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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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Anger after US police pepper-spray 9-year-old girl
New York (AFP) - A nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police in the US city of Rochester, footage released Sunday showed, sparking new outrage over excesses committed by the country's law enforcement. Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson said Sunday the girl -- who has not been named -- had been suffering from a serious mental health emergency, reportedly threatening to take her own life and that of her mother. Officers called to the scene on Friday eventually responded by handcuffing her, before trying to force her into a car and pepper-spraying her when she resisted, body...
AFP
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Manchester United striker Rashford racially abused on social media
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford said he was sent racist messages that were "humanity and social media at its worst" after Saturday's 0-0 draw with Arsenal. The 22-year-old England international, who was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for his charity work battling child poverty, was subject to multiple messages on Instagram. "I'm a black man and I live every day proud that I am," Rashford responded on his Twitter account. "No-one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different. So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you're just simply not going to ge...
DPA
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Manchester United striker Rashford racially abused on social media
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford said he was sent racist messages that were "humanity and social media at its worst" after Saturday's 0-0 draw with Arsenal. The 22-year-old England international, who was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for his charity work battling child poverty, was subject to multiple messages on Instagram. "I'm a black man and I live every day proud that I am," Rashford responded on his Twitter account. "No-one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different. So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you're just simply not going to ge...
DPA
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