Black-Lives-Matter

Most people believe they’re great leaders. They share it on job-interviews, networking events, and daily conversations. They automatically take the lead on projects, tasks and activities because they’re natural “leaders” and they can move groups toward victory. However, comparing yourself to others doesn’t automatically justify your ability to lead. Your proximity to power doesn’t guarantee success. And previous actions don’t always translate to present effectiveness.A true leader adopts these three actions:1. Endure Pain For Your TribeThe effectiveness of your leadership is determined by your ability to withstand pain. Leaders—and black leaders in particular—understand that there are forces who attempt to distract, destruct and damage our credibility and lives because we are supporting our people. Leaders are heads of organizations and if they fail, then their people may fail. They continuously sacrifice their quality of life, including advancing relationships, obtaining resources, and enjoying time, to provide a better quality of life for their tribe.You’re not ready for leadership if you cannot withstand the painful process of promotion. The more leadership roles you receive, the more painful situations arise. Great leaders withstand the pain of people assassinating their character and unrealized dreams. They live above societal standards while being shaped emotionally, spiritually and mentally for their moment. Leaders endure painful processes and attacks on multiple levels. If you’re not willing to sacrifice at a high level, then you’re not ready for leadership.2. Desire Encouragement Not RecognitionYou’re not ready for leadership if you’re doing it for likes, shares or retweets. It’s wonderful to be recognized by your peers, but effective leaders aren’t driven by that. They are driven by the purpose, which they may not want or enjoy, that is on their life. Maturing leaders desire our support, confidence and abilities to feed them hope. They want to know if we can encourage them by supporting their dreams, donating to their causes and providing sources of inspiration. They’re not fazed by awards and titles, they’re focused on fulfilling their vision. Leaders want to know if their tribe can encourage them through tough situations, not just feed compliments. Poor leaders are fueled by attention. However, if you want to be a great leader, then you must be willing to move in silence.3. Properly Manage Their InfluenceYou’re not ready for leadership if you desire to use positions for personal and political gains. Leaders are sensitive to how they project influence. Leaders use their influence in a meaningful manner to advance their mission. They speak and move methodically because they know their presence holds value. Leaders understand that it’s not about how many people you influence, but how you manage the influence you already have. They protect their brand and respect their tribe. They don’t use their influence to advance agendas that will harm their following. They leverage their influence to mentor, advocate and sponsor others.Finally, you must be able to lead yourself. If you can lead yourself, knowing all your issues and problems, then you’re better fit to lead others. Remember: leaders endure the pain for their tribe, desire encouragement not recognition and properly manage their influence for the...

It's that time of year again: the start of a new academic year.College students around the globe have begun deciding which college courses they'll enroll in. It's not easy: you've got to figure out what time of day is best to take the class, which professor won't bore you half to death and whether or not the class will fulfill your graduation requirements.One university has a new class on offer that school officials are sure will be popular.San Diego State University will launch a course called "Black Minds Matter: A Focus on Black Boys and Men in Education," the Associated Press reports.The weekly course will be held online, and was inspired by — you guessed it — the Black Lives Matter movement.Professor J. Luke Wood, one of the creators of the course, said "The Black Lives Matter movement has shed light on two invariable facts. First, that black boys and men are criminalized in society and second that their lives are undervalued by those who are sworn to protect them."The course will be taught through a series of lectures given by multiple speakers discussing how black male students are treated in educational settings.However, not everyone is pleased by the new course.Gun rights advocate and member of the Firearms Policy Coalition in Sacramento Craig DeLuz told the AP that BLM is a militant group that shouldn't be given any attention by a public, taxpayer-funded university."The biggest concern is they are offering a course based on the Black Lives Matter movement which has promoted violence and segregation and has really little to do with education, let alone presenting a positive image of education," DeLuz said.DeLuz, who is also a member of the Robla Elementary School District board of trustees, said that he is putting together a group that will demand the class be cancelled. In response to the criticism, SDSU has released a statement saying that the course "has a racial justice focus, directly aligned with the mission of the joint doctoral program in education. This program focuses on social justice, democratic schooling, and equity, as well as the research of the faculty who teach in it."SDSU is one of the few universities that offer courses related to BLM. Others include: New York University, the University of Miami and the University of Washington.University officials say that the course will continue as scheduled. Enrollment in the course will open to the public in...

