Category Archives: BIPOC

BIPOC, Editorial, LGBTQIA, Local, National, Stupid Human Tricks, Weather

Malcontentment Happy Hour: February 18, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from February 18, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith.

  • Remembering Anias Valencia – NAAM Memorial
  • Seattle police shoot and kill a suicidal man
  • Malcontented Minutes
    • Disney issues cultural advisories on certain movies but excludes Pocahontas
    • Two Florida men claim to be US Marshals to avoid wearing masks
    • Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoon greets a newborn baby gorilla
    • Puerto Rico declares an emergency due to ongoing gender-identification violence
    • Bachelor/Bachelorette host Chris Harrison stepping down amid southern plantation ball flap
    • Ohio man skips a job interview to rob a bank instead
    • Mattress Mack of Houston opens up his stores to freezing Houston residents
    • Los Angeles Schools defund the police to invest in Black student achievement
    • Ted Cruz says “let ’em eat snow” as he takes off for Cancun amid one of worst weather disasters in Texas history
    • US House is expected to pass sweeping LGBTQ reform bill next week
  • Joe Biden gets facts wrong on minimum wage, immigration, and what is going on with COVID stimulus
  • Insurrection upate

BIPOC, Five Facts, National

Black couple home appraisal low balled, believe race was a factor

Five Fast Facts

  • Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate Austin bought a home in Marin City, California in 2016
  • They did $400K in renovations and upgrades including adding a second floor and more than 1,000 feet of new living space
  • An appraiser valued the home after renovations at $989,000, which was below comparable homes in the neighborhood – the Austin’s felt the low appraisal was due to their race
  • A white friend agreed to be their stand-in during a second appraisal, including replacing family pictures and items in the home
  • The home appraised for $1,482,000 in the second visit – which can’t be accounted for changes in market conditions between the two appraisals

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) – In the New Year, systemic racism has continued to force inequity in home ownership rates across the Bay Area, and Black families who are in a position to purchase a home often face discrimination.

It is no secret that home ownership is a proven pathway to building wealth in the United States. But in a competitive housing market with some of the most expensive homes in the country, it is tough for Black Bay Area residents to buy a home to start the process.

Keep reading at ABC 7

BIPOC, Editorial, Five Facts, Health and Lifestyle, LGBTQIA, Local, National, Weather

Malcontentment Happy Hour: February 15, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from February 15, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith.

  • Andy Finseth goes from Seattle Firefighter of the Year to an accused felon, and Dave Preston of Safe Seattle inserts himself into the story
  • Seattle has the biggest snowstorm since 1968, sort of
  • Malcontented Minutes
    • Rupaul’s Drag Race Sherry Pie, aka Joey Gugliemelli, embroiled in a catfishing scandal
    • UFC fighter Julian Marquez asks Miley Cyrus for a date in a cringeworthy way
    • A man hikes over 6 miles carrying a lost dog in the Irish wilderness
    • Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) threatens to block the Senate confirmation of Deb Halland to Secretary of the Interior
    • CDC study indicates ER visits for drug overdoses increased 45% from June 2019 to May 2020
    • Pioneering LGBTQIA+ artist who worked with Madonna, Chaka Khan, and Cyndi Lauper dies of leukemia
    • Dave Chappelle releases a video discussing the hypocrisy of Colin Kaepernick critics
    • A “war” over tips in Cinncinnati nets over $34,000 for restaurant workers
    • Animals at the Oregon Zoo relished playing in the snow
    • Six indigenous artists received $50K grants to support their “bold artistic vision” and protect native American artistry techniques
  • Tacoma “Love” update
  • COVID Five Fast Facts
  • Impeachment closure

BIPOC, Editorial, Health and Lifestyle, LGBTQIA, Local, National, Weather

Malcontentment Happy Hour: February 11, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from February 11, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith.

  • Winter Storm Watch in place, winter is coming, all in one week
  • King County warming center controversy and location
  • Malcontented Minutes
  • Chad Wheeler update and an interview of his victim Alleah Taylor
  • Tragedy in Central District – two dead, one wounded in an officer-involved shooting
  • Black History Month
  • Life in a bubble and why impeachment won’t bring an end to Trumpism

BIPOC, Local

One dead, one critically wounded, and suspect killed overnight in Seattle

Gallery 1 Comment

[SEATTLE] – (MTN) One woman is dead, and another is fighting for her life after being shot last night. Seattle police received 911 calls about shots being fired in the 2300 block of Massachusetts Street, adjacent to the African American Heritage Museum and Cultural Center by Jimi Hendrix Park.

