Black Lives Matter
House bill would impose harsh new penalties on protesters and their organizations
In the wake of this summer’s massive civil-rights protests, two Republicans in the Ohio House have filed a bill that imposes harsh new penalties on certain protest-related activities.
Plot to kidnap Michigan gov grew from the militia movement’s toxic mix of constitutional falsehoods and half-truths
The U.S. militia movement has long been steeped in a peculiar – and unquestionably mistaken – interpretation of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and civil liberties. This is true of an armed militia group that calls itself the Wolverine Watchmen, who were involved in the recently revealed plot to overthrow Michigan’s government and kidnap […]
Columbus statues are coming down – why he is so offensive to Native Americans
Over the summer, statues of Christopher Columbus have been beheaded, covered with red paint, lassoed around the head and pulled down, set on fire and thrown into a lake. Many of these protests have been led by Native American activists. But other statues have been defended by people with guns. A statue of Columbus in […]
The time for change is now
As a young man, John Robert Lewis heard the words of a nearby Baptist preacher talking about the Beloved Community. For Mr. Lewis, Dr. King’s message was the clarion call he was searching for. Dr. King’s words inspired a 17-year-old Lewis to act. He acted by taking to the streets, much in the same way […]
Study: 96% of Black Lives Matter protests have been peaceful in Ohio
The vast majority of nationwide Black Lives Matter protests have been peaceful, including those in Ohio, according to a new study by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The ACLED has been collecting data on demonstrations, political violence and other related developments since the newest phase of the BLM movement began in May, […]
Calls for social and racial justice are reaching every part of our lives. It’s time to act.
Six years ago this week I made a drive I will never forget from Missouri to Ohio. It was mostly memorable because of my beginning and end points. I was driving from Ferguson, MO; where I had been organizing for a few weeks in response to the murder of Mike Brown by the hands of […]
‘You just have to act’: Thousands outraged by police brutality rally at March on Washington
WASHINGTON – On the 57th anniversary of the original March on Washington and in the throes of a pandemic, thousands of demonstrators on Friday joined Democratic lawmakers on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to demand Congress act on police brutality and voter suppression. The event, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, […]
After the civil rights era, white Americans failed to support systemic change to end racism. Will they now?
The first wave of the Black Lives Matter movement, which crested after the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, had the support of less than half of white Americans. Given that Americans tend to have a very narrow definition of racism, many at that time were likely confused by the juxtaposition of Black-led […]
Demas: The coronavirus crisis shows now is the time to demand more from our government
America has blown past every country in the coronavirus pandemic, with almost 4 million cases and more than 140,000 deaths. If you want to know why the most medically advanced country in the world ended up here, look no further than the malfeasance and conspiracy-mongering of President Donald Trump. The New York Times this weekend ran a devastating tick-tock […]
Unionized fast-food, janitorial, nursing home workers picket for Black Lives Matter in Toledo, Cleveland
Unionized fast-food, nursing home and janitorial workers in Toledo and Cleveland picketed Monday in solidarity with the Strike for Black Lives, a national day of action confronting systemic racism. SEIU District 1199 — a union that represents workers in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio — was one of more than 50 major national labor organizations that […]
Law you can use: exercising your right to protest
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” – First Amendment The right to peacefully assemble and join […]
Black religious leaders are central in US protests – as they have been for the last 200 years
When the Rev. Al Sharpton implored white America to “get your knee off our necks” at the memorial of George Floyd, his words were carried by news outlets across the globe. Meanwhile in the U.S., the Rev. William J. Barber II has been an ever-present voice in the protests, prompting some to place him as […]