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		<title>Black Matters</title>
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		<link>https://blackmattersus.com/</link>
		<description>BlackMattersUS.com</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2016 15:50:48 -0400</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
				<item>
			<title>#BMOVE9: Take Part in Flashmob to Support Members of MOVE 9 Organization</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/16038-bmove9-take-part-in-flashmob-to-support-members-of-move-9-organization</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/16038-bmove9-take-part-in-flashmob-to-support-members-of-move-9-organization#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/m9.png</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/m9.png" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2016 08:16:19 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[While we are organizing all the messages sent to support the heroes of the MOVE organization, you have a chance to join #BMOVE9 flashmob.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[We encourage all our readers to join our flashmob called #BMOVE9. Let us show the MOVE heroes that they are not forgotten.

Your message of support can be anything. It can be a letter, a video, a photo. Please, comfort and support those who sacrificed their lives for us and have been eligible for parole since 2008, but have been denied serially, year after year. All your kind and warm messages will be compiled and relayed to MOVE 9 by the only adult survivor of the abysmal 1985 attack, Ramona Africa. Your voices really matter, we appreciate your support.


	Create the message
	Post it on any social media with the hashtag #BMOVE9
	Tag @blackmattersus
	Send the same message or the link to us via the contact form]]></content:encoded>
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				<item>
			<title>George Zimmerman Labels BLM members “Terrorists”</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/16017-george-zimmerman-labels-blm-members-terrorists</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/16017-george-zimmerman-labels-blm-members-terrorists#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/zimmer-1.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/zimmer-1.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 21:36:44 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[The former neighborhood watch volunteer called BLM a terrorist group during his testimony in attempted-homicide trial against Mathew Apperson.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[George Zimmerman was present in court on Wednesday to testify against Mathew Apperson, who is accused of trying to kill Zimmerman after Apperson fired shots into his car last year. In an intense exchange of words with the defense attorney, Zimmerman dubbed members of the BLM movement &quot;terrorists&quot;.

Zimmerman was at the Seminole County courthouse for the second day to testify against Apperson. The defense attorney, Michael LaFay made sure he got under Zimmerman’s skin by infusing his questions with deliberate and factual mentions of Trayvon’s killing. &quot;You didn't shoot at Apperson because he had a pistol and not a bag of Skittles?&quot; LaFay asked.

The accused, Apperson, 37, said he shot one bullet through Zimmerman’s Honda Ridgeline window as they both drove side by side on Lake Mary Boulevard on May 11, 2015. He has been charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm and shooting into an occupied vehicle. However, Apperson claimed that Zimmerman pulled a gun first and he acted in self-defense.

Zimmerman was asked by LaFay if he believed Apperson had some sort of affiliation with the BLM movement. He responded, saying no and the attorney was paying too much attention to the BLM group, hence giving its members “credence.” &quot;They are terrorists. I see them as terrorists,&quot; he said.

The 32-year-old testified at the courthouse for about seven hours in two days; Tuesday and Wednesday. He was cautioned for being an antagonistic witness by the Seminole-Brevard Circuit Judge Debra Nelson, who was also in charge of Zimmerman’s murder trial.

George Zimmerman has been on the news from time to time for negative reasons since he murdered a Black teen. He’s either boasting about selling the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin or he is discrediting the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s shocking to see him continue to openly make racist remarks without consequences.
Source: SunSentinel]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Hazel Park Police Officers Accused Of Sexually Harassing Two Women</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/16010-hazel-park-police-officers-accused-of-sexually-harassing-two-women</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/16010-hazel-park-police-officers-accused-of-sexually-harassing-two-women#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/hazel-1.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/hazel-1.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 21:07:06 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[“I am taking these allegations seriously, but I want everyone to know that these are just allegations because anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody,” Police Chief Martin P. Barner said.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[An incident was reported to have happened in Hazel Park, Michigan on June 5, whereby four police officers allegedly harassed two women sexually during a traffic stop. The women filed a lawsuit against the officers this week.

The women stated in the lawsuit that they were pulled over on their way home for supposedly crossing a white line. The officers proceeded to conduct an illegal search, and they found a small bag of cocaine on a male passenger in the car.

The women thought they hadn’t committed any crime, as the officers didn’t find anything on them, only for the officers to order them out of their car. The officers asked the women to lift up their shirts and bras and jiggle their breasts in front of the car, which made it possible for passing cars to see them, while one of the cops used a cell phone to film the incident.

He directed her “to lean over the hood of the vehicle, pull up her shirt and bra, thereby exposing her breasts to those on the scene and to traffic driving by on I-75, and to shake her breasts,” the lawsuit claims. “He then ordered her to shake her breasts again, harder.”

Hazel Park Police Chief Martin P. Barner stated that he has launched an internal investigation, but he didn’t hesitate to point out that anybody could file a lawsuit against anybody and they were just allegations for now. Court records show that the officers had no body cameras on and their vehicles were without dash cams too. However, the women were not charged with any crime.

This is the second case in recent weeks, accusing the Hazel Park Police Department of immoral activities. A pending civil lawsuit filed against police officer Michael Emmi of the HPPD, claims that the officer used a seized cell phone to watch a mother breastfeed her son and undress.

Could the actions of police officers get any more disgusting than this? Are these men just perverts who join the law enforcement with implicit thoughts on how to use their power to fulfill their filthy desires? We really do hope the nasty entities involved in such immoral acts in the law enforcement are exposed and punished.
Source: Thefreethoughtproject]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Black Woman One Step Closer To Making History In Delaware</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/16004-black-woman-one-step-closer-to-making-history-in-delaware</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/16004-black-woman-one-step-closer-to-making-history-in-delaware#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/blunt-1.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/blunt-1.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 20:17:30 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Democratic nominee Lisa Blunt Rochester could become the first woman from Delaware to be elected to Congress.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Lisa Blunt Rochester could be a history maker, following her win in the Democratic primary for Delaware’s one and only seat in the House of Representatives. If she succeeds in winning the November election, then she is certain to be the first ever Black woman to represent Delaware in Congress.

