Latest news with #MartinLutherKingJr
Times
9 hours ago
- Health
- Times
Look out for the mafia with rainbow lanyards
'N othing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.' Martin Luther King Jr said that, a man I'd hope Isla Bumba, NHS Fife's equality and human rights lead officer, had heard of, considering her job is improving diversity. Although given Bumba admitted last week that she wasn't entirely sure if she was a woman, it's probably best not to make assumptions. Bumba was testifying at Sandie Peggie's employment tribunal, and I must first explain Peggie before I get to Bumba. In December 2023, Peggie, an NHS nurse with more than 30 years of unblemished service, went into the women's changing room of Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy because she'd had a heavy period and bled through her scrubs. There, she was surprised to encounter a 6ft-tall 27-year-old male undressing in front of her. This male is now known as Dr Beth Upton, and he had started identifying as a woman only the year before.
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Paris unveils mural of Josephine Baker to honor her legacy
PARIS (AP) — Paris is reviving the spirit of U.S.-French entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker with a new mural. Fifty years after her death, Baker now gazes out over a diverse neighborhood of northeast Paris, thanks to urban artist FKDL and a street art festival aimed at promoting community spirit. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Baker became a megastar in the 1930s, especially in France, where she moved in 1925 as she sought to flee racism and segregation in the United States. In addition to her stage fame, Baker also spied on the Nazis for the French Resistance and marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington. She died in Paris in 1975. ''I feel moved and I feel happy, because this is part of a memory of my mother,' her son Brian Baker told the Associated Press at the unveiling of the mural Saturday. He was one of 12 children Josephine Baker adopted from around the world that she called her ″rainbow tribe″ and what her son called ''a little United Nations.″ The mural of Baker, meant to symbolize freedom and resistance, is among several painted in recent days in the neighborhood and organized by the association Paris Colors Ourq. The artist FKDL said he focuses on ''bringing women back into the urban landscape.' 'Josephine Baker has always been, for me, a somewhat iconic figure of that era. Both wild and free-spirited, but also deeply connected to music, musicals, and dance,″ he said. ''She was an extraordinary character, an incredible woman.' Baker was the first Black woman inducted into France's Pantheon, joining such luminaries as philosopher Voltaire, scientist Marie Curie and writer Victor Hugo. ''My mother wouldn't have liked words like iconic, star, or celebrity. She would have said, no, no let's keep it simple,″ her son said.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Tens of thousands in US join ‘Good Trouble' anti-Trump protests honoring John Lewis
People across all 50 US states on Thursday joined marches and rallies at more than 1,500 sites to protest against the Trump administration and honor the legacy of the late congressman John Lewis, an advocate for voting rights and civil disobedience. The 'Good Trouble Lives On' day of action coincides with the fifth anniversary of Lewis's death. Lewis was a longtime congressman from Georgia who participated in major civil rights actions, including the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 when police attacked Lewis and other protesters at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Lewis implored people to participate in 'good trouble, necessary trouble' to advance their causes, and this call serves as the underpinning for the 17 July actions. Dozens of advocacy and civil rights organizations signed on as partners for the event. In Atlanta, Georgia, one of the main sites for the protest, Lewis's legacy rang loud as anti-Trump demonstrators marched down the courtyard of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's famed church, Ebenezer Baptist. 'We honor John Lewis's personal legacy, five years after being called home,' said the Rev Dr Jonathan Jay Augustine, the newly appointed senior pastor of Big Bethel AME church. 'He's someone who gave his life for inclusion and for inclusiveness, and the things he gave his life for are under attack and being eroded away.' About 1,000 people marched from Big Bethel and the landmark five-story tall mural of Lewis to Ebenezer Baptist, where the Rev Raphael Warnock, a Democratic senator from Georgia, is its senior pastor. Politics and faith are intertwined on Atlanta's streets and Lewis's legacy of political protest – and the unique animosity Donald Trump had for him, and for Atlanta's fifth district, which Lewis represented – is rarely far from the thoughts expressed by civil rights and voting rights leaders here. 'Today we go to send a message from the birthplace of civil rights to … the one that wants to destroy the Department of Education, the one that wants to deport millions upon millions of people seeking a better life, the one who won't release the Epstein files, the one who had the nerve to call the fifth district horrible and falling apart,' said the Georgia NAACP president, Gerald Griggs. 'We still have a message for that man. In Georgia, no one is above the law. You still have a court date in the fifth district.' In downtown Washington, hundreds of people gathered in a park a few blocks from the White House. Some held signs protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and comparing the Trump administration to Nazi Germany. 'Fascism will fall and when it falls, if you were complicit, you will be held accountable,' said Mary Baird, who traveled to Washington on Thursday morning from North Carolina to meet with members of Congress before the protest. In downtown Minneapolis, the theme of 'good trouble' punctuated the speeches, with speakers imploring the crowd to follow Lewis' sexample and take a stand, even if it gets them in trouble. 'Stand up and get in the way,' said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a lawyer and social justice advocate who also called on the crowd to continue the boycott against Target, the retailer based in Minnesota. The events across the country on Thursday were inspired by civil rights leaders like Lewis, who showed the power of collective action, the protest's website says. 