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		<title>Black Matters</title>
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		<link>https://blackmattersus.com/</link>
		<description>BlackMattersUS.com</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 09 May 2016 21:21:46 -0400</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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			<title>Alabama Inmates Organize Multi-Prison Strike Against Deplorable Prison Conditions</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7761-alabama-inmates-organize-multi-prison-strike-against-deplorable-prison-conditions</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7761-alabama-inmates-organize-multi-prison-strike-against-deplorable-prison-conditions#comments</comments>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2016 17:45:36 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Your Voices</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Alabama inmates have organized a coordinated prison strike to protest against “slave labor” and deplorable prison conditions.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Three inmates in solitary confinement organized a state-wide prison strike, which began on May 1 at Alabama's Holman, Staton, and Elmore Correctional Facilities, the Solitary Watch reports.

According to the Solitary Watch, inmates from St. Clair Correctional Facility are expected to join some 400 prisoners on May 9, to demonstrate against the unfair “slave-like” labor practices at their prisons.

The organizers have been identified as Kinetik, Dhati and Brother M, the leaders of the Free Alabama Movement, which hopes to carry on the strike for up to 30 days depending on the willingness of lawmakers to negotiate.

The inmates are enraged at the fact that private organizations make millions from their hard work, for which they get little or no payment.

&quot;We will no longer contribute to our own oppression,&quot; Kinetik told Solitary Watch. &quot;We will no longer continue to work for free and be treated like this.&quot;

People incarcerated at the prisons are paid $0.17 to $0.30 an hour to perform a variety of functions, which include giving assistance to correctional employees in the maintenance, upkeep and staffing of prison facilities, and engaging in manufacturing or industrial jobs from private organizations.

According to AL.com, Alabama is ranked third in the nation for number of prisoners per capita, and Blacks make up 72 percent of its prison population, despite accounting for only 30 percent of the state’s population.

Prison officials are retaliating against the striking inmates by serving reduced meal sizes to all inmates at the striking prisons.

Alabama’s long history of animosity towards Black inmates is well established in the state’s Reconstruction era practice of mass incarceration of African-Americans and their re-enslavement in coal mines. Black convicts, some of whom are in jail for crimes they didn’t commit or for trivial offenses, are often kept in dangerous and deplorable conditions and subjected to “slave labor.”

Their voices needed to be heard and the situation needs to change, not just in Alabama correctional facilities, but in all prison facilities nationwide.

Ensure to visit this page for all exclusive updates and uncensored news. Kindly SHARE this article on any social media of your choice.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>White Addiction Problems Change The Rhetoric From War On Drugs To Therapy</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7756-white-addiction-problems-change-the-rhetoric-from-war-on-drugs-to-therapy</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7756-white-addiction-problems-change-the-rhetoric-from-war-on-drugs-to-therapy#comments</comments>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2016 21:53:40 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>slider</category>
			<description><![CDATA[American empathy becomes visible when the most vulnerable are white people.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[America’s opiate epidemic has changed the rhetoric on drug abuse from mass incarceration to therapeutic and rehabilitative approaches, but not because political elites care about all drug abusers.

New data shows an explosive increase in opioid use and addiction in predominantly white communities, with at least 9 in 10 new heroin users over the last decade being white.

But America is tasting the ripple action of its racist system, as almost 75 percent of the these users reportedly got hooked on drugs after first taking prescription painkillers, which due to racial prejudice in medicine, are rarely prescribed for Blacks and Hispanics  because physicians baselessly think they are more likely to abuse drugs. 

When drugs ravaged our inner city neighborhoods, the feds and politicians criminalized them instead of designating them as a public health hazard that required community building, research and therapy.

However, now that America’s darlings - white underclass – find themselves in a similar situation, the narrative has suddenly changed. Some of the staunchest proponents of the war on drugs have shifted sides for a much more moderate and gentler attitude towards addicts, calling for an end to the senseless war, which they had created to target African-American communities.