Six candidates contended in the primary for the seat, but Blunt Rochester won overwhelmingly by receiving 44 percent of the vote. She is now getting ready for the election in November, pitting her against Libertarian Scott Gesty, Republican Hans Reigle, and Green Party’s Mark Joseph.

Blunt Rochester was praised by her opponents; as they acknowledged the great possibility of the Democratic nominee making history in Delaware.

“I’m excited for Lisa, for her supporters and for Delaware, a state that has embraced the kind of diversity that is important in politics. I’m also surprised that this wasn’t the close, two-person race that data had been showing. Our grassroots, door-to-door campaign simply got overpowered by TV and other ads.” One of her opponents, Bryan Townsend said.

It is understood that most of the residents in Delaware are Democratic, but that doesn’t mean Blunt Rochester is already seeing herself as the winner. She believes the hard work that was put in to get to the point she is at the moment, has to continue.

“We need to be sure we keep the broad-based coalition we worked with to get to this point,” she said. “What this campaign has shown is that we need to continue focusing on the issues, focusing on the voters and keep it positive.”

We are really happy to see a Black woman making such positive strides in politics. Having a bigger number of Black politicians, especially Women, would only be great for us; because only they understand the struggle the Black communities face. We wish Lisa Blunt Rochester all the best and hope she attains supreme success.

Source: thegrio]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>White Supremacist Involved In Black Teen’s Death Faces Hate Crime Charges</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15998-white-supremacist-involved-in-black-teens-death-faces-hate-crime-charges</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15998-white-supremacist-involved-in-black-teens-death-faces-hate-crime-charges#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Courtier-2.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Courtier-2.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 19:31:14 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Most Popular</category>
			<description><![CDATA[“I’m happy that they are finally treating this as a hate crime, which it is,” the victim’s father, Larnell Bruce Sr. said.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Black teen, Larnell Malik Bruce Jr. was killed back in August by a hit-and-run driver, Russell Courtier and his girlfriend, Colleen Hunt. According to a newly released indictment in Oregon, the suspects for the teen’s murder have been accused of intentionally causing lethal harm to the victim because of his skin color.

Courtier, 38, an ex-con with a long history of misdemeanor and violence, and his 35-year-old girlfriend, Hunt are already facing murder charges in connection with the teen’s death. But they received additional charges of first- and second-degree intimidation on Monday, which now classifies the incident as a hate crime.

It was revealed by a Multnomah County grand jury that the couple acted together to kill Bruce because he was Black. Courtier, who has got a tattoo of a white supremacist gang ‘European Kindred,’ pleaded not guilty to the hate crime charges. And the couple also previously pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.

On August 10, Bruce was visiting his mother in Gresham when he got into a short altercation with Courtier in front of a convenience store. The both of them got into a war of words before Courtier slammed Bruce’s head into the storefront window. Bruce reacted by producing a machete, which scared Courtier as he went back to his car.

Witnesses at the scene of the incident stated that while Bruce was walking away from the place, Hunt was urging Courtier on to run the teen over with their vehicle. Of course, Courtier heeded her advice and sped towards the teen, who fled in order to escape being hit. Unfortunately, Bruce couldn’t get far enough and he was run over by Courtier’s red Jeep Wrangler. When the police arrived, they found the victim lying on the floor severely injured and he was rushed to a hospital, but he died a few days later.

The police caught Courtier and took him into custody, where he allegedly said he was annoyed at Bruce for pulling a weapon on him and he intentionally hit the teen with the front of his vehicle. Courtier, who has spent a chunk of his adult life in police custody, was reportedly on parole at the time of the incident, after he was convicted of using a knife to attack a woman.

The victim’s father lamented the decision of the officers who set Courtier free. He said: “Here you have a violent criminal and he is able to get out of jail simply because of something like overcrowding or parole. If he had been held fully accountable for his prior actions he would not have been able to do this. Letting him out was just as reckless as leaving a loaded gun on a playground.”

Courtier and Hunt remain in custody without bond, as they await their next court appearance on October 3.

This case shouldn’t be one to drag on for a while, as it is completely obvious the white supremacist all but wanted to kill the innocent boy. We expect Courtier and Hunt to receive capital punishments and hope the double standards of the judicial system don’t come into play once more.

Source: The Huffington Post]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>City Councilman Declines To Stand During Pledge At Council Meeting</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15991-city-councilman-declines-to-stand-during-pledge-at-council-meeting</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15991-city-councilman-declines-to-stand-during-pledge-at-council-meeting#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/will-2.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/will-2.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 17:11:40 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[“In good conscience, I couldn’t continue to protest quietly without using it to highlight the plight of so many,” Jumaane Williams said.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[City Councilman Jumaane Williams decided to sit during the Pledge of Allegiance at a Tuesday Council meeting. His decision not to stand was an act of peaceful protest against the injustice meted out on Blacks in our country.

Sitting or kneeling during the Anthem or Pledge is becoming a trend amongst popular Black figures in the country. The support of Colin Kaepernick’s cause by several stars and people in high places, in a bid to stop racial injustice can only be applauded.

Williams bowed his head down in prayer as he remained seated during the pledge. He stated that he hasn’t been reciting the pledge for a long while now, but he usually stood in order not to bring attention to his position and also out of respect.