A Seattle police spokeswoman stated that the police heard gunfire upon arrival and waited for additional units to arrive before advancing into the scene. According to witnesses, including those we spoke to, they saw a gunman firing multiple shots. One individual stated Seattle police “swarmed” an armed person and shot him. Seattle police claim there was an exchange of gunfire with the suspect, who was hit multiple times.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”22″ gal_title=”Jimi Hendrix Park Shooting”]

Officers secured the scene and found two shooting victims about a block away in a vehicle. Both women were transferred to Harborview Medical Center, where one remains in critical condition. The other woman died from multiple gunshot wounds while in transit to the hospital.

Multiple people have identified the person shot by Seattle police as Gregory Taylor. Seattle police stated that Taylor knew the two shooting victims and that this was not a random attack. Taylor’s next of kin was notified at the shooting scene shortly after arriving

After the shooting, several protesters arrived at the scene, which police had secured. Family members and others asked through social media for the protesters to leave. A small memorial was set up in Jimi Hendrix Park with candles and chalk art.

Tensions between the Seattle Police Department and the public are high after months of social justice protests, motivated by George Floyd’s death. The Seattle police have had to walk back claims of IEDs used by protesters, untrue accusations of extortion in CHOP over the summer, and multiple uses of force claims against the department. Since Adrian Diaz has become the Acting Chief, four officers have been fired for violating department policy. These incidents have worked against community trust, along with an extensive history of biased policing in BIPOC neighborhoods. The Seattle Police Department has been operating under a federal consent decree for almost a decade.

The Force Investigation Team is investigating the officer-involved shooting. On their blog, Seattle police stated they would release body cam video within 72 hours, per department policy.

BIPOC, Editorial, Health and Lifestyle, LGBTQIA, Local, National, Weather

Malcontentment Happy Hour: February 8, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from February 8, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith.

  • Winter weather is coming and King County has told local communities not to open warming centers
  • Find a COVID Shot WA at www.findacovidshot.org is helping Washington seniors and BIPOC communities get on vaccination lists
  • Malcontented Minutes – our new speed round of news
    • Michigan man killed by baby shower cannon explosion
    • Amanda Gorman becomes the first poet to open a Super Bowl game
    • Black-owned eTailers are creating a one-stop-stop for BIPOC founded beauty products
    • Seattle based Magistrate Judge releases Ethan Nordean – US District Judge says not so fast
    • Queer artists of color are dominating 2021 LGBTQIA art exhibitions
    • Fiona the Cincinnati Zoo hippo turns 4-years old
    • Ten-years old BIPOC Bellevue girl builds a website to share positive COVID news
    • Virginia and Nebraska push to advance bills striking unenforceable gay marriage bans from state constitutions
    • The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Subversion & the Art of Slavery Abolition
    • Florida man in Florida stadium runs onto the field during the Super Bowl
  • Black History Month
  • Bothell protest car attack goes unpunished

BIPOC, Editorial, Five Facts, Health and Lifestyle, LGBTQIA, Local, National

Malcontentment Happy Hour: February 6, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from February 6, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith.

  • Olympia homeless protest and direct action leaves everyone unhappy
  • Malcontented Minutes – our new speed round of news
    • Jenoah Donald shot by Clark County Sheriffs
    • Seattle student helps seniors sign up for COVID vaccine
    • Florida man with Florida forehead tattoo arrested in Florida
    • Louisiana library turns down grant for program on Black history and civil rights
    • Police officer fired for taunting fellow officer over COVID fears
    • J Lo and A-Rod reality stars in reality drama
    • New York State repeals “walking while trans” law
    • Biden Administration signs memorandum to advance LGBTQIA rights globally
    • Man buys every tamale he can find in Chicago to give to homeless
    • Kansas City Chief’s mascot causes grumbles as Super Bowl arrives
  • COVID-19 Five Fast Facts
  • Reading recommendations for Black History Month
  • David and Jennifer provide their insurrection update
  • Commentary on transphobia in our community

BIPOC, Editorial, Five Facts, Health and Lifestyle, LGBTQIA, Local, National, Weather

Malcontentment Happy Hour: February 1, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

WARNING: This episode includes videos of police violence, child abuse, protest, and discusses domestic violence in detail – viewer discretion is advised.

The show from February 1, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith.

