Why Didn't Abortion Rights Protests Sweep Nation Like Black Lives Matter?
BY
Many will recall the summer of 2020 as a summer of protests. They raged night after night, first in Minneapolis and then in cities across the country.
In the days and weeks after a video capturing the excruciating final moments of George Floyd's life went viral, millions of Americans from all walks of life took to the streets to declare that Black lives matter and prompted a reckoning of America's history of racial injustice.
Some anticipated a similar uprising this summer should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that had guaranteed a right to abortion nationwide for almost 50 years.
After a leaked draft opinion in May suggested the court was poised to strike down Roe, one group vowed a "night of rage" if it happened.
Abortion rights protesters regularly protested outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. and in other places after the leak, unsure...
Killer of George Floyd Sentenced to 21 Years for Violating Civil Rights
Jay Senter and
ST. PAUL, Minn — A white Minneapolis police officer whose murder of a Black man outside a convenience store touched off protests around the world was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison on Thursday, in a case that signaled a new readiness to hold police officers criminally accountable for misconduct.
The former officer, Derek Chauvin, 46, was sentenced for using excessive force under color of law against both George Floyd, the man who died in the encounter, and a 14-year-old boy, also Black, who was injured in an unrelated, though similar, incident.
With time already served deducted, Mr. Chauvin’s sentence amounts to 20 years and five months, near the lower end of the range of 20 to 25 years prescribed by the sentencing guidelines. His federal and state sentences are to be served concurrently.
The sentencing marks the likely end of Mr. Chauvin’s legal saga. He was convicted of...
4 ways to close America’s huge racial ‘opportunity gap’
The net worth of a typical Black family is only 10% of that of the typical white family, and the unemployment rate for Black Americans consistently has been double that of white Americans for four decades. These are just two of the outcomes resulting from long-standing systemic disadvantages that perpetuate an inequality of opportunity based on the color of one’s skin.
This past month’s national dialogue on racial equality has brought many painful truths to the fore. Acknowledging these truths is important. Taking action to address them is essential.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the largest lobbying organization in the nation, representing businesses of all sizes across all sectors, touching every corner of our country. With that reach comes a responsibility to drive sustained action to eliminate systemic disadvantages. Convinced that our own previous efforts have been insufficient, we have committed to put the collective muscle of American...
Blackout Day draws national attention to Black spending power
Many Black Americans on Tuesday participated in a one-day spending stoppage called Blackout Day. Not opening their wallet was part of a larger effort aimed at highlighting how the Black dollar powers the U.S. economy and how America would be a very different place if Black consumers aren't participating.
Black athletes and celebrities – including singer Rihanna, Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson and rapper Cardi B – have used social media to bring wider attention to Blackout Day in recent weeks. Rapper T.I. said via Instagram that there should be "one day of solidarity in America when not one Black person in America spends a dollar."
The Blackout Day movement is in its infancy and it hasn't caught on with every Black American. Although some African-Americans didn't spend money on July 7, others instead patronized Black-owned businesses — and some likely ignored the call altogether. Either way, the day has its roots in trying to...
Black Americans Encouraged Not to Spend a Dime on #BlackoutDay2020
NATIONWIDE -- Tuesday, July 7, marks Blackout Day 2020, which is a social media campaign aimed at demonstrating just how powerful an economic force Black Americans are.
The campaign urges Black Americans not spend any money at all for the duration of Tuesday, but if they must they are encouraged to do so at Black-owned businesses only.
The campaign has been heavily promoted by activist Calvin Martyr and has been endorsed by celebrities including rapper T.I.
The ultimate goal of the campaign is to force business leaders and politicians to recognize and eliminate institutional racism.
'This is the only way to get real change': How Black Americans are using their purchasing power as a means of protest on #BlackOutDay2020
The #BlackOutDay2020 movement and Blackout Coalition were started by a Texas man named Calvin Martyr as an effort to reveal the impact of the Black dollar and to further unify the Black community on the basis of economic power. “Our mission is to create an international community of economic solidarity and national consciousness unified around our common experience and ancestry as Emancipated Peoples of America,” a statement on the Blackout Day website reads.
According to a 2019 Nielsen report about Black consumers, the purchasing power of Black Americans is over $1 trillion. In a video on Instagram, Martyr explains how keeping that money within...
Blackout Day 2020 sweeps the Triangle, consumers urged to support only Black-owned businesses
"Corporations realize that Black consumerism is powerful," said Dr. Henry McKoy, professor and director of Entrepreneurship and Small Business at North Carolina Central University. "The Black dollar is everywhere."
According to Nielsen's 2018 study, African American's make up nearly 14 percent of the population, but over-index four top purchases: ethnic hair products and beauty aids ($54.4 million, or 85.65% of all purchases), women's fragrances ($152 million, 22.37% of all purchases), feminine hygiene products ($54.1 million, 21.04% of all purchases) and men's toiletries ($62...
Blackout Day economic protest encourages shoppers to buy only from Black-owned businesses Tuesday, boycott others
Americans have plans to send a message at the checkout counter on Tuesday amid renewed calls for racial equality across the country.
Tuesday, July 7, has been designated Blackout Day, a call to action and “day of solidarity in America where not one Black person in America spends a dollar" outside of businesses owned by Black people, according to the movement's official website.
The initiative comes in the wake of protests against police brutality and renewed attention to the nation's decades-long racial wealth gap. As society has awakened to unfairness plaguing Black people in America, Black-owned businesses are getting showered with support in a loosely connected push for social and economic justice.
Reshauna Striggles, a protest leader in Arizona, told the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, that people can fight systemic racism by patronizing Black- and...
12 Black Businesses To Support For Blackout Day 2020
