vladimir Putin’s ‘Blacklist’? Not Donald Trump Or Fox News