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The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
America in different place since NFL first embraced Juneteenth
The entire nation was still reeling from the murder of George Floyd which happened in May of 2020. His killing triggered massive nationwide protests. There were also conversations. In the streets. In homes. In workplaces. There was introspection. There was pain but also hope. There was the feeling that things could get better. Do you remember that time? Remember how much we talked about unity and care and togetherness? It was all there. That time feels so, so long ago. America looks different now. There are deepening pools of hate and xenophobia. Reversal of everything accomplished in the past five years. We've taken steps backward in ways few imagined, at a speed few knew possible. Go back to 2020. Goodell and the league saw what was happening around the country, and knew the NFL needed to change. So, in early June, Goodell announced that the league would recognize June 19, or Juneteenth, as a company holiday. "This year, as we work together as a family and in our communities to combat the racial injustices that remain deeply rooted into the fabric of our society, the NFL will observe Juneteenth on Friday, June 19th as a recognized holiday and our league offices will be closed," Goodell said in a statement then. "It is a day to reflect on our past, but more importantly, consider how each one of us can continue to show up and band together to work toward a better future." This was no small thing. It was also part of a larger push by a league to change the views from some of its players who felt the NFL was uncaring, and even hostile toward, the protests led by Colin Kaepernick that started in 2016. After Floyd was killed, the league was forced to take a more empathetic stand, and that's where observing the Juneteenth holiday came in. Juneteenth is celebrated as the end of slavery in America. The Emancipation Proclamation was established on Jan. 1, 1863, but it wasn't until two years later on June 19, following the end of the Civil War, that newly freed slaves in Texas were told of Abraham Lincoln's directive. One day after saying it would recognize Juneteenth, the NFL announced an increase in its financial backing of social justice causes to $250 million over 10 years in order to "combat systemic racism and support the battle against the ongoing and historic injustices faced by African Americans." "The power of this historical feat in our country's blemished history is felt each year, but there is no question that the magnitude of this event weighs even more heavily today in the current climate," Goodell also said in his statement. "Juneteenth not only marks the end of slavery in the United States, but it also symbolizes freedom - a freedom that was delayed, and brutally resisted; and though decades of progress followed, a freedom for which we must continue to fight." That was then. Look at the nation now. We don't need to get into all of the details but we are in a frightening place. The country that held such promising conversations following the Floyd protests? It's gone. Replaced by ugliness and fear and federal agents expanding raids to strawberry fields. There are governmental efforts to destroy anything that has to do with diversity. We are more militarized. We are more divided. And the NFL hasn't been exempt from the pressures to abandon pluralism and diversity. Four years ago, it loudly proclaimed itself DEI advocates. Now, as USA TODAY'S Jarrett Bell wrote in May, the league has stopped its coaching accelerator program, saying it will come back in some reimagined form next year. In burying the program, it looked like the league was succumbing to outside pressure. The NFL vehemently disputes this. "I realize that people are going to look at this and say, 'These people are backing off,'" Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, chair of the NFL's diversity committee, told Bell. "That's not going to happen. There's nothing I can really do about that perception, except to say that we're still not satisfied with where we are, and we recognize that we still have work to do." Hopefully Rooney is right. Five years ago, the league embraced Juneteenth. An NFL spokesman told USA TODAY Sports it still is. The league office will be closed on the 19th, the spokesman said. It may seem odd to say that something as simple as a closed NFL office on Juneteenth is some sort of progress. But in this country? Now? Unfortunately, it is. All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.
The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
Horrifying moment off-duty cop chokes ‘phone thief' to death as desperate bystanders beg him to stop
THIS is the terrifying moment a police officer chokes a suspected phone thief to death as onlookers beg him to stop. The 58-year-old Spanish cop was out for dinner with a friend on Tuesday when the alleged thief stole his phone in northeastern Madrid. 5 5 5 Disturbing footage shows the moment the off-duty cop chased the suspect down the street then slammed him to the ground and held him in a chokehold. In a desperate attempt to stop him from killing the alleged thief, locals are heard calling: "please let him breathe". "You're going to suffocate the guy, man. Let go of his neck," one shouts. Another can be heard saying: "He's not going to run away. Just let him go." Ignoring their pleas, the officer continues to press down on the man's neck before police and paramedics arrived at the scene. But despite medics' attempt at saving him, he was soon pronounced dead after suffering from cardia arrest. Emergency services confirmed in a statement that a 36-year-old man had died of asphyxiation after 30 minutes of attempted resuscitation. Officers arrested the unnamed cop who appeared in court today. The devastating incident has sparked outrage in Spain, with some drawing comparisons to the killing of George Floyd in 2020 who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes. Sharing their horror online, one person posted: ''I can't breathe.' These were the words George Floyd uttered minutes before his death when a New York police officer killed him by asphyxiation." Another wrote: "Murdering a person for a simple phone. An off-duty municipal police officer suffocates a person. "This is how the capitalist world is, a telephone is worth more than a person's life. What a disgusting society!" Spain's progressive party Más Madrid also weighed in, calling the assault a reflection of how "institutional racism" and "abuse of power" are normalized. A spokesperson said: "Two police officers, who were apparently under the influence of alcohol, have murdered a person in Torrejón. T "This reflects how institutional racism and abuse of power are normalized, even outside of working hours. "We demand an immediate investigation into this alleged murder due to asphyxiation caused by a police officer in Torrejón." This isn't the first time a case like this has taken place in Madrid. In 2018, protests erupted in the city after a Senegalese vendor was shot dead in the Italian city of Florence. Some 19 protesters and 10 police officers were injured as clashes spread across the city. 5 5
