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Black Oakland responds to white woman’s call to police

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More than a week ago, a white woman  tried to intimidate a Black family that was grilling in a park in Oakland, California. She tried to say the family was illegally grilling, although they were clearly in an area of the park marked for, well, grilling. As it is these days, someone began videotaping the woman, and then she called police. When the cops came, she acted as if she was the one being harassed, but the police weren’t having it and told her to get in her vehicle and go home. Of course the video went viral. But Oakland’s Black community had its own response, and on last Sunday (May 20), hundreds came out to the park for a BBQ that includes food, music and dancing. And it being an election year, several local candidates decided to also use the opportunity to court their constituents. The event was called “BBQing While Black.” Reports CNN, it “was one community’s powerful response to what many perceived as yet another example of everyday racism.” Jhamel Robinson, one of the organizers of “BBQing While Black,” told CNN: “It was disgusting and infuriating” referring to the video of the white woman’s harassment. “Also very offensive. But the video also inspired us to take action to show the togetherness in our community.”

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