Black Lives Matter movement to mark 10 years of activism, renews call to defund the police
The Black Lives Matter movement turns 10 years old on Thursday, marking the day in 2013 that the man who fatally shot Trayvon Martin was acquitted in his death.
Black Florida mother killed by white neighbor remembered for faith, devotion to 4 kids
Civil rights leaders and ministers are demanding justice for a Black mother who was fatally shot in front of her son by a white neighbor firing through the door of her central Florida home.
After years of threats, a feud ends with a Black mom dead and her white neighbor arrested
The Marion County Sheriffโs Office says a white Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her Black neighbor last week has been arrested.
Protesters call for arrest of white woman who fatally shot Black neighbor
A Florida sheriff says detectives must investigate self-defense claims before any criminal charges can be brought against a white woman who fatally shot her neighbor last week in the violent culmination of what the sheriff described as a 2ยฝ-year feud.
AP Exclusive: Black Lives Matter has $42 million in assets
A new, 63-page IRS tax filing shared exclusively with The Associated Press shows the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc. ended its last fiscal year with nearly $42 million in net assets.
The AP Interview: BLM's Patrisse Cullors denies wrongdoing
In an exclusive interview, Patrisse Cullors, the former leader of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, tells The Associated Press that neither she nor anyone else in leadership has misused millions of dollars in donations.
Trayvon Martin's mother: 'Don't give up' fight for justice
The mother of Trayvon Martin is marking the 10th anniversary of her sonโs death by thanking those who sought justice for her family and urging them to continue to fight.
After Trayvon Martin, Crump became civil rights go-to lawyer
Before Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and other Black people died at the hands of white police officers or self-appointed vigilantes, there was Martin Lee Anderson.
'Stand your ground' laws proliferate after Trayvon spotlight
Ten years ago when Trayvon Martin was fatally shot, Florida was one of the few states with โstand your groundโ laws that eased use of deadly force in the face of danger.
Trayvon Martin, 10 years later: Teen's death changes nation
The killing of Trayvon Martin at the hands of a stranger still reverberates 10 years later -- in protest, in partisanship, in racial reckoning and reactionary response, in social justice and social media.
Florida law school creates Ben Crump social justice center
A South Florida law school says it is creating a social justice center named after Ben Crump, the Black civil rights attorney who has gained national prominence representing victims of police brutality and vigilante violence.
Rittenhouse verdict comes amid a fraught gun landscape
The upcoming verdict in Kyle Rittenhouseโs murder trial for shooting three men during street unrest in Wisconsin comes against a backdrop of deep political divisions and expanded access to guns in the United States โ factors that some fear could lead to more dangerous encounters.
Ahead of Rittenhouse trial, race seen as underlying issue
Kyle Rittenhouse, the aspiring police officer who gunned down three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a protest last summer against racism and police brutality, is white.
Families urge legal changes to prevent more police killings
Parents and siblings of Black men killed by police urged people during a discussion in the city where George Floyd was killed a year ago to join them in pursuing legal changes they say can make more deaths less likely in the future.
Chauvin's trial leaves many Black viewers emotionally taxed
Many Black men and women in the U.S. are keeping tabs on whatโs unfolding in the televised murder trial of white former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, taking in what they can before turning away to allow their anger and hurt to subside.
Ample opportunities for viewers to follow Chauvin trial
In this image from Minneapolis city surveillance video, Minneapolis police are seen attempting to take George Floyd into custody May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minn. Floydโs name is more widely known than Chauvin, but calling it the โFloyd trialโ would wrongly imply that the victim was the one on trial. Most called it the Chauvin trial. CourtTV called it โThe Death of George Floyd Murder Trial.โ ABC said it was the โDerek Chauvin Trial, 10 Months After George Floydโs Death.โFor some of the specialty networks, the trial offers a rare opportunity to increase viewership, both on the air and online. CBS' website will carry its own coverage, along with that of the network's Minneapolis affiliate, he said.
Florida city seeks racial injustice reform 9 years after Trayvon Martinโs death
The 15-member โRace, Equality, Equity and Inclusionโ group will be made up of residents, people who work in Sanford and business owners, the Orlando Sentinel reported. AdTheyโre being asked to deliver a report detailing its findings to the city commission in about eight months. Martinโs death helped lead to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013. Today, two of the cityโs commissioners, the police chief and city manager are Black. That it leads to some change.โThe city will provide the committee with up to $35,000 to pay for technical assistance, conducting surveys and other costs.
AP Exclusive: Black Lives Matter opens up about its finances
This marks the first time in the movementโs nearly eight-year history that BLM leaders have revealed a detailed look at their finances. The foundation said it committed $21.7 million in grant funding to official and unofficial BLM chapters, as well as 30 Black-led local organizations. In its report, the BLM foundation said individual donations via its main fundraising platform averaged $30.76. โBecause the BLM movement was larger than life โ and it is larger than life โ people made very huge assumptions about what our actual finances looked like,โ Cullors said. Leaders at the BLM foundation admit that they have not been clear about the movementโs finances and governance over the years.