When black families were ripped apart as a result of drug related incarceration or death from addiction, there were no sympathetic remarks from highly acclaimed, media outlets, researchers and op-ed writers. But the opposite is true in the face of soaring white drug abuse and drug related death.

The fact that America could not show black communities the same level of understanding and compassion that is today afforded to white self-harm, depression and bitterness, highlights the depths of indifference towards black lives, which for generations have been subjected to despair and sadness due to oppression.

Ensure to visit this page for all exclusive updates and uncensored news. Kindly SHARE this article on any social media of your choice.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Watch How Officers Beat Black Brooklyn Man Into Seizure</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7752-watch-how-officers-beat-black-brooklyn-man-into-seizure</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7752-watch-how-officers-beat-black-brooklyn-man-into-seizure#comments</comments>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2016 20:45:05 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[The officers choked Maurice Marrow causing him to faint, despite his cries about an imminent seizure.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[A video taken by a New York City train rider shows cops brutally beating a Black man into seizure and fainting on Friday morning at Halsey St. station in Bushwick.

According to the New York Daily News, the young man being beaten in the video has been identified as Maurice Marrow.

The disturbing video of the abuse, which was recorded by Marcus Mufasa Valentin, was posted on community activist and outspoken critic of New York Police, Luis Ageless Estrella’s Facebook page.

In the video, the young man could be heard pleading for help as officers in a bid to wrestle him to the ground violently punch and knee him in the stomach. After some few minutes of struggle, one of the officers, who are yet to be identified, grabbed Marrow by the throat chocking him into seizure.

The 20-year-old was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center for treatment after fainting as a result of his brutal encounter with two officers. 

After his release from hospital, Marrow whose crime was farebeating, was charged with resisting arrest, assault, obstructing government administration, and disorderly conduct.

These officers had no excuse or right to use excessive force that led to him being hospitalized. 

Warning: Video contains graphic language



Share this article and help to fight against racial discrimination in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Our Schools Need More Teachers Of Color</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7744-our-schools-need-more-teachers-of-color</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7744-our-schools-need-more-teachers-of-color#comments</comments>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2016 19:09:10 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Aaron Lewis]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Racism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[U.S. Department of Education reveals “a lack of racial diversity among teachers at public elementary and secondary schools across the nation.” ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[According to the report, less than one in five U.S. public school teachers — 18 percent — are individuals of color, while approximately one half — 49 percent — of public elementary and secondary school students are individuals of color.

The report also noted that black men make up only 2 percent of the teaching workforce.

It is expected that students of color will make the majority of student population in our elementary and secondary schools by 2024. Therefore, diversity in our classrooms among teachers should be set as a number priority.

Children of color go through school facing numerous stereotypes about them and their kind not being up to any good. Their TV screens are always covered with pictures of what America wants them to believe – ‘criminals’ from their neighborhoods that look just like them in order to send a message that the end game for them is prison. 

To these kids the idea of a role model in their schools is very strange because those, who teach them, are fundamentally out of touch with the reality and black students have no chance to face all the privileges an average white kid wakes up to every morning.

Although the benefits of diversity in teaching workforce are well known to all in the field, many have failed to acknowledge the main causes of underrepresentation of people of color among teachers.

For generations systemic racism has subjected students of color to all forms of discrimination – from lower university intakes and scholarship opportunities to fewer graduations from universities and colleges. This has created a void in the system, in which more disadvantaged enthusiastic and hard working children of color break the shackles of not being white in America, but end up in schools where almost all of their teachers have zero understanding of their racial, socioeconomic and cultural background.

When these former students, who have faced discrimination from their white teachers and other school authorities, graduate from colleges and universities, they have absolutely no interest in representing the repressive profession  that made their school days a living hell.  

Therefore if the Department of Education is really interested in ensuring greater diversity, they have to make provisions for students of color, who would eventually be proud of the educational system and decide to be a part of racially well enlightened teaching workforce.