  • Rochester, New York Police pepper-spray a handcuffed 9-year-old child – community outrage explodes as body camera video becomes available
  • Malcontented Minutes – our new speed round of news
    • The state of Texas has things go very wrong when they issue an Amber Alert for Chucky – yes the murderous horror movie doll Chucky
    • Redditors go after silver commodity trading as a new tactic in their fight against hedge funds
    • Missouri Museum of history launches an online exhibit of LGBTQIA history in the state of Missouri
    • Jason Raantz (Seattle) goes on a racist rant about how BLM education during Black History Month in Seattle schools is instilling the fear of police into a new generation of children
    • David Bell, a Black man, dies in a hospital parking lot in Missouri after emergency room physicians refuse to treat him on his third trip for breathing problems
    • President Biden replaces Andrew Jackson’s portrait with a Native American sculpture
    • The National Zoo in Washington D.C. releases a video of a panda playing in the snow
    • LGBTQ activist Carmen Vasquez, 72-years old, dies of COVID-19
    • Data breach exposes the private personal identification (PII) of 1.6 million Washingtonians who have applied for or received unemployment for almost all of 2020, including bank account numbers and ID information
    • Birth certificate controversy over Archie, the child of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle explodes in tabloid press
  • Chad Wheeler domestic violence assault update as his victim faces him in court for the first time
  • COVID-19 Five Fast Facts
  • Reading recommendations for Black History Month
  • David and Jennifer provide their insurrection update

BIPOC, National

Rochester, New York police officers suspended after violent arrest of 9-year old

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, February 1, 2021

Outrage over the pepper-spraying of a restrained 9-year old grows in upstate New York

WARNING: This report shows violent actions against a child, domestic violence, and abuse. Viewer discretion is advised.

[ROCHESTER] – (Malcontent News) Accusations of domestic violence and child abuse flew in Rochester, New York on January 29, as police arrested, and then pepper-sprayed a restrained 9-year-old child in the back of a police cruiser. Police were called about an incident involving the child, where she initially reported to officers that her mother had stabbed her father.

During the incident caught on multiple police body cameras, the mother of the child verbally and physically assaulted the restained juvenile, before police ordered her to go into her home. They attempt to take the child into custody, after telling her she wasn’t in any trouble, and then wrestle her to the ground and handcuff her. The child refuses to put her legs into the police cruiser and begs for a female police officer on video.

As a female officer attempted to deescalate, the other officers involved only made the situation worse, until the female officer also joined in, and ultimately pepper-sprayed the handcuffed 9-year-old in the face. She was then locked in the police cruiser while begging for her eyes to be wiped.

The police union on Sunday, January 31, 2021, attempted to defend the actions, stating policing is a hard job, labeling the pepper spray as an “irritant,” and talking about the trauma of day-to-day police work. The mayor and interim police chief could find no word to defend the actions.

On Monday, February 1, 2021, it was announced an unknown number of officers have been suspended, with pay, pending an investigation. The mayor of Rochester indicated that this was the only action they can take due to the police union contract and New York state law. Despite allegations of assault and child abuse and the abuse caught on camera, after taking the nine-year-old child to the hospital, she was released back to her family. The child is black, all 9 officers who were at the scene were white.

BIPOC, Local

Seattle not maintaining Captiol Hill BLM mural as agreed

When the Seattle Police department swept CHOP on July 1, 2020, one of the first assurances was the Black Lives Matter mural on Pine Street would be protected and maintained. Before the city had finished cleaning out the remains of the protest, traffic barricades had been placed around the painting. Within days the road was restriped, eliminating the parking lanes on the east and west sides. Despite those efforts, the mural was already in a state of disrepair.

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The first mural was never sealed and had been walked and driven over for almost a month, both intentionally and unintentionally. Road debris and gum pocked the mural which was further damaged by well-meaning community members who came to seal the painting but ended up sealing in the dirt and debris. The city commissioned a team of artists to redo the mural, with different groups or artists working on each letter within “Black Lives Matter.” With the project completed over the summer and the painting sealed, the city had committed to maintaining the mural. That commitment has fallen through.

By the end of 2020, the concourse was streaked with road grime and debris. As questions arose about the promise to care for the mural about the city, local art gallery owner John Mitchell rallied the community into action. Last Saturday they took to the streets and cleaned the mural removing months of accumulated grime over the entire day.

More questions are starting to arise over the location, condition, and state of other art work the city gathered before and immediately after CHOP was cleared. In that effort, many pieces of art were removed from June 26 to June 28 for protection. As part of the July 1 sweep, more art was placed into a large container that was kept on site. So far a plan has not been presented on where and when the art will be displayed again, or who is curating it currently.

CHOP was formed on June 8, 2020, when the city of Seattle ordered the evacuation of the Seattle police from the East Precinct. The six-block area on Capitol Hill became known as CHOP and garnered international attention. After a series of high profile shootings on the fringes and within CHOP, the city of Seattle swept the area and reclaimed the East Precinct building on July 1, 2020.

Renee Raketty contributed to this story.