&quot;In good conscience, I couldn't continue to protest quietly without using it to highlight the plight of so many,&quot; Williams said. &quot;As a person who loves the country of his birth, believes in it and is privileged to have reached a modicum of success in his chosen field, I believe it is my duty to do all I can to raise the voice of those who feel voiceless and who struggle every day.&quot;

The Brooklyn Democrat said he looked to back Kaepernick up after the San Francisco 49ers quarterback came under immense scrutiny following his decision to kneel during the National Anthem. He believes Kaepernick was brave to pay tribute to the oppressed Black people in America by kneeling during the Anthem.

&quot;This type of non-violent protest is not disrespectful as some have suggested. He deserves support, not criticism for his actions,&quot; he said. &quot;What does it say about our country when there is a national outrage over an athlete sitting out the national anthem, but the same outrage isn't expressed when a young Black man is killed for no reason?&quot;

The unity of Black sportsmen and politicians of the U.S. is really needed in order to win the fight against racism and oppression. We hope other Black leaders join in because the fight against injustice has been going on for far too long. We need a nation where Blacks aren’t oppressed daily, enough is enough.

Source: nydailynews]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>NAAGA: Are Guns Positive Thing For African Americans?</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15983-naaga-are-guns-positive-thing-for-african-americans</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15983-naaga-are-guns-positive-thing-for-african-americans#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/CcfeYo3WwAU2S0U.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/CcfeYo3WwAU2S0U.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 12:16:37 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Your Voices</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Philip Smith is the founder and President of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA).]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[According to a national survey conducted in 2012 by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of African Americans who viewed guns as a positive thing was 29%. However, a similar survey conducted in 2015 showed that the percentage had sharply risen to 59%. Why the sudden change in African American attitudes towards guns? Philip Smith from NAAGA attributes it to the fact that African Americans are opening up to the reality that indeed guns are necessary for personal safety and the safety of our families. As he put it, there are bad people out there, and if you have a gun to protect yourself and your family, that’s the way it should be. The National African American Gun Association was established solely with the purpose of exposing, motivating and educating as many African Americans to purchase a firearm for self-defense and to take training on proper gun use.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Step in the Right Direction</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15970-step-in-the-right-direction</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15970-step-in-the-right-direction#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bb1-1.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bb1-1.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 08:15:34 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Your Voices</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A powerful message of our reader, Kimberley McIntyre, to all black sisters and brothers.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[This afternoon I took my 18 month old son to the park. I just bought him a new tricycle and he was eager to test it out. My other mom friends came along with their babies and we had a ball. Fast forward three hours; we were so tired, baby was literally falling asleep.

Home was only fifteen minutes away but we came by tricycle; so forty-five minutes and two very weary arms later, we made it to my building.Going up the stairs to my first-floor apartment is risky business with a sleeping baby to carry. Above my prince's head, all I could see were the stairs. One by one. One after another; each getting me one step closer. With my view handicapped and my arms becoming more like jelly with every second that ticks, all I can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other.

To get where we want to go, we have to make an effort, no matter the load we are bearing, the wounds we are healing; the strikes against us. In order to get from point A to point B, we must keep it moving; in the right direction of course.

As a people, it could appear to some that we Blacks do not know where we are going or have lost our way. While this is a fact for a percentage of our fellow men, there exists the rest of us, who see a future for our race. A future where we are centered around values like love - for oneself as well as for one's brother; honesty; acknowledgement of and thankfulness for the experiences of our forefathers; respect - for the environment, humankind and in turn ourselves; pride in our race; kindness to and support for each other, (to name a few).

If we could one day understand that the cultural setback that occurred some generations ago, (what with slavery, wars; robbery of our goods, our people and our ways), that brought us to inhabit another man's land, should no longer be decisive in the lives we live today or determine where we end up ultimately.

To see the change we have long dreamed of; we must be it.

If we look at any long-term success story, we see that one key point is investment in and sustenance of a solid foundation or framework, long before the end results are even seen. The ones who invest may not be around to reap the rewards, but that would not change the work they have done.

This concept holds true for raising up a generation who, when the baton is passed on to them, will be well-equipped to carry on our legacies and to guide our people in to the future we deserve.

Today, we are products of the life our ancestors lived: their accomplishments, defeats, the wars and rebellions, king and queenship, survival, victories and triumph. Hence, it is important that we sow the right seeds in the lives of our children and young adults. The lives we lead today will determine their future.

As far back as his-story tells us, our people have been victims of racial violence and injustice and it is factual that over the last decade there has been a rise in the rate of cases reported. There has been little conviction and punishment for these acts and we are enduring such treatment even today.

For us to get through this horrid disastrous period that threatens our race, a solid foundation is vital. Our roots must be well watered and tended to. We must know who we are as a people; the truth of our identity - not the conformation guidelines or made-up stories written in their books. We must understand our capabilities and surpass them. We must believe our value and cherish our worth.

To succeed against our enemies, we must be united and each of us has a role to play.

If we could regurgitate the lies fed to us, about our colour, our potential, our purpose, our position, our physique, our intelligence, our skill, our due, our rights, our hair, our style, our language, our food, our culture; all of it, and replace it with knowledge that our blackness is a badge of beauty and strength. Replace the lies with assurance that our unique ability to identify with fellow Blacks anywhere in the diaspora is a sign that there is hope for our race; that despite the separation of our people, our hearts remain united in brotherhood. Replace the lies with surety that the world has room for us and our greatness so we do not need to compare ourselves or fall into others' shadows. We are a force to reckon with and we can break every box they put us in but it all starts with the right mindset. Replace the lies with the belief that we have the right to our unique way of life; we are who we are and we should not conform to society's interpretation of us.

