Latest news with #BarbaraLee
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Black mayors of cities Trump decries as 'lawless' tout significant declines in violent crimes
Published Aug 17, 2025 • 5 minute read Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee speaks during a vigil held at Fruitvale Station to show solidarity with demonstrations against ICE raids, in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Photo by Santiago Mejia / AP As President Donald Trump declared Washington, D.C., a crime-ridden wasteland in need of federal intervention this week and threatened similar federal interventions in other Black-led cities, several mayors compared notes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. 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Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The president's characterization of their cities contradicts what they began noticing last year: that they were seeing a drop in violent crime after a pandemic-era spike. In some cases the declines were monumental, due in large part to more youth engagement, gun buyback programs and community partnerships. Now members of the African American Mayors Association are determined to stop Trump from burying accomplishments that they already felt were overlooked. And they're using the administration's unprecedented law enforcement takeover in the nation's capital as an opportunity to disprove his narrative about some of the country's greatest urban enclaves. 'It gives us an opportunity to say we need to amplify our voices to confront the rhetoric that crime is just running rampant around major U.S. cities. It's just not true,' said Van Johnson, mayor of Savannah, Georgia, and president of the African American Mayors Association. 'It's not supported by any evidence or statistics whatsoever.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. After deploying the first of 800 National Guard members to Washington, the Republican president is setting his sights on other cities including Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oakland, California, calling them crime-ridden and 'horribly run.' One thing they all have in common: They're led by Black mayors. 'It was not lost on any member of our organization that the mayors either were Black or perceived to be Democrats,' Johnson said. 'And that's unfortunate. For mayors, we play with whoever's on the field.' The federal government's actions have heightened some of the mayors' desires to champion the strategies used to help make their cities safer. Some places are seeing dramatic drops in crime rates Trump argued that federal law enforcement had to step in after a prominent employee of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was attacked in an attempted carjacking. He also pointed to homeless encampments, graffiti and potholes as evidence of Washington 'getting worse.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. However statistics published by Washington's Metropolitan Police contradict the president and show violent crime has dropped there since a post-pandemic peak in 2023. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson scoffed at Trump's remarks, hailing the city's 'historic progress driving down homicides by more than 30% and shootings by almost 40% in the last year alone.' Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles, where homicides fell 14% between 2023 and 2024, called the federal takeover nothing but a performative 'power grab.' In Baltimore, officials say they have seen historic decreases in homicides and nonfatal shootings this year, and those have been on the decline since 2022, according to the city's public safety data dashboard. Carjackings were down 20% in 2023, and other major crimes fell in 2024. Only burglaries have climbed slightly. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The lower crime rates are attributed to tackling violence with a 'public health' approach, city officials say. In 2021, under Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore created a Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan that called for more investment in community violence intervention, more services for crime victims and other initiatives. Scott accused Trump of exploiting crime as a 'wedge issue and dog whistle' rather than caring about curbing violence. 'He has actively undermined efforts that are making a difference saving lives in cities across the country in favor of militarized policing of Black communities,' Scott said via email. The Democratic mayor pointed out that the Justice Department has slashed over $1 million in funding this year that would have gone toward community anti-violence measures. He vowed to keep on making headway, regardless. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We will continue to closely work with our regional federal law enforcement agencies, who have been great partners, and will do everything in our power to continue the progress despite the roadblocks this administration attempts to implement,' Scott said. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, center, speaks during a news conference to celebrate achieving over 365 days without a homicide within the Brooklyn neighborhood Safe Streets catchment zone, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File) Community organizations help curb violence Just last week Oakland officials touted significant decreases in crime in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2024, including a 21% drop in homicides and a 29% decrease in all violent crime, according to the midyear report by the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Officials credited collaborations with community organizations and crisis response services through the city's Department of Violence Prevention, established in 2017. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'These results show that we're on the right track,' Mayor Barbara Lee said at a news conference. 'We're going to keep building on this progress with the same comprehensive approach that got us here.' After Trump gave his assessment of Oakland this week, she rejected it as 'fearmongering.' Social justice advocates agree that crime has gone down and say Trump is perpetuating exaggerated perceptions that have long plagued Oakland. Nicole Lee, executive director of Urban Peace Movement, an Oakland-based organization that focuses on empowering communities of color and young people through initiatives such as leadership training and assistance to victims of gun violence, said much credit for the gains on lower crime rates is due to community groups. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We really want to acknowledge all of the hard work that our network of community partners and community organizations have been doing over the past couple of years coming out of the pandemic to really create real community safety,' Lee said. 'The things we are doing are working.' She worries that an intervention by military forces would undermine that progress. 'It creates kind of an environment of fear in our community,' Lee said. Patrols and youth curfews In Washington, agents from multiple federal agencies, National Guard members and even the United States Park Police have been seen performing law enforcement duties from patrolling the National Mall to questioning people parked illegally. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the guard troops will not be armed but declined to elaborate on their assignments to safety patrols and beautification efforts. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Savannah's Johnson said he is all for partnering with the federal government, but troops on city streets is not what he envisioned. Instead, cities need federal assistance for things like multistate investigation and fighting problems such as gun trafficking, and cybercrimes. 'I'm a former law enforcement officer. There is a different skill set that is used for municipal law enforcement agencies than the military,' Johnson said. There has also been speculation that federal intervention could entail curfews for young people. But that would do more harm, Nicole Lee said, disproportionately affecting young people of color and wrongfully assuming that youths are the main instigators of violence. 'If you're a young person, basically you can be cited, criminalized, simply for being outside after certain hours,' Lee said. 'Not only does that not solve anything in regard to violence and crime, it puts young people in the crosshairs of the criminal justice system.' A game of wait-and-see For now, Johnson said, the mayors are watching their counterpart in Washington, Muriel Bowser, closely to see how she navigates the unprecedented federal intervention. She has been walking a fine line between critiquing and cooperating since Trump's takeover, but things ramped up Friday when officials sued to try to block the takeover. Johnson praised Bowser for carrying on with dignity and grace. 'Black mayors are resilient. We are intrinsically children of struggle,' Johnson said. 'We learn to adapt quickly, and I believe that we will and we are.' Columnists Canada Sunshine Girls Toronto Blue Jays CFL
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather at Lake Merritt to protest Texas congressional gerrymandering
The Brief Hundreds gathered at Lake Merritt on Saturday to protest the proposed redrawing of Texas' congressional districts. Texas lawmakers are attempting to gerrymander their state, to send more Republicans to Washington ahead of the 2026 election. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed similarly redistricting California to offset the additional Texas Republicans. OAKLAND, Calif. - Hundreds of Bay Area residents gathered in Oakland on Saturday to push back against President Trump's attempt to gerrymander Texas. Multiple elected officials, including Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon assembled at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater, and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, spoke to the crowd of nearly 400 people. "Trump and his Republican allies are trying to steal the 2026 election by redrawing districts in their favor and attacking our voting rights," Bas said at the event. "This attack on our democracy may have started in Texas, but without immediate action, it can sweep dangerously across our country." The event featured a 15-foot-tall inflatable chicken with orange hair, meant to represent President Trump, as well as several large, cardboard rotten eggs with the names of Texas politicians — including Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott — involved in the push to redraw the state's maps. "This unparalleled attack on democracy would not be possible without the Texas Republicans who are answering not to the people, but to one man: Donald Trump," Keith Brown of the Alameda Labor Council said. "California will not sit back and watch the erosion of our democracy." Indeed, California has responded to the Lone Star State's redrawn congressional map. Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday released a map that showed the proposed redistricting of California's congressional districts. If approved, the map would add more democratic congressional seats to balance those that would be eliminated by the redrawn Texas map. Pushing back The backstory Texas' lawmakers are considering a new map that would help them send five more Republicans to Washington, but Democrats have so far halted that effort by leaving the state to prevent their GOP colleagues from meeting Trump's demands. "We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district, all across this country," Newsom said at a Los Angeles press conference on Thursday. "Not just in Texas, but in Missouri, where J.D. Vance went just a week ago, in Indiana, in places like Ohio and places like Florida. We need to stand up, not just in California. Other blue states need to stand up." There are 435 seats in the U.S. House. Of those, Republicans currently hold a 219-212 majority, with four vacancies. New maps are typically drawn once a decade, after the census is conducted. Proposed changes By the numbers Many states give legislators the power to draw maps but some, including California, rely on an independent, non-partisan commission. The redrawn map is consistent with the criteria laid out by the California's Citizen Redistricting Commission, and keeps district more compact than the current map, which helps to keep more communities and neighborhoods in the same district. The new map splits fewer cities than the current map — 57 in the submitted map versus 60 in the current map. The proposed redistricting would leave eight districts untouched and would, in 20 districts, impact fewer than 10% of residents. The new map will be put forth to voters in a special election, with the California legislature set to take up the issue next week, to call for a vote on Nov. 4.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Notice a theme to Trump's planned takeovers of cities? These Black mayors do.
