Latest news with #systemicRacism
News24
2 days ago
- Health
- News24
Medical scheme racism report may ‘undermine' anti-fraud efforts, Discovery claims
Discovery has said that the recommendations of a report into systemic racism by medical schemes could undermine anti-fraud efforts. Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Show Comments ()
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Evening News Bulletin 8 July 2025
In this bulletin; The Reserve Bank holds interest rates steady despite expected cuts; NT Police acknowledge institutional racism and pledge to reform; And in rugby league, New South Wales carry an experience advantage into the State of Origin decider tomorrow. The Reserve Bank has kept interest rates on hold in a move that will disappoint borrowers hoping for further mortgage relief. The surprise decision went against expectations of most traders and economists, who were leaning towards a 25 basis point cash rate cut to reflect the under-control inflation and sluggish retail spending. The RBA board says maintaining price stability and full employment is their priority and they want to ensure inflation rates have stabilised in a sustainable fashion before more cuts. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says, while it's not the decision millions of Australians were hoping for, he trusts independent decisions made by the board. He praises Australia's ability to make progress on inflation without the consequences of a deteriorating economy or high unemployment rates. "Under the life of this government, we've got inflation down. We've got real wages growing. Unemployment is low. Our economy has continued to tick over. Interest rates have come down twice in five months, but we know the job's not finished because people are still under pressure and the global environment is so uncertain." Northern Territory Police have acknowledged systemic racism within their organisation and have promised to stamp out bigotry and reform policies. It comes after the end of the three year coronial inquiry into the fatal police shooting of 19-year-old First Nations man Kumanjayi Walker. Coroner Elizabeth Armitage's report found Mr Walker's death was avoidable, and that the state's police force failed to protect the public through poor supervision and management of constable Zachary Rolfe's use of force. In her statement she says she also found that "Mr Rolfe was racist and that he worked in and was the beneficiary of an organisation with hallmarks of institutional racism." NT Police Deputy Commissioner Martin Dole says they have acknowledged the coroner's 18 recommendations to police and will act to meaningfully reform the organisation. "We also acknowledge the coroners findings that all forms of racism have existed within the Northern Territory police force at various times. That is confronting but it is a truth that we must face. What was tolerated in the past will no longer be acceptable. We are committed to stamping out racism. That includes seriously re-examining how we return to a meaningful version of community policing, one that reflects the needs and expectations of Aboriginal people and builds trust at a local level." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has responded to the latest twist in United States President Donald Trump's tariff roll-out, saying Australia will not stop pushing for an exemption. Shares on Wall Street have fallen after President Trump sent letters to 14 countries, including allies Japan and South Korea, unveiling sharply higher tariffs on imports into the United States, while postponing their implementation to August 1. Australian goods to the US have already been subjected to the country's baseline 10 per cent tariffs, the minimum rate imposed on all US trading partners. Mr Albanese says he's not expecting a higher tariff rate as Australia hasn't proposed counter-tariffs on US goods. "No, because we're not increasing tariffs. Australia has a tariff rate of 10 per cent. No country has a better deal than Australia. Now, we'll continue to put our case that tariffs are an act of economic self-harm and we should be entitled to reciprocal tariffs that are zero. But the U-S administration has a view and no country has secured an exemption." New South Wales will carry an advantage into the State of Origin decider, with Penrith's five-year NRL dynasty helping prepare the Blues for rugby league's grandest stage. New South Wales will enter tomorrow night's decider at Sydney's Accor Stadium as firm favourites, despite Queensland's game-two win in Perth keeping the series alive. Origin deciders are considered the second biggest game of each NRL season behind the grand final and it is in that department where the Blues have their biggest advantage. Their players have featured in 64 grand finals and Origin deciders between them with 45 wins, while the Maroons have 46 of those games between them for 26 wins.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Officer who shot Australian Aboriginal teen Kumanjayi Walker was racist, inquest finds
