Citizen Revolt: Week of May 27
Look Back at Black Slavery, Defund the Police Rally, What About Race?, Celebrate Pride Through Stories
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Look Back at Black Slavery
With all the talk about cancel culture and "All Lives Matter," it may be time to look back on the history of Black slavery. It didn't start in the United States, but it certainly grew here. Slavery was not just a convenient way to get help—it was a money-making proposition. "In 1834, when the British abolished slavery in the Caribbean, the government paid 20 million pounds in compensation to the owners of the enslaved Africans. Many people have wondered who exactly got that money and what they did with it." The Legacies of British Slave-ownership database uncovers the stories at British Slave Owners, Tracking the Money and the Stories of the Enslaved. This Zoom presentation will explain why Black slavery was both lucrative and sustainable. Virtual, Saturday, May 29, 11:30 a.m. Free/register at https://bit.ly/3on0UY9
Defund the Police Rally
The shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. was just one of a long and tragic series of police shootings of Black people. After the city proposed a 5 percent increase in the police budget, Decarcerate Utah announced a Rally to Defund the Police! seeking a diversion of resources in Salt Lake City to community services that could make a difference to lives and safety. "We are demanding the city council and mayor to cut the department's budget in half and cut the personnel in half, and to use the savings diverted from the police department's budget to invest in under-resourced services that the Salt Lake community needs, like housing and mental-health resources." Salt Lake City County Building, 450 S. State, Saturday, May 29, 2 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/2RoUR9F
What About Race?
It's been a year since the murder of George Floyd when change seemed inevitable. But was it? A Reckoning on Race With Doug Baldwin and Shaun Scott will examine what happened. Activists came out in droves and saw corporations, media companies and sports leagues make statements in support of social justice issues. "A year later, we look back with one of our region's most famously frank athletes, and one of its most compelling young organizers, to ask the question: How much has actually changed in America?" Virtual, Thursday, May 27, 4 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3wfeNKK
Celebrate Pride Through Stories
COVID-19 has changed everything, and the Pride Festival and Pride Parade is no exception. With restrictions in place, the Pride Festival is offering a week in the Pride Story Garden. Pride Week 2021 starts with a Pride Interfaith Service on June 2, the day before the Story Garden opens, and a Rainbow March and Rally on June 6 (read more in this week's cover story). Washington Square, 451 S. State, Thursday, June 3, 8 a.m. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3ypJ1Na
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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