Each man in his own right -

talent abounding - plays his part,

strengths amalgamated,

victory hounding; power in

unity.

Take your brother's hand,

we are greatness

together.

Author: Kimberley McIntyre]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Black Man Accused Of Fatally Shooting Shelby Cop Could Face Death Penalty</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15942-black-man-accused-of-fatally-shooting-shelby-cop-could-face-death-penalty</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15942-black-man-accused-of-fatally-shooting-shelby-cop-could-face-death-penalty#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Tam-1.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Tam-1.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 23:04:00 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Aaron Lewis]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Racism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[The district attorney has stated that he will seek the death penalty for Irving Fenner Jr.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[On Wednesday morning, Rhode Island State Police SWAT team members arrested Irving Fenner Jr. at around 2:30 a.m. at an apartment in Coventry, Rhode Island after he was accused of shooting and killing Shelby police officer, Tim Brackeen.

Fenner was a suspect in a home invasion case and the cops had been searching for him when Brackeen, 38, found him at Ashley Hamrick’s, his friend’s home in Shelby. There was an exchange of gunshots between Fenner and Brackeen, which led to the officer receiving a fatal shot to his chest. The shooting happened over the weekend and Brackeen was taken to Carolinas Medical Center for treatment, but he lost his life a few days later.

The Rhode Island police stated that they decided to step their search for Fenner up a notch after they discovered that he was wanted for shooting and killing a police officer. &quot;That's the ultimate. You can't do anything worse than that in this business,&quot; a Rhode Island officer said.

Fenner stayed hidden t his sister’s and uncle’s apartment in Rhode Island, where he attended to the gunshot wound on his torso, which he sustained during the exchange of gunfire with Brackeen. Officers tracked him there and gave him a desolate warning on Wednesday morning. &quot;Irving Fenner, this is the Rhode Island State Police. Come out with your hands up right now,” police announced outside the home.

After his arrest, he was taken to a hospital to properly nurse his wound before he was taken into the custody of the Rhode Island State Police Department. The district attorney has made it known that he will do all he can to make sure Fenner gets the death penalty.

The State Bureau of Investigation is said to be helping with the investigation of the death of Brackeen, who had been with the Shelby Police Department since July 2004.

This is quite sad to see, the rate of gun violence doesn’t look like simmering down, does it? Fenner is accused of murder and the district attorney is already beating his drum about seeking the death penalty for the offender. Would he have strived to get justice if it were the other way round? We need consistency in the justice system.

Source: wsoctv.com]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Why Decreased Poverty, Increased Wealth Aren’t Yet Causes To Rejoice</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15922-why-decreased-poverty-increased-wealth-arent-yet-causes-to-rejoice</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15922-why-decreased-poverty-increased-wealth-arent-yet-causes-to-rejoice#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/por-1.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/por-1.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 21:41:05 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[“The pay gap gets worse for women of color and moms,” said Lisa Maatz of the American Association of University Women]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The U.S. Census Bureau released a report on the levels of income and poverty in America in 2015. The report read that there was an increase in average household income and how bright things look for most Americans. The increase in average household income is the first time that it has gone up for the past ten years.

Median household income reached $56,516 last year, according to the report. The increase is about a 5.2 percent step up from 2014’s $53,718 median. The report released last Tuesday also noted that the increase in income is one of the biggest increases to be recorded in a year and the security of health insurance coverage is also enjoyed by more Americans than before.

Notwithstanding the improvement in income levels, but the discrepancies linger on in many forms of income inequality, including wage gap and poverty. Carefully looking at the census’ data, the poverty rates have dropped 1.2 percent from last year, but the median incomes are much lower than they were in 2007.

The upward movement of income shown by the report was credited to an increase in employment of full-time and year-round workers last year by the chief of the poverty statistics branch, Trudi Renwick. However, the good news to most Americans isn’t seen as such a great one for the president of the Russell Sage Foundation, Sheldon Danziger, as he believes a larger picture is missing in the analysis.

“A focus on these very good 2014-15 annual changes misses the big picture,” Danziger said. “The poor and the median full-time worker and household were better off at the end of Bill Clinton’s Administration than they are today.”

The difficulties and struggle many Black and Latino citizens face to get jobs wasn’t stated by the report. Although the data revealed positive income for most families, those families have been wealthy and are only getting wealthier, whereas the growing wage gap between the rich and poor, white and Black men and women remains. Black and Latino women earn far lesser than the average income of a white woman. Yes, we could be happy about the improvement in income, but everyone has to feel the effect, not just a few.
Source: Atlanta Black Star]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Revealed: ‘Slavery lives on’ in Prisons in the United States</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15930-revealed-slavery-lives-on-in-prisons-in-the-united-states</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15930-revealed-slavery-lives-on-in-prisons-in-the-united-states#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/mor-2.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/mor-2.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 21:33:30 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Aaron Lewis]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Racism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[“This is flat-out, modern-day slave labor and it will continue as long as society accepts the notion that prisoners deserve less.”- Jason Renard Walker incarcerated Texas inmate.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Jason Renard Walker, who happens to have been incarcerated in the United States city of Amarillo in Texas, has made some daring exposure of the treatment given to Black inmates.

It is highly inhuman to know how racial segregation has taken over the prisons in the so-called ‘land of the free’. Whites are totally separated from their Black counterparts and are treated very well as compared to the Blacks. This comes to confirm white supremacy even in the prisons.

The worst of the situation is that after the hard labor, prison officials pocket all the monies these poor prisoners generate.