A long-awaited coronial inquest into the 2019 police shooting of a 19-year-old Aboriginal man in Australia has found that the officer who killed him held racist views that were 'normalised' within the Northern Territory (NT) Police Force. Zachary Rolfe, 33, then a constable, shot Kumanjayi Walker three times during an attempted arrest in the remote community of Yuendumu. The killing prompted national outrage and renewed focus on the treatment of Indigenous Australians by law enforcement, especially after the inquest revealed text messages between officers using racial slurs and glorifying violence. Mr Rolfe, who was stabbed in the shoulder with a pair of scissors during the confrontation, claimed he acted in self-defence and was acquitted of murder and manslaughter by a jury in March 2022. In findings delivered on Monday following a three-year inquiry, NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage said systemic racism and repeated failures by the police to act on prior misconduct complaints against Mr Rolfe contributed to Walker's death. 'I am satisfied that Mr Rolfe was racist and that he worked in and was the beneficiary of an organisation with hallmarks of institutional racism.' 'This was not a case of one bad apple,' she said. She said she could not rule out the possibility that Mr Rolfe's attitudes influenced his actions during the confrontation and may have been a 'contributing cause of Kumanjayi's death'. This comes despite a separate investigation into the NT Police Force last year concluding that, although there had been historical racism, there was no evidence of such behaviour within the force since 2015. She also found that the department failed to act on several prior complaints against Mr Rolfe for using excessive force against Aboriginal people, including incidents that caused head injuries. This lack of accountability, she said, gave him a sense of impunity and encouraged his continued mistreatment of Indigenous community members. Ms Armitage's report includes text messages Mr Rolfe exchanged with colleagues prior to the Yuendumu shooting, in which Indigenous people were referred to with racist names. It also details evidence from Mr Rolfe about informal racist awards being handed out within the force. Ms Armitage noted that Mr Rolfe had a preference for 'adrenaline-style policing', often used excessive force, and tended to 'dehumanise' suspects – a mindset she said 'may have led him to error' during Walker's arrest. 'This was a case of officer induced jeopardy – where officers needlessly put themselves in danger making themselves and others vulnerable and creating a situation that justifies the use of deadly force,' Ms Armitage said. Walker died in November 2019 after being shot three times at close range by Mr Rolfe during a failed arrest at a home in Yuendumu, a remote town about 300km northwest of Alice Springs. The community faces persistent challenges, including high unemployment and substance abuse. Walker was wanted for allegedly breaching a court order and, days before his death, had reportedly threatened two police officers with an axe. The NT Police said it had implemented anti-racism measures during the inquest and would review the coroner's recommendations in consultation with Indigenous leaders. NT Police also said the inquest had been a 'long and painful journey for all involved'. 'This has been a hard road, and we are determined to ensure that what has been learned is not lost,' said acting commissioner Martin Dole. In the close-knit community of Yuendumu, many had cared for Walker, who was orphaned at 12. Walker was deaf in one ear and was believed to have been born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). On the night he was shot, residents waited outside the police station for hours with no information, The New York Times reported. Walker had a history of police run-ins and was wanted at the time for removing an electronic monitoring bracelet. 'From the age of 13 to 18, Kumanjayi spent a considerable period of time in juvenile detention or under some restraint, such as bail or subject to a court order,' Ms Armitage said. 'On average, for more of half of each year, Kumanjayi was under some form of restraint.' Ahead of the coroner's findings, Leanne Oldfield, who had helped raise him, said she felt exhausted by the long inquiry process. 'My heart is still broke,' she said. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland acknowledged the NT's jurisdiction over its justice system but pledged to work with others to reduce Indigenous deaths in custody. 'I acknowledge the profound grief caused by the death of Kumanjayi Walker for his family members and community, and the distress of all those involved in this matter,' she said. Speaking to the National Indigenous Times ahead of the coroner's report, Walker's family said the findings should pave the way for a return to full community control of Yuendumu. 'When we can self-determine our futures and self-govern our communities, our people are stronger, our outcomes are better, our culture thrives,' they said. Ms Armitage issued 32 recommendations, including the creation of 'mutual respect agreements' to restrict police firearm use in Yuendumu, strengthening and publicly sharing the police's anti-racism strategy, and ensuring public reporting on its implementation. Concluding her hour-long address, Ms Armitage thanked all who contributed to the inquest and offered her condolences to Walker's family. 'I am sorry for your profound loss,' she said. Meanwhile, in a statement to The Australian newspaper, Mr Rolfe hit back at the coroner's findings, saying he came 'from a place of safety'. 'The severity of [Judge] Armitage's criticism inadvertently highlights how effectively the police have safeguarded her privileged position, granting her a level of security and comfort that insulates her from the harsh realities faced daily by frontline officers and, more importantly, by countless victims of crime throughout the Northern Territory,' Mr Rolfe said, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. 'The coroner's infantilisation of Indigenous communities does not empower but rather diminishes agency and reinforces dependency. 'Unfortunately, this coronial investigation represents a misallocation of valuable time and resources, missing a critical opportunity to propose genuinely beneficial and impactful reforms.'