President Trump has warned he might send the National Guard to other cities. The Black mayors of those cities vow to push back. OAKLAND, California ‒ Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and other officials in this California city are treating President Donald Trump's warning that he might send the National Guard there as more than just an offhand comment. They're bracing for a fight. Lee and other Black mayors, along with civil rights activists and lawmakers across the country are increasingly concerned about Trump singling out cities like Oakland, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, DC. All of them are led by Black mayors and all of those leaders are Democrats. 'We just can't help but feel in some kind of way that we're being specifically profiled," said Van R. Johnson, president of the African American Mayors Association and mayor of Savannah, Georgia. 'That's not right. That's not fair. We want our federal government to work with us. We're just a phone call away.' New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, called Trump's takeover of DC's policing a 'blatantly racist and despicable power grab.' 'It won't stop in Washington, DC," she said in a statement. 'The stakes are high not just for Washington, DC, but for the future of democracy in every corner of this country.' Trump used his presidential powers in early August to take over policing in Washington, DC, complaining crime is rampant and officials haven't done enough to address it ‒ despite statistics showing crime in the district is at a 30-year-low. Trump also threatened to deploy the National Guard to help fight crime in other communities. "We're going to take back our capital," Trump said Aug. 11. "And then we'll look at other cities also." He called it a "historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse." Different visions for tackling urban problems White House officials argue the nation's capital is filthy and that Trump has seen that firsthand. In March, Trump signed an executive order titled "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful," which sets up a task force of federal officials to clean up the city. 'If Democrats had any common sense, they would follow President Trump's lead to crack down on violent crime that has plagued our nation's capital – and Democrat-run cities across the country," Taylor Rogers, White House assistant press secretary, said in an email to USA TODAY. "Instead of criticizing President Trump's popular, tough-on crime policies, they should focus on cleaning up their own cities which are some of the most dangerous places in America." Many big cities are run by Democrats, but both violent and property crimes have fallen nationwide in recent years, federal data shows. Civil rights leaders criticized Trump for portraying cities, especially those led by Black mayors, as crime ridden. "Painting a false picture of the city's largest Black-majority cities, led by Black mayors, is part of the Trump administration's ongoing strategy to exploit racial distrust for political gain,'' Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, and George Lambert, president of the Greater Washington Urban League President, said in a statement. If Trump really wanted to help cities, several mayors argued, he wouldn't be cutting funding for anti-poverty programs and community policing efforts. 'We need to have this federal government invest in cities like Oakland instead of disinvesting in us,' said Lee, who spent 27 years in Congress, including during Trump's first term. 'It doesn't make any sense what this government is doing if they want to see cities not just survive but thrive.' More: 'DC has a right to govern itself': Civil rights leaders denounce Trump's takeover move 'Reasonable people can look at the optics' Trump has yet to publicly bring up race in his criticisms of those cities, but experts point to his history of racially disparaging remarks, including during his first term when he questioned why the United States would let in people from countries like Haiti and parts of Africa, which he referred to using an expletive. Trump also called Baltimore, a predominately Black city, a 'disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess.' While the president didn't specifically mention race then or in his recent references, it's clearly implied, said Jason Williams, a professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Williams said urban centers historically have been code for talking about Black people or communities of color. 'He doesn't necessarily have to say it in order for his base to know what the implications are,' said Williams, adding that most people know DC has a significant Black population. 'It does give him some plausible deniability. Not that I think this president would care." Oakland's Lee told USA TODAY she finds Trump's actions "fearmongering and diversionary." "A lot of what he does is to provoke unrest and that gives him an excuse, so we have to be prepared and ready to fight," she said. Oakland has a contingency plan if Trump tries to send in National Guard, Lee added. When asked if she could provide any details, the mayor replied, 'I'm not at liberty to do that right now. That would be inappropriate at this point.' In DC, Trump justified his actions by citing a recent overnight assault of a former federal official and in Los Angeles, he called in the National Guard to quell civil protests spurred by the aggressive immigration crackdown. He might take advantage of other isolated incidents to target other big cities, said Insha Rahman, vice president of advocacy at the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization focused on criminal justice. "It's the red meat that Trump uses to rile up the MAGA base and it is effective as bait only when it's left unchecked," Rahman said. 'We've been here before' Federal officials have sometimes used their powers to undermine Black urban leadership and portray them as chaotic and incompetent or crime prone, Williams said. He pointed to examples such as the urban renewal of the 1960s and 1970s when federal officials displaced Black neighborhoods with highways and a century earlier, after Reconstruction, when governments dismantled post-Civil War gains. 'We've been here before with federal overreach and an attempt to try to roll back hard-won wins," Williams said. The nation's capital has long been in the crosshairs of Trump and GOP congressional leaders. Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers threatened to withhold funds if Bowser didn't remove a Black Lives Matter mural from a street near the White House. 'DC has always been this sort of political football for the Republicans,' Williams said. While some Black mayors are concerned about their cities becoming a Trump target, they're continuing their work to combat crime, Johnson, the Savannah mayor, said. 'We're worried about fighting our federal government as well as fighting crime," he said. 'It's a continuous 'what if, what next,' which we think are distractions from what the American people are really talking about.' Johnson said the ideologies and approaches of some Black mayors may be different than Trump's, but that doesn't mean they can't be partners on issues, including crime. 'We understand elections. We're politicians ourselves," he said. 'We're charged with playing with whoever is on the field. When Donald Trump became president, he became president of our cities too.' Contributing: Phillip Bailey
San Francisco Chronicle
10-08-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: While S.F. Mayor Lurie is making progress, what has Oakland Mayor Lee been doing?