Per the exposure made by Jason, we can confidently say that indeed slavery hasn’t been abolished in the United States of America. It is so because Jason revealed in his article entitled “Unpaid Labor in Texas Prisons Is Modern-Day Slavery.”

His inspiration to have written that article was due to the disgustingly long hours the Black inmates are made to work unpaid.

A further delving into the nature of work they undertake, Jason Renard Walker revealed that Texas prisoners work as electricians, maintenance workers, cooks, janitors, painters and dog trainers. In addition, they can care for about 10,000 head of cattle, raising and processing beef, pork, and chicken for sale.

Being the largest prison in the US with over 143,000 people incarcerated in 124 prison units across the state, its Correctional Industries does furniture refinishing, tire retreading and auditorium and school bus refurbishing. Prisoners majority of whom are Blacks manufacture these goods and provide these services.

These services are often rendered to state and local government agencies. Political subdivisions, public education systems and public and private institutions of higher education aren’t left out in the service provision by Black inmates.

As disheartening as it is, Black inmates receive no money for their hard work, though the annual report of 2014 showed that the Texas Correctional industries make over $88.9 million in sales from items and services produced by inmates across the state. Yet none of these monies get to inmates.

If the above treatment given to Black inmates isn’t described as “modern day slavery” then how best can that be put? So we can see how insensitive the government is by using the inmates’ labor for free in diverse fields of work.

This appalling treatment must be quickly addressed to authorities. This is indeed Modern day slavery.
Source: anonhq]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>NYPD Officer Involved In Eric Garner’s Death Gets Pay Raise</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15923-nypd-officer-involved-in-eric-garners-death-gets-pay-raise</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15923-nypd-officer-involved-in-eric-garners-death-gets-pay-raise#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/pants-2.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/pants-2.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 21:22:12 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Payroll records show that the NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, who restrained Eric Garner in a chokehold, received an increase in pay.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Daniel Pantaleo was involved in the death of Eric Garner, as he placed the deceased in a chokehold to the point where he couldn’t breathe anymore and eventually died. It was revealed recently that Pantaleo got a pay raise after he was placed on modified duty two years ago.

Between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, Pantaleo earned $119,996, including $23,220 in overtime pay and $12,853 in unspecified pay. That leaves his base pay at about $78,000 and over $35,000 given to him for reasons still yet to be explained.

Pantaleo’s overtime earnings shot up to 33 percent this year following the $17,189 he received last year. And an overall pay increase of up to 14 percent from the previous fiscal year. Payroll records disclosed the excess of money paid to Pantaleo after his involvement in an innocent Black man’s death.

On July 17, 2014, a bystander took a video of the incident where Eric Garner was choked to death by the NYPD officer for reportedly selling loose cigarettes outside a convenience store. Pantaleo’s badge and gun were seized by the NYPD pending an investigation, but he was later cleared of all charges by a grand jury in December 2014.

Ramsey Orta, the man who filmed the horrific encounter between Eric Garner and the NYPD cops was sentenced to 4 years in prison on unrelated charges. “I should’ve done it smarter, and not put my name out there. I don’t regret taking the video. It shined some light on stuff that was happening. It was a good thing. Now people are opening their eyes to what’s going on with some officers,” Orta said.

It was also revealed that the NYPD cop didn’t get any punishment or disciplinary action from his department that would have had an impact on his earnings. The revelation of this information comes in the middle of an outcry from Garner’s family and activists over Mayor Bill De Blasio’s refusal to make Pantaleo’s disciplinary records public.

As each day goes by, the belief in this system keeps fading away as the consistency of unfair treatment of Blacks continues. Not only did the NYPD cop not get indicted for killing a Black man, he also got a raise. The level of injustice is absolutely pathetic to see and we hope everyone can see how cops get free passes in killings involving Black people.

Source: atlantablackstar]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Uncovered: America’s Slave-Breeding Industry</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15914-uncovered-americas-slave-breeding-industry</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15914-uncovered-americas-slave-breeding-industry#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/sla-1.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/sla-1.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 18:26:59 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Aaron Lewis]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Racism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A new book unearths the truth about America’s past as a hub of the slave-breeding industry.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slavery is a very delicate topic that has been majorly covered up in recent times. It is considered one of the biggest crimes against humanity in history and it was vastly practiced by many Americans in the past. The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave- Breeding Industry, by Ned and Constance Sublette, is a book that lays bare all the facts about slavery in America.

The history of slavery has been sugarcoated and covered up in the past but the revelations by many authors in their various history books have exposed the horror of slavery in meticulous details and the truth about our past in a way we haven’t been able to see before.

The commonly reiterated argument by some whites that blacks sold other blacks into slavery doesn’t seem completely true, as a market which was created by white slave traders enabled the acquirement of slaves from Africa and then their transportation to America under disgusting conditions that led to the death 20% of them.

Slavery was seen as a platform for the potential growth of the economy in the country, a motion which was supported by several presidents of the U.S. including Thomas Jefferson who saw the labor the slaves rendered as a major form of capital in a letter he sent out to “slave overseers” in 1819.

The American Slave Coast unveils how an infrastructure of plantation owners, traders, financiers, haulers, lawmakers, marketers and law enforcers assembled an economy in which the roles of slaves were invaluable.

The domestic slave trading and breeding industry like any other capitalist enterprise, needed to grow, hence the forceful relocation and control of Native Americans so as to create larger areas of land for the plantation economy. An army led by General Andrew Jackson who was also called the Indian killer made it possible to acquire more territory for slavery.

Ned and Constance Sublette wrote the book with extraordinary clarity for all to see and understand our country’s terrifying past. Despite slavery’s nearly 400-year history, the nation is finally beginning to reveal the truth about slavery.

