http://news.linktv.org Link TV News Videos (Filtered by topics: Racism) en-us Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:26:00 -0800 Copyright 2011 Link Media, Inc. http://news.linktv.org/videos/berlusconi-brother-sparks-soccer-racism-row?start=0 In typical Berlusconi style, Silvio's younger brother Paolo has sparked outrage by using a racist slur to describe AC Milan's new star striker Mario Balotelli. Silvio owns the team and some believe the Balotelli buy was a move to boost his poll standings ahead of this month's election.<br /> Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:26:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/berlusconi-brother-sparks-soccer-racism-row Paolo Berlusconi, A.C. Milan, Mario Balotelli, Silvio Berlusconi, Italy, Italian general election, 2013, Racism, Soccer, Politics of Italy, Il Giornale In typical Berlusconi style, Silvio's younger brother Paolo has sparked outrage by using a racist slur to describe AC Milan's new star striker Mario Balotelli. Silvio owns the team and some believe the Balotelli buy was a move to boost his poll standings ahead of this month's election. http://news.linktv.org/videos/deck-the-halls-with-yowls-of-racism-over-black-peter?start=0 The Dutch are thrilled about Saint Nicolas, but as for his assistant Black Peter, not so much. The tradition of the scary black aide who tracks naughty children was born when "people thought that black people were worth less than white people," said a protester. One Peter defender insisted the assistant is black because he goes down sooty chimneys &mdash; an activity that doesn't affect St. Nick's appearance. Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:54:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/deck-the-halls-with-yowls-of-racism-over-black-peter Zwarte Piet, Racism, Netherlands, Christmas, Santa Claus, Euronews The Dutch are thrilled about Saint Nicolas, but as for his assistant Black Peter, not so much. The tradition of the scary black aide who tracks naughty children was born when "people thought that black people were worth less than white people," said a protester. One Peter defender insisted the assistant is black because he goes down sooty chimneys — an activity that doesn't affect St. Nick's appearance. http://news.linktv.org/videos/racist-election-tweets-tracked-by-state?start=0 A group of geographers on the web site Floatingsheep tracked racist election Tweets first noticed by Jezebel to discover that the highest rates of the ugly blurbs came from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Dakota, Utah, Louisiana and Tennessee. The source of most of the racist Tweets found by Jezebel? White teenagers.&nbsp; Sun, 11 Nov 2012 20:55:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/racist-election-tweets-tracked-by-state Racism, Twitter, US presidential election, 2012, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, North Dakota, Louisiana, Utah, Georgia, US A group of geographers on the web site Floatingsheep tracked racist election Tweets first noticed by Jezebel to discover that the highest rates of the ugly blurbs came from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Dakota, Utah, Louisiana and Tennessee. The source of most of the racist Tweets found by Jezebel? White teenagers. http://news.linktv.org/videos/new-trial-set-for-french-cops-in-deaths-of-african-teens?start=0 The French Supreme Court has reopened the case against two police officers in the 2005 deaths of two North African teenagers who were electrocuted in a power station as they fled from cops. The deaths sparked weeks of rioting throughout France. The officers could now be convicted of failing to help a person in danger.&nbsp; Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:24:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/new-trial-set-for-french-cops-in-deaths-of-african-teens Police officer, France, 2005 civil unrest in France, Muslim, Paris, Police brutality, Paris Mosque, Discrimination, Court of Cassation (France), Religious discrimination The French Supreme Court has reopened the case against two police officers in the 2005 deaths of two North African teenagers who were electrocuted in a power station as they fled from cops. The deaths sparked weeks of rioting throughout France. The officers could now be convicted of failing to help a person in danger. http://news.linktv.org/videos/is-racism-in-america-on-the-rise?start=0 An AP survey measured the reactions of a random group towards black Americans. Fifty-one per cent of those polled admitted to being prejudiced against black people. Al Jazeera speaks with James Braxton Peterson, a political analyst and the Director of African Studies at Lehigh University. Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:44:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/is-racism-in-america-on-the-rise Racism in the United States, Racism, Institutional racism, Statistical survey, Lehigh University, African studies, African American, Associated Press An AP survey measured the reactions of a random group towards black Americans. Fifty-one per cent of those polled admitted to being prejudiced against black people. Al Jazeera speaks with James Braxton Peterson, a political analyst and the Director of African Studies at Lehigh University. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-102212?start=1225 <p>Thousands of Kuwaitis protest changes to electoral system, Lebanese army struggles to control Tripoli as gunmen roam streets, hundreds of Libyan families flee Bani Walid, and more.</p> Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-102212 Syria, Islamophobia, Muslim, 2011 Kuwait protests, Tripoli, Lebanon, Bab al-Tabbaneh–Jabal Mohsen clashes, Bani Walid, Al-Qaeda, Rohingya, Freedom of speech With the November 6th US national elections just over two weeks away, all eyes will turn to the state of Florida tonight with the third and final debate between US President Barack Obama and his Republic rival Mitt Romney taking place in Boca Raton. The 90-minute session will be devoted to foreign policy, and the two are expected to spar over the September 11 terror attack in Benghazi, Iranian nuclear ambitions, and American support for Israel. According to research conducted by the University of Haifa and University of Texas, many Israelis believe that Obama's middle name, Hussein, indicates that he is less than supportive of their country, an interesting fact considering that more than 100 thousand Israelis can vote in the US elections. http://news.linktv.org/videos/inside-story-americas-us-war-on-drugs-a-racist-failed-policy?start=0 President Obama's drug czar, has said that the US's war on drugs has not been successful and that "it's very clear we can't arrest our way out of this problem." But despite promises to shift policy, the war continues. Inside Story Americas discusses. Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:57:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/inside-story-americas-us-war-on-drugs-a-racist-failed-policy War on Drugs, Gil Kerlikowske, Drug czar, Baltimore, Illegal drug trade, Racism in the United States, Crack cocaine, Cocaine, African American, Poverty in the United States Gil Kerlikowske, US President Barack Obama's drug czar, has said that America's war on drugs has not been successful and that "it's very clear we can't arrest our way out of this problem." But despite promises by the president to re-evaluate US drug policies, more than half of Obama's drug control budget continues to go towards law enforcement. And, as the war on drugs rages in America's inner cities, the issue has not come up on the campaign trail with either President Obama or his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. Inside Story Americas reports from the front line of the drug war in Baltimore, and discusses the issues with guests Deborah Small, Kevin Sabet, and Eric Sterling. http://news.linktv.org/videos/omg-greek-athletes-twitter-fail-earns-olympics-ban?start=0 Greek triple jumper Paraskevi Papachristou has been barred from the Olympics, due to begin on Friday in London, after she tweeted a comment about the number of African immigrants in Greece. Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:39:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/omg-greek-athletes-twitter-fail-earns-olympics-ban Paraskevi Papahristou, 2012 London Olympics, Immigration to Greece, Twitter, Triple jump, Racism, London, Greece, United Kingdom, Olympic Games Greek triple jumper Paraskevi Papachristou has been barred from the Olympics, due to begin on Friday in London, after she tweeted a comment about the number of African immigrants in Greece. http://news.linktv.org/videos/us-banks-accused-of-racial-discrimination?start=0 Protesters say that Wells Fargo and some other major banks offers higher mortgage rates to minorities. The US Department of Justice says they have reached a settlement with one of the lenders, Wells Fargo - which has agreed to a $175m payout. Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:12:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/us-banks-accused-of-racial-discrimination US Department of Justice, Wells Fargo, Discrimination, Bank of America, Institutional racism, Mortgage loan, African American, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Racism in the United States, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Protesters say that Wells Fargo and some other major banks offer higher mortgage rates to minorities. The US Department of Justice says they have reached a settlement with one of the lenders, Wells Fargo - which has agreed to a $175m payout. However, that sum is tiny in comparison to the $4.2bn profit the bank made in just the first quarter of this year. Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reports http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-062012?start=509 <p>Renewed Israeli air strikes on Gaza raise death toll to nine, anti-Assad protests continue unabated in Syria despite violence, Egyptian activists rally to kill "millions of mini-Hosnis" as deposed president nears death, and more.</p> Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-062012 Palestinians, Israel, Gaza–Israel conflict, Israeli settlement, Gaza, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Jab'a, Syrian Civil War, Hosni Mubarak, National Assembly of Kuwait Presenter, Male #1 Settlers burned a mosque last night in the village of Jab'a, northeast of occupied Jerusalem. They also wrote racist and anti-Arab and Muslim graffiti on the mosque's walls, threatening to carry out additional aggressions. Reporter, Female #1 As part of the settlers' atrocities, the residents of the village of Jab'a, located northeast of occupied Jerusalem, woke up to a fire engulfing the Zayd Bin Harithah Mosque. The peaceful village has witnessed a series of aggression in various forms and shapes, which the occupation and its settlers alternate in carrying out. Guest, Male #2 (Omar Jamil, Imam of Jab'a Village Mosque) At 1:30 am, part of the mosque was on fire. The flame had reached the upper windows. We rushed to the fire site, which is a mosque. And thank God, the fire was controlled. Though a large part of the mosque was burned, the fire did not spread to the entire mosque, and it was controlled. This is a criminal act that should be condemned by everyone. Reporter, Female #2 Even houses of worship, where God's name is recited, are no longer safe from aggression. The mosque was damaged by the flames of the haters who wrote racist slogans hostile to our people, vowing to launch additional retaliatory attacks. Guest, Male #3 (Abdullah Siyam, Deputy Governor of Jerusalem) This attack was carried out by a group of settlers. They left the evidence of their crime by writing a series of racist slogans on the mosque's walls. The settlers attacked this mosque, and therefore attacked the convictions of every Muslim, whether they are in Palestine, or in Senegal, or any other country. Reporter, Female #2 Though this crime was committed under the cover of the night, it could not have been completed without the occupation army's protection of the settlers who carried out their disgraceful action. The settlers have burned a number of mosques in Buruqin, Yasuf in Salfit, Barqa, and al-Mughair in Ramallah, and the Liban al-Sharqiya in Nablus, as well as the mosque in the village of Tuba in the Upper Galilee and the Beit Fajjar Mosque in Bethlehem. Guest, Male #4 (Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Minister of Religious Affairs) We initiated the formation of committees for civil protection that, thank God, managed to foil a number of attempts by the settlers to burn and vandalize mosques and houses in the middle of the night across various areas in the West Bank. These committees will continue to expand to include all mosques and neighborhoods. Reporter, Female #2 Every time the occupation army comes to the mosque, it deploys its tanks and forces to open an investigation into the incident, and pursue the settlers who carried out the attack. But the investigations end as soon as they start, and the scene continues to repeat itself without anyone being held accountable or punished. On the contrary, the offenders are rewarded for their actions. http://news.linktv.org/videos/euro-2012-soccer-tournament-kicks-off-in-poland-and-ukraine?start=0 The Euro 2012 football tournament gets under way Friday despite lingering controversy over racism and co-host Ukraine's political turmoil. Defending champion Spain are the favorites as play starts. Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:51:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/euro-2012-soccer-tournament-kicks-off-in-poland-and-ukraine UEFA Euro 2012, UEFA European Football Championship, Ukraine, Poland, Yulia Tymoshenko, Politics of Ukraine, Spain national football team, Racism, Football, Germany national football team The Euro 2012 football tournament gets under way Friday despite lingering controversy over racism and co-host Ukraine's political turmoil. Defending champion Spain are the favorites as play starts. http://news.linktv.org/videos/are-michigans-efforts-to-fix-americas-worst-city-racist?start=0 There is a growing controversy over how one state in the US is trying to turn around cities that have fallen on hard times. Some residents of Benton Harbor city in Michigan welcome the intervention, while others are calling it undemocratic and racist. Thu, 24 May 2012 14:45:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/are-michigans-efforts-to-fix-americas-worst-city-racist Benton Harbor, Michigan, Economic inequality, Michigan, Social inequality, Whirpool, Racism, Poverty in the United States, United States, Lake Michigan, Al Jazeera English There is a growing controversy over how one state in the US is trying to turn around cities that have fallen on hard times. Benton Harbor city in Michigan has been in financial meltdown since the 1980s, when the city was so far in debt that its police cars were repossessed. Some residents welcome the intervention, while others are calling it undemocratic and racist. Al Jazeera's John Hendren has more from Benton Harbor in Michigan state. http://news.linktv.org/videos/high-expectations-for-hollande-from-frances-immigrants?start=0 Just a few days after being elected as the new president of France, Francois Hollande is facing his people's high expectations. Not far from the official celebrations of the Victory in Europe Day, many turned up to call for more justice and an end to violence and racial discrimination in France. Thu, 10 May 2012 11:56:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/high-expectations-for-hollande-from-frances-immigrants François Hollande, Racism, Immigration, Anti-immigration, Immigration law, French presidential election, 2012, France, President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, French Socialist Party Just a few days after being elected as the new president of France, Francois Hollande is facing his people's high expectations. Not far from the official celebrations of the Victory in Europe Day, many turned up to call for more justice and an end to violence and racial discrimination in France. PressTV's Anustup Roy has this report. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-april-30-2012?start=1573 Bahrain has granted appeals for 21 people accused of trying to overthrow the US-backed monarchy after the Arab Spring protests began last last year, including human rights leader Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, who is on the 82nd day of his hunger strike. We interview the producers of "Booker's Place," a new documentary that tells the story of a black Mississippi waiter who lost of life by speaking out. And ahead of the Occupy Movement's May Day protests, leading social theorist David Harvey details urban uprisings from Occupy Wall Street to the Paris Commune. Plus headlines, and more. Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:12:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-april-30-2012 Occupy movement, Bahrain Uprising, Occupy Wall Street, May Day, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, Bahrain, Protest, General strike, International Workers' Day, Booker Wright In 1965, Booker Wright, an African-American waiter in Greenwood, Mississippi, dared to be interviewed by NBC about racism in America, a decision that forever changed his and his family's lives. Wright said during the interview, "I always learned to smile. The meaner the man be, the more you smile. Do all your crying on the inside." He would later lose his job, be beaten by police, and ultimately be murdered. Wright's story is told in the new documentary film, "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story," a collaboration between our two guests: co-producer Yvette Johnson, Wright's grand-daughter, and director Raymond De Felitta, whose father, Frank De Felitta, originally filmed the interview with Wright and later said he regretted it. We turn now to the 20th [anniversary of] one of the largest uprisings in modern U.S. history, sparked by the acquittal of four white police officers in Los Angeles who were videotaped beating an African-American man, Rodney King. On April 29th, 1992, an all-white jury acquitted the four officers, this despite an explicit video recording of them violently kicking, hitting, bludgeoning King as he lay on the ground. When the video was broadcast on television, a grand jury indicted all four officers on a number of charges. But after the judge moved the trial to the largely white enclave of Simi Valley, the jury acquitted the officers of all charges. An hour and 15 minutes later, people took to the streets enraged, and the Los Angeles rebellion began. The furious reaction spread to cities across the country. In Los Angeles, 55 people were killed, more than 2,300 were injured, more than 1,100 buildings were damaged or destroyed. President Bush Sr. called in over 13,000 National Guard and federal officers, blaming the so-called "L.A riots" on the social welfare programs of the '60s and '70s. However, two men in South Central Los Angeles told Ted Koppel they were tired of being mistreated by the police. UNIDENTIFIED MAN 1: This opportunity is to get at these police, you know what I'm saying? Because they've been killing us, stomping us, slapping us for years, you know? But it never comes out. And everyone knows they've been doing it since the beginning of time. UNIDENTIFIED MAN 2: And when we get them on tape, they get found "not guilty" in a system that doesn't count for us. Community leaders in Los Angeles said it wasn't simply the acquittal of the white officers that sparked the uprising; it was a spontaneous combustion fueled by institutionalized racism in the city, escalating unemployment and deepening poverty. Most of the 10,000 people arrested during the uprising were Latino and African-American young men. Well, 20 years later, questions of police bias and racial profiling remain, especially in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting. Today, we're going to go back even further in time to look at racism in America through the lens of one family's epic struggle. It's the subject of a new film premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. It's called Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story. The film features an African-American waiter named Booker Wright who in 1965 agreed to speak on camera to NBC filmmaker Frank De Felitta about the subject of racism in America. Booker dared to openly and honestly share the realities he faced living in a racist society. BOOKER WRIGHT: Some call me Booker. Some call me John. Some call me Jim. Some call me [blank]. All that hate, but you have to smile. If you don't, "What's wrong with you? Why are you not smiling? Get over there and get me so and so and so and so!" There are some nice people: "Don't talk to Booker like that. His name is Booker." Then I got some more people come in, real nice: "How you do, waiter? What's your name?" Then I take care of some so good, and I keep that smile. Always learn to smile. The meaner the man be, the more you