'That's why on July 17, five years since the passing of Congressman John Lewis, communities across the country will take to the streets, courthouses, and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights, and dignity for all.' Organizers said before Thursday's events that they expect tens of thousands of people to turn out in small towns, suburbs and cities, the latest exercise of street protests distributed across the country to show opposition to Trump in all corners of the US. The last mass day of protest, No Kings, in June drew several million people in one of the biggest single days of protest in US history. Thursday's events were expected to be smaller as it is a weekday. Chicago was to host the day's flagship event on Thursday evening, with additional main sites in Atlanta, St Louis, Annapolis and Oakland. Events include rallies, marches, candlelight vigils, food drives, direct action trainings, teach-ins and voter registration drives. The protest's demands include an end to the Trump administration's crackdown on civil rights, including the right to protest and voting rights; targeting of Black and brown Americans, immigrants and trans people; and the slashing of social programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), known colloquially as 'food stamps'. 'One of the things that John Lewis would always say is that if you see something that's wrong, you have an obligation to speak up, to say something, to do something,' Daryl Jones, co-leader of the Transformative Justice Coalition, told reporters on Thursday. 'That's what July 17 is about – seeing things across this nation, seeing things that are being impacted, that are just not right. We've got to stand up and say something.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
"Good Trouble Lives On" protests honor legacy of John Lewis
The Brief The legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis will live on across America Thursday, five years after the congressman's death. Good Trouble Lives On protests are scheduled across the U.S., with tens of thousands of people expected to attend. Lewis, who marched alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., urged Americans to "get in good trouble, necessary trouble." More than 1,600 events are scheduled across the U.S. Thursday, July 17 as a national day of action to honor the fifth anniversary of the death of former congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Lewis, a civil rights icon who marched alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and led some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, urged Americans to "get in good trouble, necessary trouble." "Good Trouble Lives On will respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people," organizers said in a news release. "In memory of former Congressman Lewis, we will take to the streets, courthouses and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights and dignity for all." 'Good Trouble Lives On' protests What they're saying Organizers said the protests are centered on three issues: The Trump administration's extreme crackdown on our civil rights – from our right to vote to our right to protest and speak freely." Politicians and lawmakers targeting Black and Brown Americans, immigrants, trans people and others with hateful, dangerous policies. The wealthy and well-connected slashing programs that working people rely on – including Medicaid, SNAP, and Social Security – to line their own pockets. The other side "Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a historic mandate to Make America Great Again and he is delivering on that promise in record time," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in response. RELATED: No Kings Day attendance: Over 5 million turned out across US, organizers say 'Good Trouble Lives On' protest locations Local perspective More than 1,600 events are scheduled in all 50 states. Click here for locations. Organizers told Axios that at least 56,000 people have RSVP'd to events nationwide. The legacy of John Lewis The backstory Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. At age 25 — walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat — Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the country's attention on racial oppression in the South. Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting. Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal "I Have a Dream" speech. Lewis, who represented the Atlanta area, served in Congress from 1986 until his death in 2020. The Source This report includes information from Good Trouble Lives On organizers and The Associated Press. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Good Trouble Lives On' protests across US against Trump policies
Demonstrations have taken place at more than 1,600 locations around the United States, in protest against President Donald Trump's controversial policies that include mass deportations of immigrants and refugees and cuts to medical insurance, as well as the removal of other safety nets for impoverished people. The 'Good Trouble Lives On' refrain that underscored the national day of action on Thursday was inspired by the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who died in 2020 at the age of 80 following an advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis. He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1965, a 25-year-old Lewis led some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewis was beaten by police, suffering a skull fracture. Organisers had called for peaceful protests to take place on the fifth anniversary of Lewis's death along streets, at courts and other public spaces in cities including Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. 'We are navigating one of the most terrifying moments in our nation's history,' Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the nonprofit Public Citizen, said during an online news conference on Tuesday. 'We are all grappling with a rise of authoritarianism and lawlessness within our administration … as the rights, freedoms and expectations of our very democracy are being challenged.' Pushback against Trump so far in his second term has centred on deportations and immigration enforcement tactics, as well as access to healthcare. The administration has pushed third-party countries to accept deportees, and the African country of Eswatini has confirmed this week that it received five individuals deported from the US. The US also completed the deportations of eight men to South Sudan after a judge cleared the way for their transfer to the violence-hit African country. Trump's administration has also been actively targeting pro-Palestinian activists. Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student imprisoned for more than three months, this month filed a wrongful detention claim against Trump seeking $20m in damages. The so‑called 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' also prompted a backlash for slashing health coverage schemes, Medicare and Medicaid, by $930bn over the next decade. It could leave as many as 17 million Americans without insurance, in one of the steepest rollbacks of social welfare programmes in the US since their inception in 1935. Earlier this month, protesters engaged in a tense standoff as federal authorities conducted mass arrests at two Southern California marijuana farms. One farmworker died after falling from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic raid. Organisers of the June 14 'No Kings' demonstrations said millions of people marched in hundreds of events from New York to San Francisco. Demonstrators branded Trump as a dictator and would-be king for marking his birthday with a military parade.