The need for every Black person to know how the system was constructed cannot be overstated. Coming to terms with the truth isn’t easy, but we all deserve to know the role the domestic slave industry played in the formation of the institutions, the financial basis and white supremacist mindsets of the economy that are still in play till today. Blacks were used to build this nation and what do we get in return? Social injustice, oppression, and police brutality surely aren’t the answers.
Source: Alternet]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Cop Who Brutally Beat Drunk Teen, Used Excessive Force On 56 Other Counts</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15909-cop-who-brutally-beat-drunk-teen-used-excessive-force-on-56-other-counts</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15909-cop-who-brutally-beat-drunk-teen-used-excessive-force-on-56-other-counts#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/mata-1.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/mata-1.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 16:42:02 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[An ex-Pittsburgh police sergeant, Stephen Matakovich, who viciously beat a football fan, has been accused of using unnecessary force 56 times since 2011.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Stephen Matakovich was caught on video cruelly punching and hitting a teenage football fan, Gabriel Despres after ordering the 19-year-old to leave Heinz Field on November 28, 2015. Matakovich falsified arrest reports and has since been accused of using excessive force in multiple cases by the district attorney.

The surveillance footage showed Matakovich hitting the innocent Despres several times without any form of provocation or retaliation from the teen. But in the ex- cop’s report, he claimed that Despres looked like he was going to attack him, as he appeared to have adopted an “aggressive posture.”

Despres was later treated for a bloody nose and he eventually pleaded guilty to public drunkenness and trespassing. Matakovich was fired by the Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay after he watched the footage of the incident. McLay launched an investigation into the case, which has brought about the ex- cop’s state trial.

Matakovich was charged with official oppression and simple assault in a state court and also faces federal counts of falsification of records and civil rights deprivation. Although his state charges are minimal, the federal charges could lead to Matakovich spending 30 years in prison if found guilty.

Allegheny County prosecutors presented evidence to prove Matakovich’s history of violence, excessive use of force against 56 other people and how he assaulted and arrested a security guard on fabricated charges. 20 cases out of the 56 saw the victims receive strikes to the face and head, with 17 of them suffering from loss of consciousness, broken jaws and noses.

The security guard, Dylan Burton was beaten by Matakovich in 2014 when there was a fight at Heinz Field. Matakovich was in plain clothes when he tried to break the fight before Burton attempted to question the ex-cop, but he was ignored. Burton reached for Matakovich’s shoulder to draw his attention when the cop attacked and beat him mercilessly. Burton was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

“In both cases, the defendant charged aggravated assault on a police officer when neither Despres nor Burton had come anywhere close to committing such an offense,” the motion said. “Furthermore, in an attempt to support this felony charge and justify his excessive force, in each case the defendant concocted a version of events to fit his narrative. Finally, in an attempt to clear himself of potential accusations of wrongdoing and put the incidents to rest, the defendant offered Despres and Burton pleas to summary harassment.”

The consistent use of excessive force by officers in the law enforcement is really absurd. Police officers are supposed to keep peace in our society, and not the other way around, assaulting and fabricating charges against innocent people. Has it reached the point of absolute fear of the police by the people? Law enforcement is in urgent need of reform because at the moment, officers are behaving like thugs.


Source: The free thought project]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Leon Ford: Activating Minds of Those Who are Mentally Paralyzed</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15900-leon-ford-activating-minds-of-those-who-are-mentally-paralyzed</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15900-leon-ford-activating-minds-of-those-who-are-mentally-paralyzed#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Leon2.png</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Leon2.png" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 09:23:32 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Your Voices</category>
			<description><![CDATA[The story of Leon Ford is shocking sad and gives hope at the same time. This brave activist uses his personal experience to inspire others and fight against police brutality.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[On November 12, 2012, Leon Ford was pulled over by a Pittsburgh cop for what appeared to be a routine traffic stop. His life has never been the same since then. In a tragic case of mistaken identity - the officer mistook Leon for someone wanted for another crime – Leon Ford was shot 5 times, leaving him paralyzed. The officer involved, however, was able to maintain his title and continue his work in the police force. For most people, this would be the beginning of their destruction, but a strong and resilient Leon would not let this tragedy keep him down. Instead of being broken, full of anger and hatred, Leon Ford is using his personal story to develop a network of social reform, and to speak out for himself and countless Black people who are shot and killed, injured or maimed, and brutalized in different degrees by cops across the country.



Adversity has the ability to either make you bitter or make you better. Take your power back from whatever caused you harm by pushing through the pain triumphantly, allowing your painful experience to make you better. I survived to tell my story and I will continue to be the voice of the voiceless. No weapon formed against me shall prosper &amp;#x1f4aa;&amp;#x1f3fe; video by @otrbs #justiceforleon #leonfordspeaks #Motivation #inspiration #positivity #survivor #policebrutality #youngking #Showtheworld &amp;#x1f64f;&amp;#x1f3fe;❤️&amp;#x1f64c;&amp;#x1f3fe;
Видео опубликовано Leon Ford Speaks (@leonfordspeaks) Июл 13 2016 в 1:16 PDT]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>African Americans in the Gaming Industry</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15892-african-americans-in-the-gaming-industry</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15892-african-americans-in-the-gaming-industry#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/African-Americans-in-the-Gaming-Industry.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/African-Americans-in-the-Gaming-Industry.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:19:59 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Entertainment</category>
			<description><![CDATA[The issue of black stereotypes playing a prominent role in video games, has been under discussion for a long time.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Despite African Americans making up a significant percentage of gamers in the US, the number of developers of color working in the industry is woefully disproportionate.