smile—although you're crying on the inside. This brief interview, which aired on NBC at the height of the civil rights movement, forever changed the lives of Booker Wright and his family. Customers shunned Wright, forcing him to quit. This was followed by a severe pistol whipping and the firebombing of Booker's Place. Now, more than 40 years later, Frank's son, Raymond De Felitta, returns to the site of his father's film to examine the repercussions of his father's fateful filming that day. We're joined by Raymond De Felitta, the director of Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story. And from Phoenix, Arizona, we're joined by Yvette Johnson, co-producer and one of Booker Wright's four grandchildren. We welcome you both to Democracy Now! I want to begin with Raymond De Felitta. It's a remarkable film. Thank you. Talk about what your father did in 1965, what he was doing at NBC, and how he met Booker. My father was a documentary filmmaker. He had his own unit at NBC and could pretty much pick whatever subject he wanted to do. He read an article that was in the New York Times Sunday Magazine by Hodding Carter, and the article stimulated him. It was an article about the unfair situations going on and the lack of justice in Mississippi for blacks. So he pitched NBC and said, "I want to go down there. I want to see what's going on in the South, and I want to make a film about it." The idea evolved, though, into something that they hadn't really begun thinking of, which was: what's the white Southerners perspective on what's changing and the tragedy of the civil rights movement? So he went down not necessarily expecting to get something like Booker's speech. While he was dining at Lusco's restaurant, which is still there, he met Booker, who was a waiter. And Booker sang the menu, and this was a gimmick at Lusco's. There were no actually printed menus, which was a way of discouraging black patrons from showing up. But the kind of minstrelsy of Booker's delivery kind of charmed my father. He thought it was very odd, because that sort of thing was no longer happening in the rest of the country, and he decided to film Booker. He wasn't sure how to use that menu, but he—the recital of the menu, but he thought it might be an interesting thing to demonstrate the differences between the South and the way they—what they expected from black people working there. But when he filmed him, Booker didn't stop with reading the menu. He kept going, and he told him—and it was not prepared and was not something my father expected, but he told him what was going on, really, in his heart. I want to turn to a clip of your father— Sure. —that's in your film, Booker's Place. This is Frank De Felitta, the producer and director of the 1966 documentary, Mississippi: A Self-Portrait. How old is he now, your father? My father is 90 years old. Ninety years old. In this clip, he explains warning Booker Wright about the likely storm his words would cause. FRANK DE FELITTA: Then I had a talk with Booker, and I said, "Are you sure you want to do this?" I said, "Do you know what's going to happen? First of all, this picture is going to play all over the South, Mississippi included. And there people are going to watch it, and they're going to watch you, in a sense, ridicule them as being fools, not knowing how you hurt inside." And he says, "I understand it. I thank you." He says, "But no." He says, "The time has come. Don't you understand? The time has come." That is Frank De Felitta. And I want to go to another clip of him from the film, Booker's Place, that—he is the documentary maker of Mississippi: A Self-Portrait. In this clip, he explains what happened to Booker Wright after the piece aired. FRANK DE FELITTA: They destroyed his store. They came and practically bombed it. They set it aflame. And they put him in the hospital. And he was there, seriously injured. And I said I wanted to go see him. And he said, "Tell him, stay away from me. I don't want to see him." Frank De Felitta went on to say he regretted including the clip of Booker Wright in his documentary. FRANK DE FELITTA: People change when they see misery and they see things happen that are terrible. They're suddenly looking for someone to blame. And they blamed me. And I deserve it. Listen, I think that I should have just not used it. I really do. That's Frank De Felitta, who did the 1966 documentary about Greenwood, Mississippi, and broadcast the film of Booker Wright. Raymond De Felitta, his son, has now made a new documentary, quite remarkable, called Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story. Your father regrets that he ran this film. Well, I think he's ambivalent, and "ambivalent," as we know, means strong feelings in two opposing directions. You know, certainly Booker is very much the centerpiece of his film, and he didn't—you know, the speech is so searing still that you can't deny that that's what makes the film still powerful. On the other hand, the fallout for Booker was so extreme, and that's something that my father does feel responsible for. Let's bring Yvette Johnson in to this discussion. What's also fascinating about this film, Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story, is that it brings together the filmmaker's son from 1966, Frank De Felitta's son Raymond, who's the director of this film, and Yvette Johnson, who is the granddaughter of Booker Wright. Yvette Johnson, talk about how you and Raymond came to meet each other and what happened to your grandfather in Greenwood and how you discovered this. Well, in about—it was about 2007 when I first learned that my grandfather appeared on the news. And originally, the way the story was told to me, I thought that it was sort of a "man on the street" interview, that he was walking down the street and that maybe someone from the 5:00 news put a mic in his face and that he just said something sort of provocative and then went on his way. It wasn't until I connected with Raymond that I actually got to see the film for myself and realized that what he said was so composed and thoughtful. But when I started this research in 2007, I created a blog, and I would just collect information there that I was learning about my grandfather. And Raymond started putting his father's documentaries on YouTube and on his own blog. And his producing partner, David Zellerford, read Raymond's blog post, the one that contained my grandfather's statements, and really, I mean, you know, you've seen the film, Amy, it's just—it's difficult, I think, for anyone from any walk of life to watch and to listen to my grandfather's statements without having sort of an emotional response. I mean, he was so eloquent and so raw and so honest. And David just couldn't stop watching it. And so, he and Raymond spent some time thinking about what they could do with the footage, and they decided that they wanted to find my grandfather's family, because, you know, one of the things that he said in his monologue was that he endured the humiliation that he did every day so that his children could