Virginia Tech hosts conversation with Trayvon Martinโs mother
BLACKSBURG, Va. โ Virginia Tech continued to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by hosting a conversation with the mother of Trayvon Martin on Monday. The universityโs Office of Inclusion and Diversity streamed the event with Sybrina Fulton on its YouTube. She spoke about life after her son Trayvon, an unarmed 17-year-old, was killed in Sandford, Florida, back in 2012. Weโve got to have people that encouraging our young people and I think thatโs the key to it all,โ said Fulton. Since losing her son, Fulton has created a support group for mothers who have lost children to violence.
Athletes act: Stars rise up against racial injustice in 2020
The NBA painted โBlack Lives Matterโ on the courts inside their Orlando, Florida, โbubble" and social justice messages were emblazoned on the backs of jerseys. Paul met with NBA players, and they decided awareness wasnโt enough anymore. โBlack Lives Matterโ also was featured prominently on the leagueโs courts. Wallace, the only full-time Black driver at the NASCAR national level, first began speaking out against racial injustice in America in the spring. His car featured a โBlack Lives Matterโ paint scheme.
Activist, champion: Naomi Osaka is AP Female Athlete of Year
FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2020, file photo, Naomi Osaka, of Japan, holds up the championship trophy after defeating Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. Osaka has been selected by The Associated Press as the Female Athlete of the Year. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)With tennis, like so much of the world, shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, Naomi Osaka found herself with time to read and think. LeBron James was announced Saturday as the AP Male Athlete of the Year. I cannot be more excited.โ___Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HowardFendrich___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Police guide that calls BLM a terrorist group draws outrage
FILE - In this July 11, 2020 file photo, Alycia Pascual-Pena, left, and Marley Ralph kneel while holding a Black Lives Matter banner during a protest in memory of Breonna Taylor, in Los Angeles. The document, labeled โrestricted to law enforcement only,โ is one of the few publicly available materials on its website. The law enforcement association, known by its nickname ILEETA, says in a mission statement that it's โcommitted to the reduction of law enforcement riskโ and saving lives through high-quality training. The paper claims that those who participated in months of protests earlier this year in Portland and Seattle were โuseful idiotsโ designed to give cover to the โhard-core, terrorist trained troopsโ that would follow. Goff, whose group works with departments to make policing โless racist and deadly,โ said the document showed why it's important for critics to engage directly with local law enforcement to seek changes.
Black Lives Matter faces test of its influence in election
โBlack Lives Matter saved us, because we had nobody,โ said Jones. Now, BLMโs influence faces a test, as voters in Tuesdayโs election consider candidates who endorsed or denounced the BLM movement amid a national reckoning on race. Enter Black Lives Matter. Across social media platforms, the Black Lives Matter movement boasts a following of millions. โBlack Lives Matter,โ as a slogan, elicited โAll Lives Matterโ and โBlue Lives Matterโ responses from foes.
Black men's votes courted as some search for political home
Trumpโs positions on race and Bidenโs decades-old controversial record on criminal justice make neither candidate particularly attractive to Black men. โYou donโt lie, you acknowledge the truth, and admit that the choices before Black people in the year 2020 are abysmal,โ said Agnew, an organizer with Black Men Build, a group created to empower Black men. Iraq War veteran Leo Dunson is a 35-year-old Black conservative activist and former Democrat who feels both parties have forgotten Black men. And 39% of those votes were by Black men โ a similar gender breakdown to numbers reported in the 2016 general election. Harrisโs tenure as a top prosecutor in California includes the disproportionate incarceration of Black men for drug offenses.
Osaka comes back, tops Azarenka at US Open; 3rd Slam title
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts during the women's singles final against Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, during the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in New York. Surprisingly off-kilter in the early going Saturday, Osaka kept missing shots and digging herself a deficit. By the end, Osaka pulled away to a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback victory for her second U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam title overall. But Osaka regained control, breaking to start a match-ending run of three games, covering her face when the final was over. Osaka and her coach have said they think the off-court activism has helped her energy and mindset in matches.
Absent details, police shooting narratives seek to distract
Authorities have been reluctant to release even the most basic information about the incident or details about the white officer who shot Blake seven times in the back. They shot my son seven times seven times, like he didnt matter, Blakes father, Jacob Blake Sr., said. In 2014, for example, a union spokesman rushed to the scene where a white Chicago officer fatally shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. As for the shooting itself, authorities, citing the need to protect the integrity of the investigation, have raised far more questions than they've answered. Instead, he said a knife was found after the shooting on the drivers side floorboard of the SUV.