However, there are some who have made their way into the industry. Many are working to change the way that African Americans are represented in video games. Below is a list of our top 5 tech professionals currently working in the video game industry.

These developers boast some serious skills, which reach far beyond the designing of games that you’re likely to see on bingo sites such as newpaypalbingo.com. The professionals below create immersive worlds with huge focus on providing an overall high standard of gaming.


Gordon Bellamy
If you’re familiar with the Madden NFL series by EA Sports, then you’ve already had a taste of Bellamy’s skillset. After beginning his career as a lead designer for the franchise, he moved on to the IDGA to serve as executive director. In 2015, he co-founded Hangry Studios which focuses on quality assurance and automation for the gaming industry.
Marcus Montgomery
Montgomery has been dedicated to instilling diversity in the gaming industry, which was the driving force behind the founding of WeAreGameDevs.com. However, he is perhaps more likely to be known outside of the industry for turning a black Barbie doll into a game developer styled doll for his wife’s birthday!
Lisette Titre
Titre is both a computer animator and an ACG artist. She’s also the wife of Marcus Montgomery and was both the recipient of and inspiration behind his black gamer developer Barbie doll. Titre has worked extensively with EA on games like the Simpsons, Dante’s Inferno and Tiger Wood’s Golf.
Joseph Saulter
Saulter holds the position of chairman of the IGDA’s Diversity Advisory Board. He is also the founder of Entertainment Arts Research Inc. and has written textbooks on game design and development.
Karisma Williams
In addition to her post as a senior experience manager at Microsoft, she is also the creative director of Matimeo.com. As part of her work at Microsoft, she has worked extensively on Xbox Kinect, a controller-less way of gaming which directs gameplay using verbal and body language cues.



African Americans in this industry are helping to create a dialogue on the portrayal of black Americans in this form of media. Young people should not be discouraged from entering the sector. People of color are helping the world to make huge strides in technology. The world needs more hear more narratives from people of color.

Despite the relatively low number of people of color who are currently employed as tech professionals, people should not consider video gaming to be a closed door to African Americans. As Derek Manns stated, being good at mathematics is a prerequisite. Young people can increase their chances of success by scouting for schools which offer an undergrad degree in gaming. So, if you’ve got the skills and the drive then join this talented group in prompting change.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>‘I Sit With Kaepernick:’ Brooklyn Artist Shows Solidarity</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15850-i-sit-with-kaepernick-brooklyn-artist-shows-solidarity</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15850-i-sit-with-kaepernick-brooklyn-artist-shows-solidarity#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/photo_2016-09-14_06-19-30.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/photo_2016-09-14_06-19-30.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2016 22:21:02 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[On Sunday residents of Brooklyn woke up to an amazing artwork by Jeff Rothberg which displayed his support for Kaepernick’s protest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Just on the day, the NFL season starts, some streets of Brooklyn were flooded with posters which had the image of the San Francisco 49ers quarterback’s image on it. The poster depicted Kaepernick taking a knee; a controversial gesture he made before the start of games when the National Anthem was being sung.

The poster had some striking inscriptions on it. Just underneath the image of Kaepernick, Rothberg wrote, ‘I sit with Kaepernick’ and below that was the phrase, “end injustice for all.”

Kaepernick took a knee when the National Anthem was being sung to protest against the oppression of Black people in America.

Following the San Francisco 49ers quarterback’s protest; many players in the various teams have also emulated the action to protest against Black oppression in America.

The Black artist who designed the posters said he posted them on Crown Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush and Prospect Heights in the early hours of Sunday morning. Rothberg said, “I wanted them up for the first Sunday games of the NFL season.”

https://twitter.com/TonyTToner/status/775482720587751425

Rothberg said he pasted them on Crown Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush and Prospect Heights in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The poster was designed in a form of a 1963 football card; the same year Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Among the symbols on the poster included a peace sign and the Lady Justice blindfold.

The posters have since been greeted with positive reactions from many. Rothberg said, “I can’t be more proud and just honored that people are responding to this so well and are about it. &quot;

It can be quite challenging for anyone to take such a bold step to stand up for what he or she believes in; knowing the kind of reactions which lie ahead. Therefore, Kaepernick deserves a thumbs-up for choosing to be different. He deserves to be acknowledged just like all those who have stood against Black oppression in America. It has already started in Brooklyn and soon will spread to other states too. So when you happen to be in Brooklyn don’t be lost when you are greeted with the hashtag #IsitwithKaepernick, it is a call to end injustice for all.
Source: DNA info]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Facebook Blocks BLM Activist For Posting Racially Abusive E-mail</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15843-facebook-blocks-blm-activist-for-posting-racially-abusive-e-mail</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15843-facebook-blocks-blm-activist-for-posting-racially-abusive-e-mail#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/photo_2016-09-14_05-14-49.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/photo_2016-09-14_05-14-49.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2016 22:04:18 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Most Popular</category>
			<description><![CDATA[“A lot of people who do exactly what I did get suspended, and they don’t have somebody to contact. Sometimes, they’re suspended for several days, weeks or months,” Black Lives Matter activist, Shaun King wrote on his Facebook page after his page was unblocked.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The role of social media giant, Facebook in the attainment of equality has come under critical consideration for some time now. This follows their rampant pulling down of Black activists’ pages.

BLM activist, Shaun King who also is a senior justice writer for the New York Daily News had his own share of the appalling practice by Facebook some few days ago. King posted on his Facebook page, a racist message he had received in his e-mail. The screenshot of the email read, “FUCK YOU N*****!”

In view of this, Facebook blocked his account. They stated the reason for their action being a violation of its community standards.

https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/774306559010676736

Fortunately for King, his page was restored after some few hours and Facebook explained to him that it was.