have a better life. And so, Raymond and David wanted to find out if that hope came true for him. So they found my blog, and the three of us met. And it turned out that I had half of the story that they didn't have. They didn't know that he had been murdered. They also didn't know about just some of the things that happened in his childhood that sort of made his story even more heartbreaking, honestly, and more compelling. And then they had the story of the film and that piece of his life. So we came together and decided that we wanted to learn more about him, more about Greenwood. And so, the three of us traveled to Greenwood to sort of uncover the story of my grandfather. And so, it has been in this last year that I learned that he was beaten, beaten by a white police officer, and that he was continually harassed by white police officers, potentially the same white police officer. And also—you know, I knew, growing up, that he had been murdered, but I had no idea that he had been in this film. So now there are questions, as well, about whether or not this film played a part in his murder, so... Talk about, Yvette Johnson, how your grandfather, how Booker Wright, was murdered. Well, here's what's interesting. He was murdered by this kid who came into his club and was messing with some customers there, and my grandfather kicked him out. And the kid's name was Blackie. Blackie came back about 15 minutes later and shot my grandfather. So this was the story that I actually heard first in 2007, and it sounded completely plausible to me. And last spring, I requested the transcripts of the murder trial. And the more that I read through them—I read through them over and over and over again, and I just felt as though something wasn't right. He—his attorneys didn't call any witnesses. He wasn't Mirandized, yet he basically confessed to the crime, and that was admissible in his trial. And there were just some other things. His attorneys billed their hours and, I think, only spent, you know, 20 or 30 hours on the entire case. And so, I went to Greenwood with these questions about the murder, but I really wasn't sure, you know, if—they were just sort of suspicions. And then, after being there for a few days, people began—people, Greenwood residents, who have lived there their whole lives, began to express to us that there were some different theories about his murder, one being that a white police officer encouraged Blackie to murder my grandfather. And I should say, too, the other thing that we learned when we were there was that my grandfather's restaurant was the nicest place for blacks to come, but because of the situation with the all-white police force and just sort of some inherent racism within the police force, you really couldn't call the police if you were a black business owner. You had to handle things on your own. So in order to keep Booker's Place, you know, a nice, safe place to come, Booker was his own bouncer. And it was known. I mean, we met so many people who were black during the time—you know, who are black, who frequented Booker's Place in the '50s and '60s, who told us that, you know, it was known that if you went in there and you didn't have money and you just went in there to mess around, he was going to kick you out. It was known. It was common knowledge. So the idea that Blackie would go in, mess around and get kicked out and be surprised by that is also—it's questionable to me. It doesn't really ring true. You also talked about your father's early years, that remarkable story of him feeling abandoned. Talk about who Booker Wright was, how he came to own the store, how he came to feel abandoned. Sure. Well, you know, my grandfather grew up with Mr. and Mrs. Wright. That's who raised him. He didn't have any other siblings. And he always grew up knowing that they weren't his parents. They made no secret of that. And what they told him when he was a child is that he was left on a doorstep, but that they were willing to raise him. So they really raised him with the sense of separation. And he was very young when they got him, and they easily could have, you know, let him believe that they were his parents, but they always let him know that he was not theirs and sort of that they were doing him a favor. And he wasn't able to go to school. He lived on a plantation, which was common. It was common for black boys living on plantations to not be allowed to go to school, because they had to work the fields. And he just—he sort of had a hard life and always felt sort of, you know, without parents, without that connection, without that sense of family. And, you know, some of the details about how he got separated from his family are a little bit murky. But what I know for sure is that by the time that he was 13 or 14, he was living on his own. And he got a job working at Lusco's, probably initially as a busboy, and eventually became their most dearly loved waiter. He was—you know, I mean, if you go to Greenwood now and you meet someone of a certain age who went to Lusco's, they always, always remember him. He was great with children. He remembered all the orders. He was just—he was just—he very charismatic. But he was— And people loved having him serve them. But he was forced out after the film appeared on NBC? Correct, yes. Yeah, he worked there for 25 years. And the film aired, and he went to work, and all of the regular customers refused to allow Booker to wait on them. And customers even called the restaurant and said, "We don't want him there anymore." Raymond, after your father learned that Booker was murdered, and ultimately your father met Yvette, Booker's granddaughter, what was that like for him? Well, he was shocked. I mean, he has carried a certain amount of guilt over the years about even using the piece of footage in his film. And I think that meeting Yvette probably has really helped him over a very serious, you know, moment in his life, because really what Yvette was able to express to my father is, had you not used the film, had you done that, you would have censored Booker, which is what everybody had done to Booker his whole life. So, I think, again, my father's ambivalence has always been, as a filmmaker, this really worked, this really made the film special, but as a human being, did I change his life really for the worse? Ultimately, Booker, though, became heroic in Greenwood and, you know, in a small way, did a very big thing. And everyone there still remembers the night he was on the news as a major, major turning point. We'll end once again where we started, with the clip of Booker Wright speaking in his own words. BOOKER WRIGHT: Some call me Booker. Some call me John. Some call me Jim. Some call me [blank]. All that hate, but you have to smile. If you don't, "What's wrong with you? Why are you not smiling? Get over there and get me so and so and so and so!" There are some nice people: "Don't talk to Booker like that. His name is Booker." Then I got some more people come in, real nice: "How you do, waiter? What's your name?" Then I take care of