Ensure to visit this page for all exclusive updates and uncensored news. Kindly SHARE this article on any social media of your choice.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>15-Year-Old Black Teen Gets A Perfect Score On The ACT</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7741-15-year-old-black-teen-gets-a-perfect-score-on-the-act</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7741-15-year-old-black-teen-gets-a-perfect-score-on-the-act#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fcvgb.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fcvgb.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2016 22:46:07 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A black genius of the season, Dwight Moore, at the age of 15 got maximum possible score on the American College Testing (ACT). ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Christian Brothers High School sophomore, Dwight Moore, said he was surprised at first when he got the test results and thought the score was a mistake.

“I sat there in shock for a second. There is no way this is right. It didn’t have the writing score, so I thought this was just a placeholder for later. So I am not getting my hopes up when the writing score came out too, I actually got a 36,” Moore explained to Local Memphis News.

According to the 2015 ACT results statistics, less than one percent of 1.9 million candidates got 36 out of 36.

Moore said that getting a perfect score depends on hard work.

 CBHS principal Chris Fay congratulated Moore for making a name for himself and the school. “Please join me in congratulating sophomore Dwight Moore for his perfect composite score of 36 on the ACT,” he said. “Dwight is an incredibly polite and humble young man, who is respected by both his peers and teachers. He is a model student at CBHS.” 

Share this article and join to congratulate Moore and all other students who performed extremely well in the ACT exams.

&amp;nbsp;]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Yale Students Join BLM To Protest Against Recent Arrests Of 2 Local Citizens</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7738-yale-students-join-blm-to-protest-against-recent-arrests-of-2-local-citizens</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7738-yale-students-join-blm-to-protest-against-recent-arrests-of-2-local-citizens#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fcgbh.jpg</image>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2016 21:24:03 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Over 100 protesters, including Yale students, came together on Friday, May 6 to protest the arrests of two local citizens, Hellamns and Agnew. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hellamns and Agnew were arrested a week ago after they refused to leave a beverage store on Whalley Avenue.

According to reports, the two residents were asked to provide an ID and a matching Credit Card, which they did not have. When the New Haven police officers got at the scene, they handcuffed, beat and pepper sprayed Hellamns and Agnew even though they cooperated with the cops. Agnew, 27, who is a New Haven resident, was charged with disorderly conduct.

Black Lives Matter activists, New Haven residents and students of Yale University came out in their numbers demanding that the State’s Attorney drop charges against Hellamns and Agnew and that the three officers should be suspended. One of the protest organizers said,  “We are not allowing violence to happen here, on the streets of New Haven.”

“There’s a sign over that says ‘The system is guilty.’ There are a bunch of names on that sign: Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner,” another protester said.

The young Yale students were actively involved trying to spread awareness about police injustice and brutality. The society needs more people like these students who care to win the fight against racism.

Share this article and help to fight against racism and injustice in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Police Officers Pull Black Man From Car For Taking Cell Phone Video</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7731-police-officers-pull-black-man-from-car-for-taking-cell-phone-video</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7731-police-officers-pull-black-man-from-car-for-taking-cell-phone-video#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fgvhyjj.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fgvhyjj.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2016 20:51:35 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Steven S. Sinnott was forced out of a car by cops and arrested because he refused to drop down his cell phone he was using to film a traffic stop. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Sinnott, who was a passenger, seated in the back seat of the car, he refused to answer questions of a police officer during a traffic stop for speeding. The officer repeatedly asked Sinnott and the driver, who are both black, if there was anything in the car that the police should know about, another way of saying do they have drugs with them.

The driver at last said, “No!”, but the officer insisted that Sinnott also answered him. He was just a passenger, how would he know is there “something” in the car that doesn’t belong to him? The officer then asked to search the car and again Sinnott told the driver to say “No”.

After the driver refused to allow them search the car, the officer now focused on Sinnott, who had been taking video all the while with his cell phone.

&quot;Hey, I told you to drop the phone and put your hands behind the car seat,&quot; the officer said. &quot;I said put the phone down and put your hands on the seat! But Sinnott continued to record because he was afraid of police officer’s possible cruel actions in case if he turned off the camera. Suddenly he was pulled out of the car and thrown to the ground.