Forbes
5 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
From Greenwood To Farish Street: Young Black Leaders Are Creating A New Economic Renaissance
This year's Fourth of July arrives just days after the U.S. Senate passed the so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill'—a sweeping Republican-backed reconciliation package that threatens deep cuts to Medicaid, housing assistance, and public education. Many Black Americans, especially the leaders striving to rebuild post-disinvestment communities, find the holiday's promises of freedom and prosperity particularly unfulfilling. 'There's no liberty when we have to beg for resources to feed our neighbors,' said D'Marria Monday, founder of Founding Director of Block Builderz, a nonprofit that provides housing and resources to formerly incarcerated women. 'There's no freedom when our ancestors' land is under threat.' D'Marria Monday Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Monday knows firsthand what it's like to be in an environment that once thrived but over time, suffered the ills of systemic racism. She says that she stands on the Black people who built Greenwood, a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was among the most prosperous Black communities in the country during the early 20th century. Known as 'Black Wall Street,' it featured more than 300 Black-owned businesses, including banks, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and theaters. View of an unspecified parade on Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1930s or 1940s. Among the ... More visible businesses are the offices of the Oklahoma Eagle newspaper (at 117 North Greenwood Avenue). (Photo by Greenwood) However, in 1921, white mobs, aided by local officials, set fire to the district, resulting in the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of thousands. No one faced accountability, and the survivors received no compensation. 100 years later, Monday says the big, beautiful bill feels sickeningly familiar. An African-American man with a camera looking at the skeletons of iron beds which rise above the ... More ashes of a burned-out block after the Tulsa Race Massacre, Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 1921. (Photo by Oklahoma) As I write this, I agree. The timing underscores a bitter truth: while federal lawmakers celebrate American exceptionalism, grassroots leaders like Monday are forced to bootstrap the very safety nets their communities have been denied. They are restoring the promise of the American dream—not through policy handouts, but through sheer vision, legacy, and resolve. Across the country, Black millennials and xennials are, much like their ancestors, leading a modern movement to restore the rich legacies of historically Black economic districts like Tulsa's Greenwood. A Legacy of Prosperity—and Erasure Further south, Jackson, Mississippi's Farish Street was once a bustling cultural and commercial hub for African Americans during the Jim Crow era. By the 1940s, the strip was home to over 200 Black-owned businesses, including pharmacies, barber shops, and entertainment venues like the Alamo Theater. But redlining, urban renewal, and systemic divestment hollowed out the corridor over the decades. In Bluffton, South Carolina, Black families—especially Gullah-Geechee descendants—once maintained strong economic and cultural footholds. Yet climate change, land theft, and tourism-driven displacement have made land retention a constant battle . Today, a new generation is picking up the torch. Bluffton's Cultural Renaissance In Bluffton, South Carolina, Bridgette Frazier has created Ma Daisy's Porch, a culinary and cultural destination rooted in Gullah heritage. 1930S African-American Girl Little Brother Watching Weaving A Sweetgrass Basket In Front Of Log ... More Cabin Rural South Carolina USA (Photo By H. Armstrong Roberts/Classicstock/Getty Images) 'It was important for me to do this because I saw our people not having space to have their stories told, or to have an economic footprint in an area generating revenue off Gullah culture,' said Frazier, a city council member and entrepreneur. Despite Gullah culture generating an estimated $32 billion annually in South Carolina, she points out that few Gullah natives see even a fraction of that wealth. Bridgette Frazier, Hilton Head, NC council member and owner of Ma Daisy's PorchFrazier's journey was not without resistance. She faced bureaucratic red tape typical of projects in historic districts, along with outright obstruction from local officials. Her concept Ma Daisy's Porch, a hub that includes a restaurant, bakery, museum, and event space, named after her grandmother who was the matriarch in Bluffton, is meant to provide not only a safe space for residents, but also reinvigorate Black business ownership in the area. Ms Daisy's Porch In the past, Bluffton had approximately 15 to 20 Black-owned businesses during the Jim Crow era. However, today, that number is significantly lower, with only two remaining, according to Savannah Magazine. The inequity is stubborn and hard to uproot, according to Frazier. 'I dealt with smear campaigns—even from state senators,' she recalled. Yet, thanks to a values-aligned investor and hands-on executive coaching, Ma Daisy's Porch is now open to the public, and according to her, just the beginning. The Fight for Farish Street That same belief in legacy as a tool for restoration powers the work of Aikisha Holly Colon in Jackson, Mississippi. Alongside her mother, a retired physician and civil rights-era businesswoman, Colon is reviving Farish Street—once the crown jewel of Black economic life in Mississippi. The family is building a new residence next to their historic commercial property, where her mother once ran a medical practice. 