some so good, and I keep that smile. Always learn to smile. The meaner the man be, the more you smile—although you're crying on the inside. That was Booker Wright. Finally, Yvette Johnson, you met privately with Frank De Felitta. Raymond left the room, and everyone else, so that you could talk to him. What did you tell him about this videotape that he did air in 1966? Well, you know, Frank is a remarkable man, and he's a very brave man. And I really wanted to understand why he went to Greenwood in the first place, and—but, you know, when the two of us were alone, I just—I thanked him. I mean, it was clear from the way that he talked about my grandfather that he thought highly of him, that he respected him, and that he enjoyed my grandfather's company. And from what I understand of race relations in Greenwood at that time, even just having a white man treat him, treat my grandfather with that level of respect, I think, was uncommon. And so, you know, I thanked him for his kindness towards my grandfather and for giving him a voice in a time and in a place when he didn't have a voice. Yvette Johnson, I want to thank you for being with us. You're writing a book about your grandfather, Booker Wright. Yes. But you also co-produced the film, Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story. It was directed by Raymond De Felitta, and it just premiered here in New York at the Tribeca Film Festival. We thank you very much, both, for being with us. Thank you, Amy. http://news.linktv.org/videos/anders-breivik-trial-begins-accused-cries-but-does-he-feel-remorse?start=0 The opening day of the trial of Norwegian Anders Breivik, accused of killing 77 people in a mass murdering shooting spree, began with a clenched-fist salute and ended with tears from the accused when an anti-immigration video was aired. Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:10:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/anders-breivik-trial-begins-accused-cries-but-does-he-feel-remorse Anders Behring Breivik, 2011 Norway attacks, Trial of Anders Behring Breivik, Utøya, Norway, Trial, Far-right politics, Oslo, Islamophobia, Mass murder The opening day of the trial of Norwegian Anders Breivik, accused of killing 77 people in a mass murdering shooting spree, began with a clenched-fist salute and ended with tears from the accused when an anti-immigration video was aired. In between, Breivik looked composed and unemotional as the details of charges relating to the murder of 77 people were read out. Now the court must decide: is he insane or not? http://news.linktv.org/videos/new-evidence-emerges-in-trayvon-martins-shooting?start=0 A new video released by the city of Sanford, Florida shows Trayvon Martin's shooter George Zimmerman leaving a police car. Zimmerman told police Martin broke his nose and slammed his head into concrete. Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:34:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/new-evidence-emerges-in-trayvon-martins-shooting George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin, Shooting of Trayvon Martin, Sanford Police Department, Shooting, Self defense, Sanford, Florida, Bobby Rush, United States, Florida A new video released by the city of Sanford, Florida shows Trayvon Martin's shooter George Zimmerman leaving a police car. Zimmerman told police he shot Martin in self-defense after Martin broke his nose and slammed his head into concrete. But the attorney for the Martin family disputes his claims. Press TV's Colin Campbell reports from Washington. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-032912?start=1315 <p>Arab summit marks milestone for Baghdad as leaders remain divided, International Labor Organization calls on Bahrain to reinstate all sacked workers, Egypt's al-Ahly fans demand justice for Port Said victims, and more.</p> Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-032912 Palestinians, Israel, Jerusalem, Syrian Civil War, Arab League, Israel Defense Forces, Bashar al-Assad, Israelis, Syria, Israeli–Palestinian conflict Six Beitar Jerusalem soccer fans, including five minors, were brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court for an extension of their remand. Some ten more fans have been detained and released to house arrest until the end of next week, and dozens more are expected to be arrested. All of the men are suspected of involvement in last week's racist riot at the Jerusalem Malha Mall, which broke out following a soccer match. The Beitar fans are suspected of shouting out offensive racist comments at Arab workers at the mall. http://news.linktv.org/videos/911-calls-shed-light-on-mindset-of-trayvon-martins-killer?start=0 George Zimmerman has not been seen in public for weeks, but a summary of his 911 calls to police over the past year may provide some insight into the mind of the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin on February 26. Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:43:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/911-calls-shed-light-on-mindset-of-trayvon-martins-killer George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin, Shooting of Trayvon Martin, 9-1-1, Shooting, Sanford, Florida, Homicide, Florida, African American, Emergency telephone number The man at the center of an American firestorm has not been seen in public for weeks, but a summary of his 911 calls to police over the past year may provide some insight into the mind of George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old "community watch" volunteer who shot and killed an un-armed Trayvon Martin on February 26. Press TV's Gary Anthony Ramsay reports from New York. http://news.linktv.org/videos/englands-soccer-team-in-disarray-as-coach-quits?start=0 The England national football team is in disarray after its manager resigned a week after the captain was sacked. And now there are fears that England's highly paid football stars will again fall flat at the summer's Euro 2012 tournament. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:07:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/englands-soccer-team-in-disarray-as-coach-quits Fabio Capello, England national football team, John Terry, Football in England, Harry Redknapp, Football Association (England), UEFA Euro 2012, England, Racism, Football The England national football team is in disarray after its manager resigned a week after the captain was sacked. And now there are fears that England's highly paid football stars will again fall flat at this summer's European Championships. Roshan Muhammed Salih reports from London http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-013012?start=1361 <p>Yemen's Air Force demands ouster of Saleh's brother as their commander, Syrian regime tightens security around Damascus as rebels approach the capital, Moroccans demand "genuine reforms" in fresh Casablanca protests, and more.