According to report, Sinnott was charged with disorderly conduct but was later released with a court summons.

Why do some cops become so nervous when they get caught on camera? If you are not going to harm anybody then why should you care about cell phone cameras? Police activities need to be recorded in order to restore trust of the society.

Share this video and help fight against police brutality in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Police Investigate Hateful Beating Of Black Student In Iowa</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7728-police-investigate-hateful-beating-of-black-student-in-iowa</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7728-police-investigate-hateful-beating-of-black-student-in-iowa#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fghvbj.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fghvbj.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2016 17:35:02 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Aaron Lewis]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Racism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A black U of l student, Marcus Owens, was severely beaten on Monday, May 2 by 3 white racist men. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[A 19-year-old freshman at University of lowa, Owens, reported to the police that he was strolling in a neighborhood when a white man approached him and punched him in his face several times. Two more joined to beat him mercilessly, while shouting racial slurs, told young man to the police officers.

According to reports, Owens suffered damage to his eye socket, had injuries to his lip that required stitches and his front teeth were knocked out. Later he get the treatment for his injuries at the university’s Clinics.

The Iowa City Police Department said they have collected information about possible suspects and were investigating the assault of the black student as a hate crime.

Tom Rocklin, the university vice president for student life, said he hopes that those who were involved in the assault could be identified soon and face criminal charges.  “If any UI students are responsible, they will likely face sanctions such as suspension or expulsion from the school,” he added.

Owens is not the only black man who has been recently attacked because of his color. Hugh Pettigrew, 33, was stabbed to death by three Latinos, who have already been arrested for hate crime.

Share this article and help to fight against racism in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Black Woman Inspired By Mandela Stands Up Against Swedish Neo-Nazis</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7724-black-woman-inspired-by-mandela-stands-up-against-swedish-neo-nazis</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7724-black-woman-inspired-by-mandela-stands-up-against-swedish-neo-nazis#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/gvbhk.jpg</image>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2016 16:40:14 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A 42-year-old black activist, Tess Asplund, stood up to 300 Neo-Nazis on Sunday, May 1, 2016 as they marched into the town of Borlange. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The photo of Asplund facing Nordic extremist soon went viral, drawing attention to the fight against racism in Sweden.

In an interview with Swedish Radio, Asplund said, “I felt when they arrived that they shouldn’t be here and spread their hate.” She said her gesture was inspired by the late Nelson Mandela, who bravely fought against apartheid in South Africa. “I don’t think I was even thinking. I just jumped out. Things happened quite quickly. Then a police officer pulled me away.”

A video of the incident posted by Dala-Demokraten newspaper shows Asplund facing the group and walking backwards with a clenched fist. One of the bald headed men pushes her to get out of their way, but she refuses.

&quot;I have fought against racism for 26 years. I am 42 now. And if this is a thing that makes people pay attention to the fight against racism and xenophobia, then that's very good,&quot; Asplund said during the interview.

Because of Asplund’s bravery to stand up against racism, she was applauded by many influential people including J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. The example of this brave and beautiful woman might inspire one to resist racism in his/her own country. White supremacists all around the world will soon understand that we are not afraid of them, and we are not going to tolerate them.

Share this article and also join the fight to end racism in our communities. 

&amp;nbsp;]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Black Travelers Share Their Experience Of Discrimination With #AirbnbWhileBlack</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7721-black-travelers-share-their-experience-of-discrimination-with-airbnbwhileblack</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7721-black-travelers-share-their-experience-of-discrimination-with-airbnbwhileblack#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ffgct.jpg</image>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 23:00:49 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A 23-year-old black woman, Quirtina Crittenden, creates the hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack after having been turned down several times on the rental site. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Quirtina Crittenden and many other black travelers shared their experience on Twitter about how difficult it is for a black man to rent a house using Airbnb, which is an alternative to hotels or apartments when people travel for a short period of time.