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Horrifying moment off-duty cop chokes ‘phone thief' to death as desperate bystanders beg him to stop
Locals were heard pleading with the off-duty cop to stop BRUTAL CHOKEHOLD Horrifying moment off-duty cop chokes 'phone thief' to death as desperate bystanders beg him to stop Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the terrifying moment a police officer chokes a suspected phone thief to death as onlookers beg him to stop. The 58-year-old Spanish cop was out for dinner with a friend on Tuesday when the alleged thief stole his phone in northeastern Madrid. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 A police officer was caught pressing on a suspected thief's neck Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The brutal chokehold killed the man Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The unnamed cop will appear in court Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Disturbing footage shows the moment the off-duty cop chased the suspect down the street then slammed him to the ground and held him in a chokehold. In a desperate attempt to stop him from killing the alleged thief, locals are heard calling: "please let him breathe". "You're going to suffocate the guy, man. Let go of his neck," one shouts. Another can be heard saying: "He's not going to run away. Just let him go." Ignoring their pleas, the officer continues to press down on the man's neck before police and paramedics arrived at the scene. But despite medics' attempt at saving him, he was soon pronounced dead after suffering from cardia arrest. Emergency services confirmed in a statement that a 36-year-old man had died of asphyxiation after 30 minutes of attempted resuscitation. Officers arrested the unnamed cop who appeared in court today. The devastating incident has sparked outrage in Spain, with some drawing comparisons to the killing of George Floyd in 2020 who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes. Sharing their horror online, one person posted: ''I can't breathe.' These were the words George Floyd uttered minutes before his death when a New York police officer killed him by asphyxiation." Cops release CCTV footage in hunt for man after 'attempted rape' of woman in her 30s at cinema Another wrote: "Murdering a person for a simple phone. An off-duty municipal police officer suffocates a person. "This is how the capitalist world is, a telephone is worth more than a person's life. What a disgusting society!" Spain's progressive party Más Madrid also weighed in, calling the assault a reflection of how "institutional racism" and "abuse of power" are normalized. A spokesperson said: "Two police officers, who were apparently under the influence of alcohol, have murdered a person in Torrejón. T "This reflects how institutional racism and abuse of power are normalized, even outside of working hours. "We demand an immediate investigation into this alleged murder due to asphyxiation caused by a police officer in Torrejón." This isn't the first time a case like this has taken place in Madrid. In 2018, protests erupted in the city after a Senegalese vendor was shot dead in the Italian city of Florence. Some 19 protesters and 10 police officers were injured as clashes spread across the city. 5 It's believed the cop was drinking at the time Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Horrifying moment off-duty cop chokes ‘phone thief' to death as desperate bystanders beg him to stop
THIS is the terrifying moment a police officer chokes a suspected phone thief to death as onlookers beg him to stop. The 58-year-old Spanish cop was out for dinner with a friend on Tuesday when the alleged thief stole his phone in northeastern Madrid. 5 A police officer was caught pressing on a suspected thief's neck Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The brutal chokehold killed the man Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The unnamed cop will appear in court Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk the suspect down the street then slammed him to the ground and held him in a chokehold. In a desperate attempt to stop him from killing the alleged thief, locals are heard calling: "please let him breathe". "You're going to suffocate the guy, man. Let go of his neck," one shouts. Another can be heard saying: "He's not going to run away. Just let him go." Ignoring their pleas, the officer continues to press down on the man's neck before police and paramedics arrived at the scene. But despite medics' attempt at saving him, he was soon pronounced dead after suffering from cardia arrest. Emergency services confirmed in a statement that a 36-year-old man had died of asphyxiation after 30 minutes of attempted resuscitation. Officers arrested the unnamed cop who appeared in court today. Most read in The US Sun The devastating incident has sparked outrage in Spain, with some drawing comparisons to the killing of Sharing their horror online, one person posted: ''I can't breathe.' These were the words George Floyd uttered minutes before his death when a New York police officer killed him by asphyxiation." Cops release CCTV footage in hunt for man after 'attempted rape' of woman in her 30s at cinema Another wrote: "Murdering a person for a simple phone. An off-duty municipal police officer suffocates a person. "This is how the capitalist world is, a telephone is worth more than a person's life. What a disgusting society!" Spain 's progressive party Más Madrid also weighed in, calling the assault a reflection of how "institutional racism" and "abuse of power" are normalized. A spokesperson said: "Two police officers, who were apparently under the influence of alcohol, have murdered a person in Torrejón. T "This reflects how institutional racism and abuse of power are normalized, even outside of working hours. "We demand an immediate investigation into this alleged murder due to asphyxiation caused by a police officer in Torrejón." This isn't the first time a case like this has taken place in Madrid. Read more on the Irish Sun In 2018, protests erupted in the city after a Senegalese vendor was shot dead in the Italian city of Florence. Some 19 protesters and 10 police officers were injured as clashes spread across the city. 5 It's believed the cop was drinking at the time Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The horrific video was captured by a neighbour Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Atlantic