</p> Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-013012 Yemen Uprising, Yemen, Syrian Civil War, Bahrain Uprising, Nuclear program of Iran, Egyptian Parliamentary Election 2011-2012, Kurdish people, South Sudan, Shura Council, Syria Presenter, Male #1 Today, Turkey under Ergodan's rule is no different from the Turkey that Ataturk founded. This country is accused by its own people of exercising the worst forms of racism and ethnic discrimination and of violating the rights of minorities. Presenter, Female #1 Ankara finds itself unable to meet the European Union's standards as it still violates the rights of minorities, especially the Kurds and Alawites who account for over a quarter of the country's population. Reporter, Male #2 Since its establishment in 1923, Turkey has been practicing a racist policy against the Turkish Kurds, so much so that all government institutions are involved in excessively exercising this policy. The Turkish army continuously oppresses the Kurds and the Kurdish movement, and the highest national council known as parliament issues laws and resolutions that are hostile to Kurds. Similarly, schools and other educational institutions impose the Turkish language and culture on Kurdish children in an attempt to eliminate all Kurdish influence despite Turkey's previous promises in the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. The Turkish constitution can be interpreted to justify the oppressive policy against Kurds and the violation of their ethnic rights. In addition, Turkish authorities adopted a clear policy that does not comply with the country's special laws pertaining to the Kurdish people. The Dersim Law, which was issued in 1935 and effective until 1946, was a law that completely contradicted the Turkish constitution. Furthermore, the Turkish constitution contradicts Articles 38 and 39 of the Treaty of Lausanne which protects Kurdish rights. Turkey's official policy is still based on denying the existence of Kurds and the Kurdish cause in the country. Over the past several decades, Turkey has issued a number of laws that are hostile to Kurds. After the massive Kurdish rebellion in 1925, the Turkish government enacted laws to suppress any Kurdish political movement. The Dersim Massacre that took place from the spring of 1937 to the spring of 1938 is considered one of the most horrendous crimes committed against Kurdish villagers. The number of victims of the massacre is estimated to be over 13,000. This page of history has not been turned, and in fact, continues to this day. Only a few months ago, Turkish warplanes committed a massacre against the Kurdish civilians in the city of Qalban in Sirnak province, killing a large number of civilians. There are nearly seven million Kurds living in a number of Turkish regions, including Diyarbak?r, Dersim, Siirt and Mus. Rim Ahmed, al-Iraqiya. ** Contact Mosaic News: mosaicnews{at}linktv{dot}org http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-011212?start=1413 <p>Timing questioned in release of video showing US Marines urinating on dead insurgents, Israel's siege on Gaza causes rise in child labor, Pakistan's Zardari heads to Dubai wedding amid fears of military coup, and more.</p> Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-011212 Protest, Israel, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Bahrain, Racism, Civilian casualties, Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, Egypt In other news, a senior Israeli economist in the private sector has been fired from his job for a series of racial slurs he made yesterday. Shlomo Maoz, chief economist for the Excellence Nessuah investment company accused what he called the Ashkenazi elite of controlling the country's economy including the Finance Ministry, the Supreme Court, and the major educational institutions. He said that from his own experience, only whites are appointed to posts in Bank Leumi and that the Ashkenazi-dominated Kibbutzim and Moshavim robbed the country of prime real estate. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-011212?start=1504 <p>Timing questioned in release of video showing US Marines urinating on dead insurgents, Israel's siege on Gaza causes rise in child labor, Pakistan's Zardari heads to Dubai wedding amid fears of military coup, and more.</p> Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-011212 Protest, Israel, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Bahrain, Racism, Civilian casualties, Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, Egypt Everyone should be ashamed about example of racism that Israel has experienced lately. That is the view of President Shimon Peres, who today visited the integrated, largely Ethiopian Reishit School in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat Menachem. Peres said the country should be grateful to the Ethiopian-Jewish community and ashamed of discrimination directed against them in Kiryat Malachi. Peres described racism as "arrogant and terrible." He also indirectly criticized Minister of Absorption Sophia Landver who yesterday told the Knesset committee that immigrants should be thanking rather than criticizing Israel. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-011112?start=788 Just hours after thousands of Ethiopian immigrants rallied against racism, the minister of immigrant absorption said that, instead of complaining, the Ethiopians should be thanking the state for all they have been given, reports IBA. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-011112 Protest, Israel, Tehran, Iran, Nuclear program of Iran, Pakistan, Qatif, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Avigdor Lieberman, Bashar al-Assad Just hours after thousands of Ethiopian immigrants rallied against racism, community members say they were deeply offended by the minister of immigrant absorption, Sophia Landver today, responding to a comment by an activist that Israel is becoming a new type of apartheid nation. Landver told the Knesset Absorption Committee that instead of complaining, the Ethiopians should be thanking the state for all they have been given. Meanwhile, Ethiopian community leaders today warned that younger members may resort to violence in protest against discrimination they say they encounter on a daily basis. http://news.linktv.org/videos/uk-two-men-guilty-of-murdering-black-teenager-in-notorious-1993-attack?start=0 A British court has convicted two men of the 1993 murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, a landmark case that exposed "institutional racism" among London police and led to a change in law allowing suspects to be tried twice for the same crime. Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:49:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/uk-two-men-guilty-of-murdering-black-teenager-in-notorious-1993-attack Murder of Stephen Lawrence, Gary Dobson, David Norris, London, Racism, Old Bailey, Eltham, Forensic evidence, London Metropolitan Police Service, Institutional racism A British court has convicted two men of the 1993 murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, a landmark case that exposed "institutional racism" among the London police force and led to a change in law allowing suspects to be tried twice for the same crime. The 18-year-old school student was stabbed to death at a bus stop in southeast London in an unprovoked attack by a gang of five white young men who shouted racist epithets. Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, both white men, were found guilty after three days of deliberations by a British jury on Tuesday after a six-week trial that hinged on new scientific evidence presented by prosecutors. They are scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday. Al Jazeera's Simon McGregor-Wood reports. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-112111?start=1280 Military council approves political isolation law as deadly Cairo clashes enter a third day, Bahrain admits to using "excessive force" against protestors, Syrian troops attack Turkish buses, and more. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-112111 Israel, Saudi Arabia, CIA, Egyptian Revolution, Bahrain Uprising, 2011-2012 Saudi Arabia protests, Syria-Turkey relations, Yemen Uprising, King Abdullah, Nuclear program of Iran Presenter, Male #1 Israeli researcher Nurit Elchanan asserted that Israeli textbooks cultivate apartheid and the Israeli education institution aims to prepare the Israeli youth to justify the Israeli army's crimes. Anas Bu'arku reports. Reporter, Male #2 Israeli researcher and professor of language and education at Hebrew University, Professor Nurit Peled-Elchanan concluded that Israeli textbooks cultivate racist apartheid against Arabs and Palestinians and encourages treating them like a demographic problem. Hebrew newspaper Maariv said that Elchanan's conclusions can be found in her new book which will soon be published in English. In the book, she says, "The Israeli apartheid is not only a group of racist laws but an ideology towards Arabs and Palestinians." Elchanan worked on her book from 1996 to 2009. It is called Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education. She believes that the purpose of the Israeli education institution is to prepare the Israeli youth to justify the Israeli army's crimes by simplifying complicated Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-10102011?start=1394 Moroccans revive protests against social injustice and corruption, Muslims and Christians alike decry church attacks in Egypt after dozens killed, and opposition dismisses Saleh's resignation pledge as new propaganda.<br /> Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-10102011 Protest, Syrian Civil War, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Bahrain, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Homs, Palestinians, Arab people In other news, a Petach Tikva extended the remand today of a second suspect in connection with an arson attack on a mosque in the village of Tuba Zangariya. This, as authorities continue efforts to lessen tension in Jaffa after graffiti is found in Arab cemeteries. The police presence remained high in Jaffa today. Anger was soaring as members of both the Arab and Jewish communities waited skeptically for Police Chief Yochanan Danino to carry out his promise and make quick arrests. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-093011?start=836 Yemeni and Syrian demonstrators unify Friday's call for 'victory', thousands gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square to 'reclaim the revolution', and Mauritanian youth condemn country's census as racist.<br /> Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-093011 Protest, Arab Spring, Yemen Uprising, Yemen, Friday prayers, Sanaa, Syrian Civil War, Syria, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Egyptian Revolution Presenter, Female #1 The Mauritanian Interior Ministry announced the arrest of 56 people, including 13 foreigners, in Nouakchott during clashes between security forces and youths protesting next year's census. The youths consider the census to be racist and aimed at stripping them of Mauritanian citizenship. This comes amid the authorities' confirmation that they will move forward with the controversial census. Reporter, Male #1 The protests were organized by what is now known as the youth of "Don't Touch my Nationality," and in the past few days demonstrations focused on some southern Mauritanian cities. But now that spark is once again reaching the capital Nouakchott with burning, vandalism and looting incidents. The chaos was caused by the census that black Mauritanians say is aimed at stripping some of them of their citizenship and altering the country's demographic composition. Guest, Male #2 (Ibrahim Omar Su, University Professor) Of course, there is deliberate exclusion at some of the poll centers in the country. And this government knows that; we believe the government is aware of that fact. We don't encourage people to use violence but to defend themselves because that means defending the country. If loving our country is part of our faith then defending the people's national identity is part of our faith. Reporter, Male #1 Mauritanian authorities arrested a number of the protests' leaders in Nouakchott. Meanwhile, detainees were freed in similar events witnessed in the two cities of Kaedi and Maghama in southern Mauritania during the past two days. This comes in light of the government's reaffirmation that it will move forward with the population's census based on the belief that it serves the country's greater interest. Guest, Male #4 The country does not accept any bargaining with the nation's security and stability. We will move forward with the census process because it is a strategic choice that serves the future of our country. Reporter, Male #1 This chaos reminds people of the bloody ethnic clashes between Arab and black Mauritanians in the country. The most violent of these clashes were in 1966 and 1989. Black Mauritanians say their movement was peaceful and their goal is to defend their full citizenship. Meanwhile, these images show that violence and vandalism passed through here. As for rational people, they hope that this event will peacefully pass by. Mohamed Abdullah Manin, al-Alam, Nouakchott. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-072511?start=844 <p>Syrian regime allows the formation of rival parties, EU security chief slams Europe's "silence" on xenophobia, thousands of Moroccans renew the demand for democratic constitution, and more.</p> Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-072511 Protest, Israel, Egypt, Civilian casualties, Egyptian Revolution, Benjamin Netanyahu, NATO, Tahrir Square, Constitution, Libya EU Security Chief Cecilia Malmstroem has criticized European leaders in action on racial intolerance sweeping through the continent. Malmstroem says there are few leaders who would stand up for the importance of having open and tolerant societies where everybody is welcome. Her comments came after reports emerged that the man behind the Norway massacre was linked to anti-Islamist extremist groups. She called the attacker a "very disturbed man" and expressed regret that some in Europe have similar sentiments to him