At D.C. march, families decry 'two systems of justice'
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. Sixty-five years later (after Tills murder), we still struggle for justice demilitarizing the police, dismantling mass incarceration, and declaring as determinately as we can that Black lives matter, King said. As peaceful protests turned to arson and theft, naysayers of the Black Lives Matter movement issued calls for law and order.The Rev. Theres a white system and a black system -- the black system aint doing so well.No justice, no peace! he proclaimed. Some participants headed toward Black Lives Matter Plaza, right outside of the White House, which was renamed from Pennsylvania Avenue during protests in June.
Black lawmakers reflect on civil rights then, and now
Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream Speech, yet torn apart by the Black Lives Matter protests against the police shooting of another Black man, this time in Wisconsin. Friday's commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington comes as a new civil rights era is unfolding in real time in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after Sunday's shooting of Jacob Blake. REP. MAXINE WATERS, D-CALIF.Maxine Waters said she started focusing on police violence in 1979 after Los Angeles police shot a Black homemaker, Eula Love, during a confrontation over an unpaid gas bill. Now the highest-ranking Black American in Congress, Clyburn was speaking Friday at a satellite rally in Columbia, South Carolina. So theres a lot of work for Black Lives Matter to do," Clyburn told AP, and I hope to live long enough to help them get it done.
Black National Convention puts spotlight on police brutality
Black Lives Matter activists are holding a virtual Black National Convention Friday, Aug. 28, to adopt a political agenda calling for slavery reparations, universal basic income, environmental justice and legislation that entirely re-imagines criminal justice reforms. Anyone who is watching, who is both enraged or looking for action, will find a space" in the Black National Convention, Byrd said. The Black National Convention was originally planned to take place in-person in Detroit, the nations Blackest major city. Fridays convention is expected to be the largest gathering of Black activists and artists, albeit virtual, since the historic 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, which concluded with the introduction of a national Black agenda. The Black National Convention broadcast begins after the D.C. march has concluded.
'Do something:' Harris' rapid rise driven by call to action
She faced questions familiar to women in politics, particularly women of color, about her ambition. Harris faced both the scrutiny of her personal life and the resistance to her rise as she raced past rivals from more well-connected families. Years later, when she ran for California attorney general and needed support beyond her liberal home base, Harris tempered her stance on capital punishment. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women," Harris wrote of her mother. At Howard, Harris joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nations oldest sorority for Black women.
'Do something:' Harris' rapid rise driven by call to action
She faced questions familiar to women in politics, particularly women of color, about her ambition. Harris faced both the scrutiny of her personal life and the resistance to her rise as she raced past rivals from more well-connected families. Years later, when she ran for California attorney general and needed support beyond her liberal home base, Harris tempered her stance on capital punishment. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women," Harris wrote of her mother. At Howard, Harris joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nations oldest sorority for Black women.
March on Washington reconfigured to comply with virus rules
In late July, with local infection numbers rising, Bowser ordered that anyone traveling or returning to Washington from a virus hot spot must self-quarantine for 14 days. Bowser, when asked on July 30 about the potential conflict, said government officials had been in contact with march organizers and that Washington would not be relaxing its virus rules for participants. The NAACP, one of several partners in this year's commemoration, last week launched a website for a virtual March on Washington. The site will livestream the Washington march, in addition to other programming leading up to and after the event. The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 Black-led organizations that make up the broader Black Lives Matter movement, will hold its virtual Black National Convention later in the evening.
Black Lives Matter network debunks Trump Twitter post
Black Lives Matter leader states, If U.S. doesnt give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it. Hawk Newsome has no relation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, Scales said. Reached by phone Thursday night, Newsome said Black Lives Matter Greater New York is now under the leadership of Black women. He also said Black Lives Matter is not a movement over which anyone can claim ownership. In Washington, D.C., the mayor ordered the words Black Lives Matter painted across a street near the White House, which also has been renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.
Antebellum brings racial justice call to reopened theaters
This image released by Lionsgate shows co-writer/directors Christopher Renz, left, and Gerard Bush on the set of "Antebellum." Filmmakers Bush and Renz planned to release their feature-length debut film, Antebellum, in the spring of 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic exploded internationally. In Antebellum, Mone gives moviegoers a modern Black heroine who takes charge of her own liberation without a male-dominated cavalry. Their path to feature-length films with a racial justice message has been a long time coming, Bush and Renz said. Even as they anticipate finding box office success with Antebellum, Bush and Renz are already at work on their second feature-length script, under a newly formed production company, Gloaming Pictures.