'We're trying to get Fair Street back to what it used to be—living and working,' Colon explained. Farish St. Church school children marching on street during parade. (Jackson State University via ... More Getty Images) Their investment is deeply personal. Colon's mother had to use her own funds to renovate the building in the 1980s after banks refused to lend to a Black woman—even a physician. Aikisha Holly Colon is working to revitalize the once thriving Black business district, Farish ... More Street in Jackson, MS. 'Most of us as Black people aren't heirs to anything. We usually inherit debt. But I want my children and grandchildren to be able to say: We've been landowners since 1896,' Colon said. Today, the Jackson Redevelopment Authority is leading a multimillion-dollar revitalization of the 200 block of Farish Street, including a Black-owned grocery store, an upscale bistro, new greenspace, and the relocation of Marshall's Bookstore, the nation's oldest Black-owned bookstore. The vision: to restore Farish as a destination for culture, commerce, and community. Her journey was documented on the OWN reality series, The Belle Collective, which followed the hurdles Colon cleared to restore the legacy of the area. In the series, she's seen leading revitalization efforts by example. Alongside her husband and business partner, former NFL player Willie Colon, they are laying plans to expand their sports bar franchise, Bricks and Hops on to Farish Street. It will be among some of the few businesses, let alone Black-owned, in the area. Colon says it's her mission to ensure it will be the first of many. 'I believe in the future and promise of Farish Street," Colon said. "What once was can happen again--we just have to stay steadfast and act as our ancestors did. Lean on each other.' Reclaiming Tulsa's Future Similar to Colon, Monday is reimagining community development through her organization, Block Builderz. A formerly incarcerated organizer, Monday says her work is rooted in ancestral fire. 'My grandfather had a boarding house on Greenwood. He helped rebuild after the massacre,' she shared. 'I came to Tulsa not knowing that, but I was pulled back by legacy.' She continued that legacy by building a transition home of her own for formerly incarcerated women. Her journey was featured on the OWN docuseries, Rebuilding Black Wall Street. Her approach is as practical as it is revolutionary. 'We're using abandoned lots to create gardens that feed our neighbors. One garden fed 100 people. That's what rebuilding looks like—believing in Black self-determination,' Monday said. While grant funding remains unpredictable, she's focused on grassroots support. 'People closest to the problem are closest to the solution, but farthest from the resources.' Restoring More Than Buildings Together, these women are not just reclaiming physical space—they're restoring historical memory and reshaping futures. Whether through preserving family land, mentoring justice-impacted youth, or creating third spaces for cultural belonging, they're rewriting what the American dream looks like—for themselves and for generations to come. 'In the end, this is about legacy,' Frazier said. 'Not just mine—but all of ours.'
Vogue
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Nobody Is Wearing Red, White, and Blue Like Beyoncé
It is very rare that I find myself overthinking an outfit. While I do put ample thought into what I wear—checking the weather, getting dressed with important meetings and after-work commitments in mind, and asking myself how long I can really walk in a pair of platforms—I'm not one to spiral like Cher in Clueless looking for her white, collarless shirt from Fred Segal, or make a mess of my room, trying on everything I own while bemoaning that I have nothing to wear! There are two exceptions, though: If I'm going to a game and cheering for a team with red, white, and blue team colors, or, if it's the Fourth of July. A few months ago, while in Philadelphia for a 76ers vs. Golden State Warriors game, I opted for a blue crop top, a white faux fur coat, and a bold red lip. I wanted to look like I was supporting the Sixers, but I did not want to look like a walking American flag; I know I'm not alone in that trepidation. American history is marred by atrocities against Black people: Slavery, Jim Crow, lynching, centuries of systemic racism that has permeated everything from public education and the justice system to housing and healthcare. All of this has transpired, and much of it continues to, despite the fact that the United States as we know it would not exist without the contributions of Black people. I was born and raised here. I could not be more proud of my ancestors. I have lived a comfortable and privileged life in America. But given all the ways the country has mistreated and disenfranchised Black people, I've never been compelled to wear patriotism on my sleeve. That sentiment is especially strong today, as I find myself increasingly enraged by this country's current political and social landscape. This Fourth of July I will likely be in black; to me, it feels more like America's funeral than its birthday.
