Anjuli Castano/Staff Writer On September 21, Florida Governor Ron Desantis proposed a bill notable for its austerity. The bill, titled “Combating Violence, Disorder, and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act,” will charge protestors who participate in “disorderly assemblies” with third degree felonies. This is one way in which the bill represses and even endangers protesters. […]
Anjuli Castano/Contributing Writer In the wake of a black liberation movement and a unanimous struggle against oppression, there has been a national cry to “defund the police.” Many have gone to the extent of calling themselves abolitionists, working towards the eradication of prisons and police departments. The abolition of police enforcement extends to the school […]
Gustavo Contreras/Staff Writer The Black Lives Matter movement has been around since 2013, but 2020 might be its most influential year so far, and justifiably so. Whether one is Pro-BLM or Anti-BLM, the rising number of households acquainted with the organization has grown substantially, bringing the fight for police reform to the forefront of our […]
Judith George/Contributing Writer I was 12 years old when Trayvon Martin was killed on February 26, 2012. I remember watching the news for updates on the case almost every night. Even before the final ruling, somewhere within my 12-year-old mind I just knew there would be no justice for that 17-year-old boy. More than eight […]
Elizabeth McCann/Staff Writer #DefundThePolice. When first I read this hashtag back in June, I was alarmed. Up until then, I had supported the Black Lives Matter movement, but this, I thought, marked the moment at which I could no longer bring myself to participate in it. I imagined a country plagued with anarchy and lawlessness. […]
Julia Gomez/Staff Writer In the 1950’s, American politician Joe McCarthy used the red scare to his advantage. By accusing political opponents and public figures who spoke out against him of being communist, he ruined their careers and reputations. McCarthy manipulated the press into printing defamatory claims accusing political opponents of being communists in the height […]
Robert Crohan/Staff Writer Over the weekend, I watched CNN’s report on protests outside President Trump’s South Dakota rally. Advocates for Native American rights, indigenous groups, and Black Lives Matter supporters came out in droves to counter Trump’s nativism. However, one sight in particular caught my eye: the flag vandalized and hung upside down. Compare that […]
Frederick Aurelien/Staff Writer For the past four months, glaring myths, misfortunes and calamities have shaped our current predicament. From the global pandemic to the devastated job markets and the protests and riots occurring in cities throughout the world, it is obvious that we as a people are currently suffering a great deal. Like any tragedy […]
Frederic Aurelien/Staff Writer Everything there was to say about the murder of George Floyd has already been said, not only through words but through actions. That is, the actions of the people and the actions of the institutions that govern them. Now the urgent question remains what steps must we continue to take in order […]
Elizabeth McCann/Staff Writer The recent killings of unarmed citizens like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and more have brought light to racism and police brutality that is still present in American society and American institutions. In response, thousands of petitions have been circulating online advocating for legislation to protect and uplift Black Americans. A […]
Robert Crohan/Staff Writer When 2020 started, I was expecting a great year. I had plans to travel across the world, campaign with fellow Panthers and witness historic progress on issues facing our country in a strong economy. Instead, we got more police killings of black Americans, global famine, heightened tensions abroad, another crippling recession and […]
Gabriela Enamorado/Staff Writer People around the world have been protesting the murder of George Floyd and taking part in conversations about the violence Black people face in their daily lives. While this is a good step towards progress, one important demographic is being left out of these talks. The violence that Black transgender people face […]