Now, this brings back the issue of the amount of control Facebook actually own on their platform. We only seem to be users without any form of protection and with just a click, the community one might have created on this social media platform can be brought down.

King wrote in a post on his twitter page, “This thing that I had taken 10 years to build, this community with over 800,000 people … to think that with a keystroke or a computer filter, that could be shut down, it’s a weird feeling.”

Facebook later apologized to Kings after they had restored his account. But King had this to say; “A lot of people who do exactly what I did get suspended, and they don’t have somebody to contact. Sometimes, they’re suspended for several days, weeks or months.”

So far as Facebook has become the primary source of news for most people, there will be the need for the company to take a second look at their editing laws. Some abusers have been rather penalized for voicing out their ordeals while the perpetrators of the abusive acts seem to have a field day on the social media platform.  For instance, the recent ban of the BlackMattersUs page on Facebook is another similar incident. We call on the executives of the company to review some of its policies.
Source: The guardian]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Black Female Teacher’s Outfit Stirs Social Media Hullabaloo</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15854-black-female-teachers-outfit-stirs-social-media-hullabaloo</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15854-black-female-teachers-outfit-stirs-social-media-hullabaloo#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/photo_2016-09-14_05-51-12.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/photo_2016-09-14_05-51-12.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2016 21:54:56 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Most Popular</category>
			<description><![CDATA[The beautiful picture of Patrice Brown, a fourth-grade teacher has been greeted with mixed reactions from the public. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Instagram picture of the Atlanta Black Female teacher has gone viral some few moments after it was posted. While some acknowledged the beauty of the Black woman, some other critics have descended heavily on the teacher, criticizing her outfit.

The hashtag #teacherbae has become a popular inscription on twitter as a result of Brown’s picture. Brown uploaded a picture of her which was taken at the school where she teaches. The photo has since attracted both admirers and critics. Whereas some people acknowledge her beauty and hourglass figure, others have condemned her for dressing inappropriately.

https://twitter.com/stackztootrill/status/775420004174934016

The critics have raised concerns about her capability to teach the students. They also added that her mode of dressing will only serve as a distraction for the students.
This mixed reaction from the public typically portrays the public’s view about the roles of women; especially Black women. The capabilities of women are usually centered on the way they look. A survey in the UK in 2015 revealed that female managers who dressed less conservatively were preferred over those in the same position who dress more conservatively.

Some people debunk the assertion of Brown’s critics by saying that they are only sexualizing the beautiful Black figure, therefore, a complaint has nothing to do with her outfit. Moreover, they added that if the same outfit was worn by a white female teacher, the critics will have seen nothing wrong with it.

“Throughout history, it has been expected of the Black woman that her time, her life’s work and her body be used to satisfy other people. So the Black women’s body has been seen as something to be enjoyed by others, but not celebrated herself unless it appeals to the mainstream patriarchal view,” the founder of OurLegaci.com said during an interview with the Atlanta Black Star.

Black women are usually depicted in the media as objects of sexual attraction, and this has to do with the history of slavery. In times past, white people have considered the sexuality of Black women as their bona fide property.

It is obvious the critics have no case at all. There is a need for them to be awakened to the fact that the Black woman is naturally endowed with a curvy figure. Moreover, the issue about sexiness is very relative. We can all not look the same in the same outfit. It is clear her outfit isn’t provocative. I also believe that the school has a code of conduct therefore if she had breached it, she would have been penalized. So until then, she has not flouted the rule.
Source: Think progress]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Texas Cop Calls Helicopter: As Unarmed Black Man Video Records Their Building</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/15841-texas-cop-calls-helicopter-as-unarmed-black-man-video-records-their-building</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/15841-texas-cop-calls-helicopter-as-unarmed-black-man-video-records-their-building#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/photo_2016-09-14_05-04-35.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/photo_2016-09-14_05-04-35.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2016 21:08:15 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[“These officers thought I had . . . like scouts out in the bushes, that I was planning an attack. I think cops watch too many movies or play too much Call of Duty. It’s really ridiculous,” Philip Turner told PINAC.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Black First Amendment rights activist, Philip Turner was thrown into a state of disbelieve when Texas cops called for a helicopter to survey his activists while he was making a video recording of the Texas Department of Public Safety building. The unarmed Black man was accused of a possible terrorist attack and also having scouts spying on them in the bushes.

Turner expressed his astonishment at the cops’ response by saying, “It’s not cheap to fly these helicopters. It’s amazing they responded this way.”

Turner got a video footage of the incident through a request he made for public records. The video captured the helicopter hovering around him as he recorded the building from the public sidewalk.

A dispatcher said; “I just received a call from a state employee who was leaving the garage by building C Edwards of a black male subject, with a camera, he seems to be recording.”

Moments later, some two officers approached Turner and began to interrogate him. While they yet questioned him, a helicopter was surveying from above.

The only information gotten by the police was the fact that, a Black man was making a video recording of the building. That seemed to be enough to employ the entire state defensive mechanisms against this unarmed man.

Later, Turner speaking to the PINAC about the incident said, “These officers thought I had . . . like scouts out in the bushes, that I was planning an attack. I think cops watch too many movies or play too much Call of Duty. It’s really ridiculous.”

It is really amazing the sort of aggression with which the police always confronts Black people. The Texas Police Department afforded to fly a helicopter just because they saw a Black man filming their building from a public sidewalk. Are there no other ways to handle a situation like this? Must the police portray the situation to be that alarming? And what is so serious about a civilian filming a state building from a public sidewalk? This is actually causing financial loss to the state.


Source: Pinac Be the Media]]></content:encoded>
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