“#AirbnbWhileBlack made a fake profile as a white guy and was accepted immediately,” a Twitter user @_GSelden writes.

“My wife &amp;amp; I tried to book w/ @AirBnb for a vaycay. Hosts w/ listed available rooms respond w/ 'Unavailable.' White friend got 'available,” another user tweets.

In an interview with NPR Montana, Crittenden explained: “The hosts would always come up with excuses like, ‘Oh, someone actually just booked it’ or ‘Oh, some of my regulars are coming in town, and they’re going to stay there. But I got suspicious when I would check back days later and see that those dates were still available.”

Airbnb’s head of diversity and belonging, David King, responded to the discrimination allegations in a statement saying, “We recognize that bias and discrimination present significant challenges and we are taking steps to address them.”

The company’s website says it prohibits “content that promotes discrimination, bigotry, racism, hatred, harassment or harm against any individual or group, and we require all users to comply with local laws and regulations,” yet those hosts who discriminate black people are not banned from using the platform.

Share this article and help fight against racial discrimination in our communities. #AirbnbWhileBlack]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Black High School Girl Suspended For Smelling Like Weed</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7718-black-high-school-girl-suspended-for-smelling-like-weed</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7718-black-high-school-girl-suspended-for-smelling-like-weed#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fgcrgtg.jpg</image>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 21:28:58 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Aaron Lewis]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Racism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A 15-year-old black girl, Jakayla Johnson, was suspended from school even after successfully passing a drug test that showed she hadn't taken any drugs or alcohol.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[According to reports, Jakayla was in class with about 30 other students when a school officer entered, claiming that there was a smell of marijuana from the corridor hallway. The officer singled out only Jakayla probably because she’s black and took her to the office where she was searched, but wasn’t convicted in possession of any drugs.

“I was feeling embarrassed because they called me out of everybody. They told me to spread my fingers and they smelled my fingers,” she said.

The officials claimed that Jakayla’s hands smelled of marijuana and she was suspended from school for five days.

After hearing the heart-breaking news, Jakayla’s mom became furious that her beautiful and innocent daughter was suspended for possession of drugs, even though the drug test came back negative.  “I said, not my child. You have the wrong child, because I know my child,” she said in an interview with WNCN.

Report says that the teen has already missed three of her tests during the suspension and she finds it hard to catch up with the other classmates.

Share this article and help to fight against racial discrimination in our communities.   ]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Student Denied Admission Because He’s Black</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7715-student-denied-admission-because-hes-black</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7715-student-denied-admission-because-hes-black#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/dfrc.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/dfrc.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 21:13:49 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Aaron Lewis]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Racism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[“The only thing preventing E.L. from enrolling at Gateway next year is his skin color”]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[A young and intelligent third-grader Edmond, commonly called E.L., has been denied admission to public schools in St. Louis, including magnet schools and charter schools, because he is African-American.

According to reports, E.L. and his family until recently lived in St. Louis, where he had excelled at Gateway. They transferred to the suburb Maryland Heights looking for a neighborhood with less crime rate.

Unfortunately, the St. Louis educational organization’s archaic settlement agreement prevented E.L. from enrolling next academic year. These agreements were adopted over three decades ago and they ban black students from the suburbs to enroll in St. Louis schools.

E.L.’s mother, La’Shieka White, has filed a lawsuit against the St. Louis Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corp (VICC). The organization, VICC, wrote in a statement, “This particular student’s ineligibility is a straightforward application of how the program works and the rules that we must abide by.”

“It is outrageous that in this day and age, there would still be policies on the books that turn children away from the school of their choice because of the color of their skin,” said PLF Principal Attorney Joshua Thompson.

Share this article and help to fight against racism in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>The War On Racism And Injustice</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7711-the-war-on-racism-and-injustice</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7711-the-war-on-racism-and-injustice#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fgcdr.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fgcdr.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 18:58:03 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Nowadays, war against racism and injustice has become much easier than it had been in the times of Martin Luther King Jr., but it is far from being over. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[In the days of Martin Luther King Jr., communication was stiff and as a civil rights worker, bringing urgent news about a beating or an arrest of an activist to the public could do it only through a telephone call. You had to walk miles to get to the closest phone booth and you wouldn’t dare to call one of the major national civil rights organizations by dialing a standard long-distance number. Your call would be forwarded first to a switchboard operator who obviously is white and might block your request.

