Police.  Brutality.

National News:

• The month of April, 2021 was full of mixed emotions for those of us in the Black Community. While the conviction of Derek Chauvin on charges of murder and manslaughter was a relief to those who on some level was expecting another acquittal, news of the murder of 20 year old Daunte Wright in Minnesota less than 10 miles away from where the jury was deliberating renewed national anger and sparked a series of protests and riots, which resulted in rubber bullets being fired at demonstrators and tear gas being launched into crowds in Minnesota. NBC Co-Chair Trahern Crews has been among the many at the forefront of some of these protests and has issued statements regarding the outrage at the slew of police killings in his community. Mr. Crews has been an outspoken advocate for the people that have been killed in Minnesota, and has been a member of Black Lives Matter since 2014. The NBC will be issuing a statement regarding his work and experiences with the BLM movement in the very near future on our communications platform Flock, via email and on Nation builder. 

• As if things could not get any worse, the New York Times reported on April 17, 2021 that as of the beginning of the Chauvin trial, 64 people had been killed by police, with over half of the victims being black and brown. 

• Legislators in the state of Georgia’s efforts at Black Voter suppression was another main topic of attention during the month of April. Many were surprised to see the corporate world take a stance against the recent measures that were put into place when 72 Black Corporate Executives issued a letter condemning the barely disguised efforts at suppression of Black voter participation and calling for companies to use their financial influence against politicians. 

International News:

• The country of Brazil has also been experiencing a series of protests and riots after the killing of a Black teen at the hands of police in 2020.  A recent raid in which at least 28 people were killed in a mostly black Favela in Rio de Janeiro has sparked protests anew, with demonstrators displaying signs with the words “Racist Police” and “Genocide”. Footage of the protests can be found here.
• Meanwhile, riots in France surrounding the police beating of Black music producer Michel Zecler in November of 2020 resulted in measures enacted to protect police from being filmed while beating. While the initial provisions of the bill were defeated, a watered down version was passed in April, 2021. 

Upcoming GPBC Events/Member Committee Information:  

• The National Black Caucus monthly meeting will be held on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Please stay tuned for the Zoom link, which will be sent via email and posted on Flock. 

• The Black Agenda Committee, started by former Co-Chair and current Parliamentarian Robin Harris in February, 2021, will be held on the second Sunday of every month at 2 pm EST. Please stay tuned for updates and meeting announcements via email/and or Flock.

• The Reparations Committee is one of the two Committees that NBC currently has in place. Please contact NBC Co-Chair Trahern Crews if you would like to work with this committee or for further information. 

More Amazing NBC Member Work:

GP National Black Caucus members have been doing some amazing work over years and months. April, 2021 was no exception! Here are a few examples of the work and media out reach that occurred during the month of April: 

• Green Party of Florida Co-Chair, current NBC Parliamentarian and former NBC Co-Chair Robin Harris hosted a legislative discussion with Georgia state representative Park Cannon on the topic of Voting Rights and Issues in the South. If you missed it and would like to see it here is the link!

• NBC Delegate James Lane hosted an event with Green Party of Ohio Co-Chair and NBC Secretary Philena Farley with special guests to address censorship in the media, healthcare, and politics for Honesty Day. If you missed it or would like to listen to it again, you can find information and the YouTube link here.

 Special Note:  

As if the word wide protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police were not enough to draw attention to this very critical issue, national attention has finally come around to paying attention to the scores in killings of Black people at the hands of police. Legislative measures are being proposed around the country, but many of these discussions are being had without the involvement of the very people that these measures are being proposed around.  Please look for upcoming press releases and statements on Nation Builder, Email and Flock regarding the state of affairs that we all face and if you are not already involved, suggestions for ways to take action in your area.