If you heard that a professor at a private Christian university said that some members of the Black Lives Matter organization “should be hung,” you might assume those words came from the mouth of a closeted white supremacist. You'd be wrong. Professor Toby Jennings of Arizona's Grand Canyon University is black, and he's been suspended for his controversial statement about Black Lives Matter activists.Jennings was placed on administrative leave after this video circulated after a September 2016 panel discussion titled, “God’s Concern for the Poor: What’s Missing in Social Justice?” The panel of four included two white and two black professors engaged in a 75-minute discussion about racial tensions and social unrest in the country from a Biblical perspective. During his talk, Jennings said:The Black Lives Matter movement, we can’t even talk about it as the Black Lives Matter movement because it is not a monolith, that is, it does not look the same all across the board. You have folks who claim to participate in that on one side that are very thoughtful about the matter. They are very gracious and discerning and conversationally, dynamically dialoguing about the issue. They’re wanting to hear what somebody else has to say about it. And then you have people on the opposite extreme of that that frankly should be hung. And, yes, I did say that on video. They are saying things that are not helpful to any way, shape or form of human dignity or flourishing. That is not helpful to any conversation. That kind of rhetoric is not helpful to any conversation. And that’s what I mean by they should be hung. That’s not to say that I’m joining the rhetoric. But I’m saying that is not contributing to the conversation is what I mean by that. And then you have everybody in between. And so, when we talk about the Black Lives Matter movement, you have some who would support it, but what is it that you are supporting? I support facets of it. …”"The University wants to be clear that the professor’s rhetoric in no way reflects the heart of this University or its dedicated students, faculty, and staff," Phoenix-based GCU said in an apology published on its website this week. "The University’s President is leading an investigation into this incident." While Jennings has been suspended pending investigation local NAACP and Black Lives Matter leaders are calling for deeper repercussions according to AZ Central. In an email to GCU Provost Hank Radda the organizations stated, "Left unchecked, this sort of divisive rhetoric is a dangerous seed in the soil of impressionable minds."In a pivot from his initial statement, Jennings has since issued an apology of his own saying, "I deeply and sincerely regret having communicated such ill-motivated rhetoric — particularly in light of our nation’s present rhetoric-saturated distress." Jennings continued, "While words, once spoken, can never be taken back, my hope is that my sincere apology for my own words can pave a more gracious path toward reconciliation."We'll see how this one plays...