You’d use a Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) or a line to reach a civil rights organization. Then your news could be compiled into mimeographed “WATS reports” and mailed out to organization leaders, the Justice Department, the media, lawyers, and other friends of the movement across the country.

It was really tough for activists in those days, yet they fought hard to bring justice to the people. They didn’t have the technology to fight against the unjust law, but their spirits moved them to the war on racism and injustice. “We will no longer let them use their clubs on us in the dark corners. We’re going to make them do it in the glaring light of television,” said Dr. King Jr.

In today’s quest to fighting against racism and injustice, one needs just to choose a suitable platform that will help you voice out to millions of people. Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Vine are just appropriate if you have something to say or want to share video, photo of a protest or violent arrest.

But with all the media and technology we have today, how close are we to end racism, injustice and police brutality in our communities? We must continue to fight until we win by using the new means of communications to gather people and to express our will.

Share this article help fight against racism and injustice in our societies.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Support For Black Moms Who’ve Lost Their Children To Police Brutality</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7708-support-for-black-moms-whove-lost-their-children-to-police-brutality</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7708-support-for-black-moms-whove-lost-their-children-to-police-brutality#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fcdg.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/fcdg.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 17:21:50 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Artist Sylvia Maier is honoring Black mothers, whose children have been murdered by police officers, through incredible paintings.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[“I want to show that the women are really the leaders, through their gentleness, nurturing and tenacity. Women are revolutionaries,” said artist Maier in an interview with the Huffington Post. These plucky parents such as Sybrina Fulton- mother of Trayvon Martin, Hawa Bah- mother of Mohamed Bah, Constance Malcolm- mother of Ramarley Graham and many others have grieved the loss of their beloved sons for too long.

Artist Maier has focused on these women as subjects for her upcoming exhibition titled “The Circle Of Mothers Project”, starting from May 28 to June 13, 2016 at Gallery Josephine in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.  She personally spoke to each person before capturing their pain that they might live with forever.

During the interview, Maier said, “Their children were denied liberty just because of the way they looked in a racist society. It’s not just prejudice when it infringes on someone’s rights to live and be happy and pursue an education. It’s hypocritical to see those words on a coin. Does it mean ‘liberty for all’? What makes people think only some of us deserve liberty?”

And so Maier painted portraits of these moms against the outline of a coin, with words like “In God We Trust” and “Liberty”.

Black mothers nowadays worry about everything for their children more especially when they go outside alone. The children might just be attacked because of their skin color or shot by police officers for no reason. That’s the pain every black parent goes through.

Share this article and help to fight against police brutality and injustice in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Survivor of Multiple Childhood Sexual Abuse: US Police Culture Allows Racism to Thrive</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7695-survivor-of-multiple-childhood-sexual-abuse-american-police-forces-culture-allows-racism-to-thrive</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7695-survivor-of-multiple-childhood-sexual-abuse-american-police-forces-culture-allows-racism-to-thrive#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/545698_217436688386230_1258910185_n.png</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/545698_217436688386230_1258910185_n.png" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 09:41:09 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jake Dubois]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Your Voices</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Those who have survived the most horrible experiences in their lives learn to feel the pain of other oppressed people. Our today's guest is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and absolutely amazing blogger. By the age 9, she had been molested multiple times by multiple pedophiles. During her teen years, she was raped several times. This horrible experience made her intolerant to any form of injustice including the oppression of Black community by racist police. We hope that not every White person has to undergo something awful to feel our pain and start supporting us.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Read Make Me A Sammich blog here.

