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US House passes police reforms, voting rights bill
Washington (AFP) - A sweeping police reform package that bans choke holds and combats racial profiling cleared the US House of Representatives Wednesday, five days before the trial of a white officer charged with murdering African-American George Floyd. The bill is named after Floyd, who died last May 25 at age 46 when then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on the victim's neck for more than eight minutes. The shocking killing was caught on video and sparked mass protests across the nation. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act cleared the House last year but was blo...
AFP
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Dr. Seuss pulls six books over racist imagery
New York (AFP) - They are beloved by generations of early readers for their wacky rhyming tales and mischievous plotlines, but six Dr. Seuss books are being pulled because of imagery now considered racist. Dr. Seuss Enterprises -- the publisher of the bestselling children's books -- announced Tuesday that it is taking the six titles, which include "If I Ran the Zoo" and "The Cat's Quizzer," out of print. The move comes as criticism grows in the United States over the way minority communities have been portrayed in many of the author's books. Dr. Seuss Enterprises said it had made the decision ...
AFP
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LeBron dismisses Ibrahimovic criticism on political engagement
NBA star LeBron James has dismissed criticism from Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic on his political and social engagament. Ibrahimovic told broadcasters Discovery early in the week that Los Angeles Lakers player James and other athletes with similar engagements should rather stick to their sports. But four-time NBA champion James insisted after a Friday victory over the Portland Trail Blazers that "I will never shut up about things that are wrong." "I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social justice, racism, voter suppression ... There's no way I would ever just stick t...
DPA
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Mother sues over US killing of Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery
Washington (AFP) - The mother of Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man shot dead while jogging, filed a lawsuit Tuesday on the anniversary of his killing as President Joe Biden pledged to help make the United States safer for people of color. Wanda Cooper seeks $1 million in damages in the suit that names the three white men charged with killing her 25-year-old son, who was unarmed and out for a run when he was gunned down on February 23, 2020 in the southern US state of Georgia. "A Black man should be able to go for a jog without fearing for his life," Biden said. "Today, we remember Ahmaud...
AFP
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From Apu to Aladdin, why white voices will no longer do
Paris (AFP) - White actor Harry Shearer is stepping back from voicing the black Dr. Hibbert on "The Simpsons" after more than 30 years. While some fans are mourning his departure -- the latest white actor to think better of playing non-white parts -- others are shocked and surprised that Springfield's favourite medical professional was as white as his lab coat. We look at how Hollywood is realising that black voices matter: 'The Simpsons'Dr. Hibbert is only one of several characters of colour on "The Simpsons" to have been voiced for decades by white actors including his wife Bernice, Homer's ...
AFP
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Charges dropped against US woman who called cops on Black birdwatcher
New York (AFP) - Charges against a white woman who called the police on a Black birdwatcher in New York's Central Park were dropped Tuesday after she completed a program on racial bias, prosecutors said. Amy Cooper, 41, gained infamy last May when she appeared in a video calling police to falsely claim she was being threatened by an African-American man. The clip posted on Twitter was filmed by the man, Christian Cooper (no relation), who said he had asked the woman to leash her dog. Commentators accused her of putting Christian Cooper's life in danger by trying to manipulate a police system t...
AFP
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'Bachelor' host steps aside over racism row
New York (AFP) - Chris Harrison, the host of US reality TV dating show "The Bachelor," has announced he is stepping down after he was widely criticised for comments he made about race. On Instagram Saturday, Harrison said he had been wrong to defend a current contestant who had to apologize for attending a sorority party at a former slave plantation. "By excusing historial racism, I defended it," the 49-year-old wrote. "I invoked the term 'woke police,' which is unacceptable," he added. "I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong. To the Black community, to the BIPOC community: I a...
AFP
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PepsiCo renames 'Aunt Jemima' after protests
Washington (AFP) - PepsiCo has renamed the Aunt Jemima brand of pancake syrup and batter, fulfilling a promise made last year amid widespread protests in the United States against racism. The new brand will be called Pearl Milling Company -- after the business founded in 1888 which created the mix that became Aunt Jemima -- and will hit store shelves in June, PepsiCo said on Tuesday. The food and beverage giant in June 2020 announced it would end the Aunt Jemima's line, which is adorned with the face of a black woman. The decision came amid nationwide protests following the police killing of G...
AFP
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Ex-policeman in Ohio charged in shooting of unarmed Black man
Washington (AFP) - A former policeman has been charged with murder for the shooting death of an unarmed Black man in the US state of Ohio. The killing of Andre Hill shortly before Christmas in the city of Columbus sparked a new wave of protests in the United States against police brutality towards African Americans. Adam Coy, the white police officer who shot the 47-year-old Hill on December 22, was arrested and charged with murder on Wednesday, officials said. Announcing the charges Wednesday evening, Dave Yost, the state attorney general, said the "same rules (apply) for everybody." "Truth i...
AFP
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Hollywood explores Panther betrayal in 'Judas and the Black Messiah'
Los Angeles (AFP) - "Judas and the Black Messiah," Hollywood's latest Oscar contender based on the 1960s US civil rights movement, turns a tragic historical story of treachery into a modern and urgent call-to-action, its cast and director said Tuesday. The Warner Bros biopic starring Daniel Kaluuya, out in theaters and on HBO Max streaming February 12, re-examines the life of young Black Panther leader Fred Hampton alongside the FBI informant who betrayed him. Produced by Ryan Coogler -- director of Marvel superhero film "Black Panther" -- the film follows Hampton's attempts to galvanize Chica...
AFP
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