Controversial statues are having the worst week ever! Most famously, Durham protesters went the vigilante route to take down a Confederate soldier statue. Now, there’s some rumbling in Philly, and this time the city’s former mayor is the target. Philly.com reports that the words “black power” were spray-painted over a statue of Philadelphia’s former Mayor Frank Rizzo late Thursday. A 40-year-old male suspect attached to the incident was arrested and taken into custody on Friday. The suspect’s name will not be released by police until formal charges are filed. It’s expected that he’ll be charged criminal mischief, institutional vandalism and possession of an instrument of crime.The statue has been the target of previous attacks including an egging, which has resulted in police presence around the statue. However, the defacing incident occurred during a period in which the statue was unguarded.In addition to the “black power” visual statement, the words “The Black community should be their own Police” were written on the steps of Municipal Services Building, where the statue stands. A video of the incident was posted via Twitter:Here you go @6abc @briantaff6abc (No, I did not film this..it was already posted on social media. smh) pic.twitter.com/S0MgmlsoK2— Alive In Philly (@AliveInPhilly) August 18, 2017Prior to being elected mayor, Rizzo served as the city’s police commissioner.  According to ABC Philadephia, his reputation within the city is “complicated.” Though Rizzo had a loyal following within some pockets of the black Philly community, others felt he was much too harsh against black Philly residents when enforcing the law. There’s some history to account for as well, since he was commissioner in 1970 during a Black Panther Party police raid in the city.Recently thousands of people rallied in support of Charlottesville rally victims. An outgrowth of this was the #TeardownRizzoStatue campaign. "The statue is going to come down one way or another," said Asa Khalif, a member Black Lives Matter Movement Philadelphia chapter. "It stands for generational hurt, oppression, injustice, homophobia, anti-blackness."#TeardownRizzoStatue pic.twitter.com/KK72dtVKwi— Asa khalif (@AsaKhalif) August 18, 2017Councilwoman Helen Gym had previously tweeted in support of the statue's removal: All around the country, we're fighting to remove the monuments to slavery & racism. Philly, we have work to do. Take the Rizzo statue down.— Helen Gym (@HelenGymAtLarge) August 14,...

Per reports by the Southeast Missourian, Brandi Wilson, a black woman in Jackson, Missouri claimed that she was fired from her job, a bar called Barrel 131, after she posted how she was offended by the "Back the Blue" sign seen outside of the Ground-A-Bout coffee shop.Wilson contacted the owner of the establishment vis Facebook, but the post was not private and in response, received a lot of negative feedback.Originally, Wilson did not intend to share her disdain on social media.“The coffee was really good, and I was actually going to ask to speak to the owner, but they weren’t there,” she said.In defense of the sign, the owner Bob Schooley, replied saying, “Race, religion [and] culture couldn’t be further from our minds with regards to the meaning of this sign."Schooley also pled his case that the sign was not meant to be used as a political statement but as support of law enforcement.However, Wilson did not see it that way for obvious reasons considering how the terms "back the blue", "Blue lives matter", or "Police lives matter" were coined in opposition of "Black lives matter".“There are so many other things you can say (to express support for police), so I just thought it was insensitive,” explained Wilson.She told the newspaper, “I was like, ‘You know what? Maybe they don’t know that. So I’ll just say it this way. ... Hey, this is my experience, this is the way it made me feel ... I felt uncomfortable.’ I felt as though [the business owners] weren’t being aware that [they] have more than one audience.”Though Wilson did not profanely express her issues with the sign or do anything inappropriate or unprofessional, she says that she was called in by the owner of her job and fired.“That’s the reason that was put down that I was fired. I know that’s why I was fired, and that’s the reason they told me. They didn’t give me some runaround. They said, ‘No. It’s just that there are people who will not come drink here if you’re working here,'" said Wilson referring to her former boss.Because the post and Schooley's reply received a lot of views and unsolicited comments, it is suggested that that is how the owners got a whiff of the exchange and terminated Wilson to prevent loss of customers.Despite him disagreeing with Wilson, Schooley, however, said that he never wished ill of her.“Obviously when people show overwhelming support for something you said, there’s a tendency to feel validated, but I say that with sadness,” he said. “It’s upsetting. We feel sorry for any negative repercussions (she received.)”Though Wilson says that she can see why her former employers would feel obligated to fire her, she is still disappointed.“I stand up for myself. I say, ‘Hey, I don’t like this; this makes me uncomfortable,’ and you fire me from my job. What does that tell people?” she said. “That tells people they shouldn’t respectfully stand up for themselves and say what things bother them, and that just reinforces a broken system.”Joe Hobbs, one of the owners of Barrel 131, has been reached out to for comments but stated that he cannot release said confidential...