&amp;nbsp;]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>6th Anniversary Of Aiyana Jones’ Death</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7687-the-6th-anniversary-of-the-aiyana-jones-death</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7687-the-6th-anniversary-of-the-aiyana-jones-death#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/AIYANA-JONES.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/AIYANA-JONES.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 08:25:22 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A rally in loving memory of Aiyana Jones, a girl shot by the cop while she was sleeping on a couch during a botched raid.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[May 16 will mark the sixth anniversary of the brutal slaying of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones by Detroit Police Officer Joe Weekley. She was shot by the cop while she slept on a couch during a botched raid. The killer is still employed by the Detroit Police Department. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter and two lesser charges in her death, but the case was dropped in January 2015.

Justice hasn’t been served for Aiyana and her grieving family.
We’re planning a peaceful rally in front of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on May 21 to honor the memory of Aiyana and other victims of police violence and demand demilitarization of police. We should draw as much attention as possible to the lack of justice for the families of those who lost their beloved ones at the hands of the police.

Invite everyone you know and join us on May 21.
We should stand up for the better future of our kids!]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Black Female Cadets Face Criticism For Raising Fists In Photo</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7683-black-female-cadets-face-criticism-for-raising-fists-in-photo</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7683-black-female-cadets-face-criticism-for-raising-fists-in-photo#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/black-female-face-criticism.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/black-female-face-criticism.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2016 07:58:22 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tylissa Hide]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Activism</category>
			<description><![CDATA[16 Black female cadets in uniform raising their fists in a photo were accused of supporting Black Lives Matter movement which may be a violation of a Department of Defense directive that cautions against “partisan political activity” when in uniform. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[According to the Army Times, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point New York initiated an intensive investigation into a photo that features 16 black female cadets who are in uniform with their fists raised. Critics say this is a gesture of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and unacceptable.  

&quot;We can confirm that the cadets in this photo are members of the U.S. Military Academy's Class of 2016,&quot; West Point’s director of public affairs, Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker, said in a statement. &quot;Academy officials are conducting an inquiry into the matter.&quot; 

This is ridiculous! It’s really shocking how many people criticize this gesture! You see, Black people stay black even while on duty because they have no two-sided face. On the other hand, everyone knows that black people face racism and many hardships in their line of duty, even if they serve the government.

America needs to understand that ‘Black Lives Matter’ is not a political Party or movement. First Amendment gives room to every individual to express their views even when in uniform, so what is the big deal about cadet ladies raising their fists? 

Feels like officials take this matter up because these ladies are black and therefore vulnerable.

Share this article and help to fight against racial discrimination in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Convicted Ex-Oklahoma Reserve Deputy Denied Bail</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7677-convicted-ex-oklahoma-reserve-deputy-denied-bail</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7677-convicted-ex-oklahoma-reserve-deputy-denied-bail#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/photo611475392035923980.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/photo611475392035923980.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2016 22:32:00 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[A District Judge ruled that the former Tulsa volunteer sheriff’s deputy, who fatally shot an unarmed Black man, does not have the right to post bail. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[A Tulsa County judge ruled on Tuesday that Robert Bates, the former Oklahoma volunteer sheriff’s deputy convicted of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man, will remain in jail as he awaits formal sentencing, Tulsa World reports.

District Judge William Musseman ruled that the 74-year-old former insurance broker, who was found guilty of second-degree murder in the slaying of Eric Harris, does not have the right to post bond due to an Oklahoma law denying bail on appeal to offenders, whose convictions involve a firearm.

While working with Tulsa County sheriff’s deputies on an undercover sting, Bates shot Harris in the abdomen breaking two of the 44-year-old’s ribs.

According to Musseman, even if statutes did permit him to set bail, the testimony from Bates offered insufficient grounds to grant the wealthy businessman that right.

The report noted that, Bates, who is scheduled for sentencing on May 31, is facing a jury recommended maximum of four years behind bars.

Bates’ mistake cost a man his life, but all he is concerned about is the condition of the jail, in which he awaits sentencing.

His conviction and the judge’s denial of bail will never equate to the life he took when he “mistook” his gun for a taser and shot an unarmed man.