While San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has demonstrated urgency and measurable results in his first months — crime is down, homeless encampments are being cleared and he pushed through the passage of sweeping building code reforms — Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee's early tenure has been frustratingly quiet. Since assuming office in May, Lee has announced a flurry of initiatives: permitting reform, charter modernization, illegal dumping enforcement and budget stabilization. Yet few of these have progressed beyond meetings or task force formation. Lurie's administration has legislated tangible changes, while Lee's has remained in blueprint mode. Oakland residents deserve transparency — not just press releases. If Lee's deep network of political allies can't deliver execution, it's fair to ask whether coalition-building is masking inertia. Where in the world is Barbara Lee? Right now, it feels like Oakland is still waiting for her to show up. Robert Townsend, Oakland New political weapon Regarding 'Outlaw gerrymandering' (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 6): Gerrymandering was outlawed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It prohibited states with a history of voter suppression from changing voting laws without Department of Justice approval, called 'preclearance.' But in 2013, the Supreme Court ruled in Shelby County v. Holder that preclearance was no longer necessary. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously dissented, writing, 'Throwing out preclearance, when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes, is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.' Poll closures and other forms of voter suppression skyrocketed after the ruling. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in Rucho v. Common Cause that, while racial gerrymandering is illegal, political gerrymandering is outside the purview of the federal judiciary and up to states to decide its legality. Democrats have repeatedly tried to get the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act passed to reinstate the 1965 law and have been blocked by Republicans in Congress. Chris Witzel, Palo Alto Money talks Behind all the show, behind Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and the big beautiful bill, there is one underlying purpose: make Musk and his oligarch brothers even richer. They will not escape the judgment of history. James Heron, San Francisco
Calgary Herald
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Film and TV industry summit celebrating, supporting diversity returns to Vancouver this week
An entertainment industry summit that celebrates and supports diversity in Hollywood North returns to Vancouver this week. Hosted by the Racial Equity Screen Office (RESO), The East by Northwest (EXNW) is set to take place July 18-20 at the JW Marriott Parq Hotel. Article content The event provides a platform for racialized Canadian entertainment industry creatives to access Asia-Pacific industry leaders, generate partnerships, and reimagine how content is financed, produced and distributed globally. Article content Article content 'We are creating the space and the momentum for the next wave of Canadian stories to reach international screens,' said Barbara Lee, RESO founder and EXNW creator in a statement. 'EXNW is where the future of global storytelling begins.' Article content Article content EXNW organizers see the conference as 'a launch pad for new narratives, new business, and a more inclusive global entertainment landscape.' Article content 'We're proud to convene leading industry voices from the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea at EXNW 2025,' said Hanna Cho, RESO executive director and EXNW Asia Pacific program director. 'As Canada deepens its ties across the Asia-Pacific, we see EXNW as a timely and vital space for equity-driven international collaboration to take root, right here in Vancouver. ' The core of EXNW is a series of panel conversations featuring Asia-Pacific and North American executives, producers, and investors. Highlighted speakers include: Joonsuh Park of SLL Studios in South Korea; Chairman Reyes from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP); and Pantham Thongsang, Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA). Article content Also on the schedule is a special presentation by Ins Choi, creator of the international hit comedy, Kim's Convenience. Article content The conference will hold pitch sessions where selected creators will get to present their projects to Asia-Pacific and North American funders, broadcasters, and producers. Article content An EXNW Ball is scheduled for July 19 at 7:30 p.m. Co-hosted by Kevin Vidal (Workin' Moms) and ball co-chair Kandyse McClure (Battlestar Galactica) the event will include entertainment by Juno-nominated Canadian singer Warren Dean Flandez. Article content Article content Article content Also on the slate is the presentation of the EXNW Global Connector Awards which celebrates industry trailblazers. Past honourees include Sung Kang, Nisha Pahuja, Loretta Todd and others. Article content
