Three things for March 19
1. Asian Americans grieve, organize in wake of Atlanta attacks
In response to a shooting on March 16 in Atlanta, the Asian American community has come together to grieve.
“I think the reason why people are feeling so hopeless is because Asian Americans have been ringing the bell on this issue for so long … We’ve been raising the red flag,” said Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood, executive director of the Atlanta-based Asian American Advocacy Fund, which does political and advocacy work across Georgia, reports AP News.
Asian Americans have banned together to gain support as a response to the attacks in Atlanta.
Robert Aaron Long, 21, killed eight people, six being women of Asian descent.
“[Law enforcement needs] some training understanding what a hate crime is. This man identified targets owned by Asians,” said Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups. The gunman “was very clearly going after a targeted group of people,” reports AP News.
A sheriff captain responded to the shooting as Long “having a bad day.” AP News noted Huang cringed at his comments but hopes it was a misstatement.
“After the month and year we had, we knew our folks needed the time to come together safely just to grieve and heal and mourn and speak to what’s happening,” said Mohan Seshadri, Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance co-executive director.
2. Officials confirm Sarah Everard’s death
Earlier this week, officials confirmed the death of Britain native Sarah Everard, 33.
Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, was arrested on March 12 and charged with Everard’s kidnapping and murder. A plea hearing has been set for July 9, with a trial slated to begin in October.
Sarah Everard originally went missing on March 3. That night, she made a phone call to her new boyfriend as she walked from a friend’s house and then vanished. According to the New York Times, it was around 9:30 p.m.
“Sarah Everard’s name became a rallying cry for a broad movement to combat pervasive, longstanding violence against women in Britain — a symbol of all those of who have been attacked, so many of whose cases have gone largely unnoticed,” reports the NYT.
Everard chose well-lit streets and spoke with her boyfriend by phone, doing many things women are advised to do to improve their safety, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Ms. Everard’s disappearance quickly spread online through family and friends. Many posts reached her hometown in York, sparking a national conversation.
The abduction and killing of Ms. Everard infuriated women across the U.K. Many shared their own experiences of harassment on streets or public transport and demanded more protection, reports the Wall Street Journal.
3. Tim Kelly and Kim White face off in virtual mayoral debate
The Chattanooga Times Free Press teamed up with partner WRCB-TV Channel 3 to host a Chattanooga mayoral debate with runoff candidates Tim Kelly and Kim White last night.
Dave Flessner of the Times Free Press and David Carroll of WRCB moderated the debate.
In the March 2 election, Kelly and White received the most votes of a field of 15 candidates. According to the city charter, the election resulted in a split vote, which requires a winner to earn more than 50% of the total vote.
Fewer than 300 votes separated Kelly and White. Kelly received 30.1% of the vote to White’s 29.2%.
For more information on the mayoral debate, check out the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