We believe justice has been served here, although a four-year prison sentence may seem a little merciful for someone who paid his way to play a law enforcement officer.

Ensure to visit this page for all exclusive updates and uncensored news. Kindly SHARE this article on any social media of your choice.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Chicago State's Attorney Withdraws From Laquan McDonald Case</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7673-chicago-states-attorney-withdraws-from-laquan-mcdonald-case</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7673-chicago-states-attorney-withdraws-from-laquan-mcdonald-case#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/photo611475392035923979.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/photo611475392035923979.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2016 21:06:59 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[After several flip-flops, Attorney Anita Alvarez has finally decided to step down from the case she never wanted to prosecute.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Cook County State’s attorney has asked the judge on Thursday to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case against the white Chicago police officer, who shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times, the Washington Post reports.  

Anita Alvarez, who lost her re-election bid earlier this year, took civil rights attorneys and everyone by surprise when she filed the motion to let another attorney take over the prosecution of Jason Van Dyke, the police officer she took more than a year to charge despite availability of overwhelming evidence against him.

The embattled prosecutor’s handling of the case drew nationwide outrage and criticism from activists and civil rights attorneys, who accuse her of covering up for the police department.
Alvarez, who is expected to leave office this December, cited her recent election loss as the main reason for her decision to step down from the case.

&quot;I believe that the results of the recent election and the impending transition of this office make this the best and most responsible decision,&quot; Alvarez said in a statement.

“While it is has not been an easy decision, I believe that it is the right one because it will help to avoid unnecessary legal delays and provide continuity in the handling of this very important and complicated case,” she added.

The coalition of attorneys and activists, who pushed for Alvarez’s removal from the case, is hopeful that Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan’s June 2 decision would include an independent prosecutor, who has no affiliations with the offices of Alvarez and the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

So many factors other than what Alvarez mentioned in her statement might have affected her decision to withdraw, but whatever they are, we are just happy she will no longer have anything to do with the case again. 

Share this article and help to fight against racial discrimination and police brutality in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Cop Who Murdered Laquan McDonald Requests Protection</title>
			<link>https://blackmattersus.com/7669-cop-who-murdered-laquan-mcdonald-requests-protection</link>
			<comments>https://blackmattersus.com/7669-cop-who-murdered-laquan-mcdonald-requests-protection#comments</comments>
			<image>https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Cop-Who-Murdered-Laquan-McDonald-Requests-Protection.jpg</image>
			<enclosure url="https://blackmattersus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Cop-Who-Murdered-Laquan-McDonald-Requests-Protection.jpg" type="image/jpg"/>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2016 19:39:13 -0400</pubDate>
			<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ken Patterson]]></dc:creator>
			<category>Police Brutality</category>
			<description><![CDATA[Officer Van Dyke needs protection because like every murderer, he sees revenge as a possibility. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The attorney for a white Chicago police officer, who is charged with first-degree murder in the October 2014 fatal shooting of a black teenager, has filed a motion requesting Sheriff’s deputies to guard his client at courthouse, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Attorney Daniel Herbert, who represents the indicted Officer Jason Van Dyke, submitted the request in a court filing made public on Wednesday.

Herbert’s previous attempt to have a judge waive routine court appearances for the cop, who fatally shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times, was objected by the prosecution, arguing that to do so would send a signal of preferential treatment.
 
Judge Vincent Gaughan, who is presiding over the case, is expected to make a ruling on the issue on Thursday, when Van Dyke is scheduled to return to the Southwest Side courthouse.

When officers roam around harassing black people and shooting them with their guns, they feel invincible because they think they “are the law.”

Now, Officer Van Dyke, who used to terrify black people with his badge and firearm, knows exactly what it feels like to be afraid for your life.

Unlike thousands of innocent African-Americans, who are worried that they might become victims of racial bias and police brutality, Van Dyke should be scared because he is a murderer! 

Share this article and help to fight against racial discrimination and police brutality in our communities.]]></content:encoded>
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