TOPSHOT - Assa Traore (C), the sister of Adama Traore,
who died in police custody in 2016 (AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)
There is often discussion about racism in the U.S., and rightfully so. But research supports that racism is not only an issue in America. It is a malignancy that exists worldwide and should be treated as such. Last month, several videos of Africans being treated inhumanely in Ukraine were another sobering reminder about why racism must be addressed as a global issue and not only a domestic concern.
Late February, several videos went viral on social media of Black women and young girls in Ukraine being exposed to extreme racism. One video showed several African women stranded at a Ukrainian border in almost below freezing weather. Various celebrities and public figures quickly commented in response to the heartbreaking video. White House Correspondent and Political Analyst April Ryan said,“They said women and children are allowed in, just not black women and children. Are there any orgs that we can work with to help to shelter these people?”
Contributing writer for THE ATLANTIC and podcast host, Jemele Hill tweeted, “This is why racism must be seen as a global problem. Absolutely disgraceful.” The specific video was of an African woman looking for shelter at a hostel while holding a two-month-old infant in frigidly cold weather conditions. The second video showed a Ukrainian police officer pushing a young Black girl off a train that was on its way to transport women and children to safety.
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OVIEDO, Spain
Hate crimes continue to increase in Spain and are one of the country’s “most serious challenges,” the nation’s interior minister said on Monday.
“The historical data reveals a rising trend since 2014,” Fernando Grande-Marlaska said. “What’s evident is that we’re living through a time of social tension and polarization … some ideological beliefs can incite racist or homophobic crimes, but it’s very complex.”
In 2021, police investigated 1,802 hate crimes in Spain, according to the Interior Ministry’s freshly released report on hate crimes. That is up 5.6% from 2019 – the last year the offenses were studied – and up 42% from five years ago.
Racism and xenophobia were the leading causes of hate crimes in Spain, representing 35% of the total. They surged 24% compared to 2019. Hate crimes related to gender, sexual identity and sexual orientation came in a close second, making up one-third of all cases in 2021. That is up nearly 70% from 2019.
Ideological motives, on the other hand, dropped 45% and were the third-most common cause of hate crimes in Spain. Decreased tensions in Catalonia over independence are one reason why they may have fallen.
Physical violence was the most reported type of hate crime, followed by threats, other harm, and insults. Those crimes, however, may be the tip of the iceberg. Grande-Marlaska cited research that found around 80% of hate crimes go unreported.
“That’s alarming because it means most hate crimes go unpunished,” said the Spanish interior minister. On an optimistic note, Grande-Marlaska said the resolution rate for these cases reached a historic high for Spain. Of all hate crimes reported to police, 62% were resolved — up 5% from 2019.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/hate-crimes-continue-to-rise-in-spain-says-interior-minister/2701499
Click to Test your knowledge, check your bias
MADRID — On a narrow street in the Lavapiés neighborhood, there's a small store with a special story behind it. Like any tourist shop, it sells clothes and other knickknacks for eager-eyed passersby.
But this store, called Pantera, is different because of who runs it: a collective of street vendors who came together to create safer working conditions for themselves. The store is celebrating its first anniversary this month.
On the street, the vendors are called manteros, named for the practice of laying out their merchandise on blankets, or mantas. The manteros sell a variety of clothing and original creations — pieces like knock-off sneakers, scarfs, sunglasses and jerseys. Most manteros here are immigrants from Senegal.
This line of work can be incredibly grueling and unsafe, given the near-constant threat of Madrid's police. Manteros often illegally sell counterfeit brand-name goods. They say they face extra harassment, however, because they are Black and because of their status as undocumented immigrants.
Pantera is the Manteros Union store in the neighborhood of Lavapiés, Madrid.
That's why they came together to make the Sindicato de Manteros, or Manteros Union — and to purchase the store to create a place to safely sell their merchandise.
"We have organized the union because it was the only way to survive," says Malick Gueye, a spokesperson for the union. Originally from Senegal, Gueye has lived in Spain for 17 years. "Here in Madrid, they see us as enemies, because it's a very rough city," he says.
The shop's walls are covered with T-shirts and tote bags. Children's books about social justice heroes are displayed on a rack against one wall.
"Everything here is significant, because a lot of the shirts we sell denounce racism," Gueye says.
The collective has its own brand, also called Pantera, inspired by the activism of the Black Panthers. One shirt depicts a famous moment from the 1968 Summer Olympics, where U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists and bowed their heads as they stood on the medal stand. In the image on the Pantera shirt, Tommie Smith stands on the center podium, holding a folded-up manta in his hand.
The store is a direct response to the racism and isolation many manteros say they experience. It also reveals a lot about the immigrant experience in Spain. Being a mantero is a way to get by when they have few opportunities because of their undocumented status, Gueye says.
They live in fear; fear that they could be detained by the police at any time, specifically for selling counterfeit goods. They could be sent to a detention center for undocumented immigrants.
He also says they're often stopped by the police for no apparent reason, just walking down the street. Their visibility on the streets makes it even more difficult to stay out of trouble with law enforcement.
That's why the storefront has become so important for this community. In a bid to stave off any police attention, all the clothing in the store is legitimate and the store has all the proper documentation.
And Gueye wants the union and the store to help change the narrative about African immigrants, who he says are often portrayed as criminals.
They are not criminals, he says, they are just people who have traveled great distances — often under very dangerous circumstances — to try to have a different life.