According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago's IPRA (Independent Police Review Authority) released a ruling this week regarding the shooting and killing of 15-year-old Dakota Bright.In its ruling, the IPRA called the killing "unprovoked" and "unwarranted." The ruling comes five years after Bright's murder. On November 8, 2012, Bright was returning to his grandmother's home on the South Side of Chicago when a police officer responding to a nearby robbery shot him.The officer later told officials that he saw Bright tucking a gun into his waistband. The officer said that Bright turned and ran when he saw the police, and that he chased Bright, gunning him down once the high schooler turned, reaching for his waist.  However, because of inconsistencies in the officer's testimony, the IPRA questioned the legitimacy of his statement. "Given that [Bright] in fact, had no firearm in his pants, it is unlikely that he would have made a gesture indicating that he did, particularly in light of the fact that he was approximately 50 feet away from the officer and was likely gaining ground on him," IPRA wrote.There was a gun recovered near the scene of Bright's death, but it is unclear whether the gun belonged to Bright, or if it had been hidden by someone else.The fact that Bright was shot in the back of the head also makes it unclear whether he was actually turning the face the officer before he was killed. Due to the circumstances surrounding the boy's death, the city of Chicago gave a $1 million settlement to the Bright family last year. However, the investigation continues. Though details regarding the officer's name or status of his employment have not been disclosed to the public, the IPRA is cracking down to make sure justice is served. Besides calling the attack "unwarranted," the IPRA also stated that the unnamed officer “used an unreasonable and excessive amount of force when he shot [Bright]," according to the Chicago Sun Times.  Chicago's police superintendent, Eddie Johnson, will review the allegations made by the IPRA and make his decision from there as to whether or not the officer will be charged. At a Chicago Police Board meeting, Bright's mother, Panzy Edwards, said, "I know they got to be defended," they being the police, "But what about our kids that's being taken? They deserve some defense, too."...

The Associated Press reports that local Baltimore residents and organizations have called for a ceasefire starting Friday, August 4 to Sunday, August 6, 2017, to reduce the alarmingly high rate of bloodshed on the streets of the city.Violence in Baltimore has skyrocketed in recent years.More than 200 homicides have been recorded in just 2017 alone, a disturbing new record.To try to stop the violence, Baltimore's police department has reassigned 150 officers to areas of heightened conflict throughout the city.Too, Mayor Catherine Pugh says that she has a plan to stop the ongoing killings. However, she has yet to reveal it.Many residents in Baltimore have become fed up with the violence that is corrupting their neighborhoods, and have decided that they cannot rely on politicians or the police. Instead, they have decided to band together, issuing a ceasefire for the next 72 hours.Erricka Bridgeford, one of the organizers behind the murder-free weekend, and a professional conflict mediator, said: "We want to purposefully just have a pause and a sacred space where everybody's intention is that nobody gets killed."And that phrase is a key one for the event. The motto for this weekend is: "Nobody Kill Anybody."Flyers promoting the event have been passed out all around the city.Another activist, Tyree Colion, has been spraypainting the words "No Shoot Zone" on key buildings both as a reminder to hold fire and in an effort to create safe spaces where rivals can meet to mediate conflict without resorting to violence.For many of the weekend's organizers, the mission to end violence isn't just moral; it is personal. Bridgeford first witnessed someone being killed when she was only 12 years old."I heard shots that woke me up out of my sleep [when] my friend Mike was shot. I saw him on the blacktop, I heard him crying not to let him die," she said. Sadly, that wasn't the last person in her life to be gunned down. "I went to funerals all through high school."Though the city has struggled with a high rate of violence for quite a few years now, the murder of Freddie Gray in police custody definitely broke the valve.Citizens took to the streets, rioting, looting, and killing. The city has yet to recover from the trauma.Whether at the hand of police or other civilians, Baltimore residents have had enough.Bridgeford told NBC News, "We don't think this is a cure. We don’t think this will even necessarily stop violence that weekend, but we know that some people have made promises that they won't, and that just might save somebody’s life."We can only hope that everyone in the city of Baltimore honors this call to action, and that peace can be restored to Baltimore, "America's Comeback...