Black Lives Matter network establishes $12M grant fund
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the group behind the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, has established a more than $12 million fund to aid organizations fighting institutional racism in the wake of the George Floyd protests. On Wednesday, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation said it was setting aside $6 million from money it received in donations to support black-led grassroots organizing groups. Although there are many groups that use Black Lives Matter or BLM in their names, only 16 are considered affiliates of the global network. The Black Lives Matter movement emerged in 2013 amid anger over the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012. Im really proud of the work weve been able to do in the last seven years, Patrisse Cullors, co-founder and chairwoman of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, said in a statement.
Dave Chappelle speaks on George Floyd in new Netflix special
NEW YORK An angry and emotional Dave Chappelle spoke on the killing of George Floyd in a surprise Netflix special, saying America was being punished for its mistreatment of black men. The special was released Thursday and is streaming free on Netflixs comedy YouTube channel. It was taken from a show at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with about 100 attendees on June 6. Chappelle called his special 8:46 in part after the length of time the officer was on top of the handcuffed Floyd. When I watched that tape, I understood this man knew he was going to die, said the comedian.
Long seen as radical, Black Lives Matter goes mainstream
Black Lives Matter has gone mainstream and black activists are carefully assessing how they should respond. Its very name enraged its foes, who countered with the slogans Blue Lives Matter and All Lives Matter." Black Lives Matter has gone mainstream and black activists are carefully assessing how they should respond. When we started Black Lives Matter, it was really to have a larger conversation around this country about its relationship to black people, said Patrisse Cullors, one of three black women who founded the Black Lives Matter Global Network, with chapters throughout the U.S. and in Britain and Canada. Last week, longtime Sacramento Kings TV broadcaster Grant Napear resigned after tweeting ALL LIVES MATTER when asked his opinion on the Black Lives Matter movement.
George Floyd, whose death energized a movement, to be buried
Mourners pass by the casket of George Floyd during a public visitation for Floyd at the Fountain of Praise church Monday, June 8, 2020, in Houston. George Floyd, who was 46 when he was killed, will be laid to rest next to his mother. Floyd's death sparked international protests and drew new attention to the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. by police and the criminal justice system. Four Minneapolis officers were charged in connection with Floyd's death, which was captured on video by bystanders, who begged police to stop hurting him. A Minnesota judge on Monday kept bail at $1.25 million for Derek Chauvin, the police officer charged with second-degree murder in Floyds death.
'Use our platform': NBA coaches saying change must occur
But two coaches said Saturday that once the league arrives at Disney, they would expect the NBAs visibility to be an asset again in the hope for actual change. Orlando coach Steve Clifford also seems convinced that the leagues players and coaches will take some sort of action when the season resumes. Well have a collective platform where everyone can collectively send a message condemning racism, racial injustice, calling for police accountability. Spoelstra has been on several calls with political leaders in South Florida in recent days for that same purpose. We all thought that that was going to move the needle and it didnt and it broke your heart, Spoelstra said.
Spike Lee on what's different about these protests
FILE - In this June 29, 2009 file photo, Spike Lee attends a special 20th anniversary screening of his film "Do the Right Thing" in New York. Do the Right Thing, about rising racial tensions on a hot summer day in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, took direct inspiration from reality. Many years later, Eric Garner, automatically I thought of Ray Raheem," said Lee. I mean, he was quoting the words of Eric Garner: I cant breathe. He was channeling Eric Garner. I haven't seen this diverse protests since when I was a kid, Lee said, citing the movements of the '60s.
Brands weigh in on national protests over police brutality
Black lives matter. At the same time, companies must consider whether it makes sense for them to weigh in, especially on an issue as sensitive as race. Media giant ViacomCBS tweeted Black Lives Matter. Expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Movement is the right message, but everyone is jumping in on that bandwagon, said Allen Adamson, co-founder and managing partner of Metaforce a marketing and product consultancy. Each of these black lives matter.
Hundreds demand justice for Arbery at Georgia rally
Gregory McMichael, 64, told police he and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, pursued Arbery because they believed he was responsible for recent break-ins in the neighborhood. Gregory McMichael was an investigator in Johnsons office before retiring last May. Georgians are just not safe when you allow an injustice like this to take place, said Davis, who is an organizer with the Black Man Lab in Decatur, Georgia. Gregory McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was responsible for recent break-ins and he also said Arbery attacked his son before he was shot. He never called Gregory McMichael.
Hundreds demand justice for Arbery at Georgia rally
Gregory McMichael, 64, told police he and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, pursued Arbery because they believed he was responsible for recent break-ins in the neighborhood. Gregory McMichael was an investigator in Johnsons office before retiring last May. Georgians are just not safe when you allow an injustice like this to take place, said Davis, who is an organizer with the Black Man Lab in Decatur, Georgia. Gregory McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was responsible for recent break-ins and he also said Arbery attacked his son before he was shot. He never called Gregory McMichael.