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Atlantic
The Hollowness of This Juneteenth
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Five years ago, as the streets ran hot and the body of George Floyd lay cold, optimistic commentators believed that America was on the verge of a breakthrough in its eternal deliberation over the humanity of Black people. For a brief moment, perhaps, it seemed as if the ' whirlwinds of revolt,' as Martin Luther King Jr. once prophesied, had finally shaken the foundations of the nation. In 2021, in the midst of this 'racial reckoning,' as it was often called, Congress passed legislation turning Juneteenth into 'Juneteenth National Independence Day,' a federal holiday. Now we face the sober reality that our country might be further away from that promised land than it has been in decades. Along with Memorial Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth became one of three federal holidays with explicit roots in Black history. Memorial Day was made a national observance in 1868 to honor soldiers felled during the Civil War, and was preceded by local celebrations organized by newly freed Black residents. The impetus for MLK Day came about with King's assassination exactly a century later, after which civil-rights groups and King's closest associates campaigned for the named holiday. Memorial Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day both originated in times when the Black freedom struggle faced its greatest challenges. Juneteenth—an emancipation celebration popularized during Reconstruction—was codified during what purported to be a transformation in America's racial consciousness. But, like its predecessors, Juneteenth joined the federal-holiday ranks just as Americans also decided en masse that they were done with all that. The 1870s saw the radical promise of Reconstruction give way to Jim Crow; the 1960s gave way to the nihilism and race-baiting of the Nixonian and Reaganite years. In 2024, the election of Donald Trump to a second term signaled a national retreat from racial egalitarianism. In his first months as president, he has moved the country in that direction more quickly than many imagined he would. Trump has set fire to billions of dollars of contracts in the name of eliminating 'DEI,' according to the White House. His legislative agenda threatens to strip federal health care and disaster aid for populations that are disproportionately Black. The Department of Defense has defenestrated Black veterans in death, removing their names from government websites and restoring the old names of bases that originally honored Confederate officers. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to spend millions of dollars to investigate whether recruiting Black air-traffic controllers (among other minority groups) has caused more plane crashes. The Smithsonian and its constituents have come under attack for daring to present artifacts about slavery and segregation. Books about Black history are being disappeared from schools and libraries. The secretary of education has suggested that public-school lessons about the truth of slavery and Jim Crow might themselves be illegal. There were, perhaps, other possible outcomes after 2020, but they didn't come to pass. The Democratic Party harnessed King's whirlwinds of revolt to power its mighty machine, promising to transform America and prioritize racial justice. Corporations donned the mask of 'wokeness'; people sent CashApp 'reparations' and listened and learned. But the donations to racial-justice initiatives soon dried up. The party supported a war in Gaza that fundamentally undercut any claim to its moral authority, especially among many young Black folks who felt kinship with the Palestinians in their plight. When DEI emerged as a boogeyman on the far right, many corporate leaders and politicians started to slink away from previous commitments to equity. Democratic Party leadership underestimated the anti-anti-racism movement, and seemed to genuinely believe that earned racial progress would endure on its own. The backlash that anybody who'd studied history said would come came, and the country was unprepared. Trump and his allies spend a lot of time talking about indoctrination and banning DEI. But by and large, the campaign against 'wokeness' has always been a canard. The true quarries of Trump's movement are the actual policies and structures that made progress possible. Affirmative action is done, and Black entrance rates at some selective schools have already plummeted. Our existing federal protections against discrimination in workplaces, housing, health care, and pollution are being peeled back layer by layer. The 1964 Civil Rights Act might be a dead letter, and the 1965 Voting Rights Act is in perpetual danger of losing the last of its teeth. The Fourteenth Amendment itself stands in tatters. Five years after Democratic congresspeople knelt on the floor in kente cloth for nearly nine minutes, the holiday is all that really remains. This puts the oddness of today in stark relief. The purpose of Juneteenth was always a celebration of emancipation, of the Black community's emergence out of our gloomy past. But it was also an implicit warning that what had been done could be done again. Now millions of schoolchildren will enjoy a holiday commemorating parts of our history that the federal government believes might be illegal to teach them about. I once advocated for Juneteenth as a national holiday, on the grounds that the celebration would prompt more people to become familiar with the rich history of emancipation and Black folks' agency in that. But, as it turns out, transforming Juneteenth into 'Juneteenth National Independence Day' against the backdrop of the past few years of retrenchment simply creates another instance of hypocrisy. What we were promised was a reckoning, whatever that meant. What we got was a day off.
