African Americans in Taiwan yesterday held a rally in Taipei to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, and were joined by Aboriginal rights advocates who spoke out about all racist violence.
The movement has gained renewed momentum after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died on May 25 when white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, sparking worldwide protests against police brutality and racism.
The rally, which started at 2pm in front of the National Taiwan Museum, attracted nearly 300 people, according to police estimates.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Stefanie Davis, of the Black Lives Solidarity Global Initiative, said that it was important to show solidarity with people in the US, where there have been numerous protests and rallies.
Asked how the group expects Taiwanese to respond to the event, Davis said they hope to change stereotypes about black people and promote mutual understanding.
“There are more [black] people than just besides the NBA players that you watch on TV. They are real people,” she said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
She said she hopes that when Taiwanese meet a black person, they would say “hello” instead of making comments, such as: “Oh, curly hair. What is going on?”
At the rally, KG Aniah said he got involved with the event for three reasons: “One, because I’m black. Two, because I’m black. Three, because I’m black.”
He said that it is time to give their parents and grandparents a rest, an apparent reference to previous rights movements, and stop being silent and start taking action to make a change.
Savungaz Valincinan, representing members of the Indigenous Youth Front, spoke at the rally in her native Bunun, saying: “Keep breathing.”
She said this is the first rally they joined that was organized by black people, with whom they empathized, as Aborigines have also experienced racism and exploitation.
Apart from speeches and performances, there were solemn recollections, including when people knelt on one knee in remembrance of Floyd and observed nine minutes of silence for black people killed by police.
John Liu (劉仲恩), a National Taiwan University associate professor of sociology, attended the rally with his family.
He said they have lived in several places across the US where they had become friends with many black people and empathize with the movement.
Racial prejudice is deep-rooted and manifests through different forms in the US, but has become more apparent during US President Donald Trump’s administration, he said.
University of Puget Sound associate professor of philosophy Sam Liao (廖顯禕) also attended the rally with his children.
The rally is a good opportunity for Taiwanese to observe different forms of oppression, while reflecting on their own prejudice against black people, Aborigines, Southeast Asian migrants and other minorities, he said.
VOTERS’ CHOICE: The DPP’s Chen and independent candidate Huang conceded defeat before 7:20pm, with Chiang pledging to remain humble and do his best Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday won the Taipei mayoral election, with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate defeating the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) pick, former minister of health and welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), and former Taipei deputy mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊), an independent. After polling stations closed at 4pm, the Taipei Election Commission issued a preliminary estimate that voter turnout in the city was about 64 percent, slightly lower than in 2018. Chiang, 43, is to be the youngest Taipei mayor ever, with the KMT regaining the capital after eight years. Chen had an exceptionally high national approval rating when he was head
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Chiang was effective in running a cautious campaign to avoid making mistakes, waiting for other candidates to slip up, an analyst said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei Mayor-elect Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) stood out among his rivals due to his energy, his die-hard supporters and his relative openness to discuss issues such as same-sex marriage, a political analyst said yesterday. Chiang’s campaign was also aided by his family’s background in politics, which helped him garner greater support in Taipei where there is a large KMT base, said the analyst, who chose to remain anonymous. “Chiang is also not a typical KMT member when it comes to certain issues, such as gay marriage, and his more open stance widened his support base — particularly among young
First-time politician Mai Yamada’s (山田摩衣) Japanese name has attracted attention in Chinese-language media after her win in the New Taipei City Council election on Saturday. Born to a Taiwanese mother and Japanese father, the 32-year-old Taiwanese-Japanese stood out after becoming one of nine elected city councilors in Banciao District (板橋) in the nation’s local government elections on Saturday. Although she has a Japanese name, she grew up and was educated in Taiwan, Yamada said, adding that “Taiwan is my home.” Before running for local government, Yamada, who speaks fluent Japanese and English, was Legislative Speaker You Si-kun’s (游錫堃) secretary. She has been involved in
Mask easing: Teachers are allowed to take their masks off while lecturing indoors, but students should keep theirs on, as COVID-19 measures ease this week The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday released new on-campus COVID-19 prevention guidelines, stating that masks can be taken off while exercising, singing, dancing, performing, taking photographs, dining, drinking, video and voice recording, hosting events, presenting speeches and lecturing outdoors. Large outdoor events organized by schools should comply with the mask regulations issued by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), it added. The new guidelines came into effect yesterday, and people in Taiwan are no longer required to wear masks outdoors for the first time since May 19 last year. The CECC announced the easing of the mask mandate on Monday, adding that it
RSS