#BlackLivesMatter - RISE UP TIMES

Lee Fang: Mall of America Security Catfished Black Lives Matter Activists, Documents Show

From the article: “‘The place for fun in your life’ is the Mall of America’s slogan,” says Webster, “which doesn’t align with the Mall creating a fake Facebook account to stalk activists; it doesn’t align with my memories of a fun place to go as a kid. I’m sympathetic to the Mall’s everyday task of ensuring safety, but this violation of privacy went too far, as did Mall management’s pushing for harsh criminal prosecution of peaceful demonstrators.”

Arthur Goodridge: Black Death: The Rashomon Effect and Our Symbols of Justice

He [Kurosawa] found that seeing is not always seeing clearly and that realizing this fact helped his colleagues filter out their misperceptions and gain more accurate data. How does the Rashomon effect help us in our healing process? How does the Rashomon effect affect our ability to adjudicate our justice system? By Arthur Goodridge Truthout.org | More

Why Was An FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Tracking A Black Lives Matter Protest?

Fang: “Clearly it’s inappropriate to be using the Joint Terrorist Task Force to monitor activists [and] the use of a CHS seems extremely inappropriate,” said Michael German, a fellow at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice and former special agent with the FBI. “The fact that they’re spending resources in this manner reflects poor leadership and is something that they should really take a hard look at."

Jane Lazarre: Once White in America

Black bodies swingin’ in the summer breeze strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees

Popular Resistance: Courage is Contagious

When our colleagues take brave actions, others are inspired. George Lakey describes how courage develops in movements. He lists some key ingredients to overcome fear: people working in community to empower each other, envisioning a successful action and spreading the contagion of courage. By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers PopularResistance.org | Newletter February 14, 2015 Lakey describes courage More

Mark Osler: Mall of America protest: A large assembly, a prosecutorial error

Bloomington’s city attorney didn’t have to press charges. She had discretion. The scene at the Mall of America on Dec. 20. Bloomington authorities said last week that 10 members of the group had been formally charged. Photo: Aaron Lavinsky • Star Tribune Star Tribune photo galleries By MARK OSLER StarTribune.com OpEd January 16, 2015 Just before More

Nekima Levy-Pounds: Letter from a Bloomington Jail (Metaphorically Speaking)

Much like protesters during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s, participants of #BlackLivesMatter, have stood on the front lines braving arrests, police violence, surveillance, chemical weapons, and hostility from those who are comfortable with the status quo. Yet, even in the face of such adversity, the young people have demonstrated remarkable courage to continue standing, marching, and fighting for our freedom. They are standing on the right side of history.

Daily Kos: Undercover officers infiltrate #BlackLivesMatter protest movement in Minnesota; charge leaders

The Minnesota ACLU, responding to these charges and to demands that the protestors pay for the police who were called to the scene, released the following statement. "There is finally growing concern and dialogue regarding the failure of our criminal justice system to hold police officers accountable for acts of excessive force and other misconduct," the statement says. "These problems are happening in our backyard and should not be ignored."

▶ 21 Arrested | Witness Against Torture members confront state violence at the Capitol

21, including Voices' [for Creative Nonviolence] Brian Terrell, Arrested for Protest at US Capitol [youtube=http://youtu.be/H_LbxFvBA6s] Subscribe or “Follow” us on RiseUpTimes.org. Rise Up Times is also on Facebook! Check the Rise Up Times page for posts from this blog and more! “Like” our page today. Rise Up Times is also on Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr. Find us on Twitter at Rise Up Times More

Malik Nashad Sharpe: Paris, #BlackLivesMatter, the Cultural Violence, and the White Western State

I’m not French, but one doesn’t need to be in order to see how deeply racism runs throughout French, and Western, societies.

AP Poll: Police Killings of Blacks Voted Top Story of 2014

List of top 10 stories, in order. In a year crowded with dramatic and often wrenching news developments around the world, the No. 2 story was the devastating outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, followed by the conflict in Iraq and Syria fueled by the brutal actions of Islamic State militants.

Yes! — 10 Ways Human Rights and Democracy Won in 2014 (Yeah, You Heard That Right)

Let’s be honest: It was a brutal year for human rights. But we still have victories worth celebrating. by Sarah van Gelder Yes! Magazine December 29, 2014 Ferguson, Missouri. October, 2014. Photo by Sarah-Ji. In 2014, we saw a lot of brutality. Unarmed black men and women were killed by police, women were raped on college More

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