The tragic killing of eight people at Atlanta area spas on Wednesday, six identified as Asian women, was just the latest incident to escalate tensions among Asian communities regarding a rise in racially-motivated attacks.
According to Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash. 10th District), one of four Korean Americans to be elected to Congress, there needs to be a reckoning on accountability when it comes to hate crimes.
"I think part of the frustration that a lot of us in the Asian community have right now is that these crimes are happening, and there doesn't seem to be an urgency to respond to it," she told Cheddar. "And I think that's why we are being so intentional about speaking out, holding rallies, and making sure that people do not erase us or make us invisible."
Strickland, who is also half Black, said that she's "concerned for the safety of communities of color, in general," particularly after marginalized groups had to be subjected to divisive rhetoric from former President Donald Trump over the past four years.
"Eight people died, and six of them, Asian women. And so there are a lot of elements to this crime that warrant our attention," she said of the March 17 massacre. "This has been going on, again, really since COVID."
Demanding Accountability of People in Power
While forcing a change in people's hearts and minds is not necessarily realistic, Strickland said that she expects some legislation to come down the pipeline to address criminal hate incidents but noted that since most such crimes are heavily local matters, addressing them requires buy-in from the community.
"I would say to people who are in the cities, on the ground, in the neighborhood, stay local, make sure you hold people accountable, and don't let up," she said.
The congresswoman also addressed remarks by Captain Jay Baker, a spokesman for the Cherokee County Sheriff, who described the Atlanta spa shooter as "having a really bad day" prior to the massacre and whose own social media posts came to light, which included images containing anti-Asian rhetoric.
"When these crimes are committed, we don't want to see people in positions of authority or law enforcement, like the sheriff did, making excuses for it," she said.
"We want to send a message that when you commit a hate crime in the United States, regardless of who the victim is, people want accountability. They want there to be consequences and repercussions."
Strickland explained that the Asian community has to continue applying pressure to those in power in order for real solutions to emerge.
"People must feel empowered to speak out and they must feel comfortable speaking out but just speak out if you have something to say," she said.
L’Oréal is doubling down on its investment in tech. The French beauty giant unveiled two new high-tech products ahead of CES 2022, aimed at simplifying the hair coloring process. Guive Balooch, global vice president of L’Oréal Technology Incubator, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's innovations for hair coloring, including the Colorsonic application device and the Coloright AI diagnostic tool.
After meeting by chance in an airport, legendary actor Bill Murray and world-renowned cellist Jan Vogler joined forces to put out an album of poetry and music, go on a European concert tour, and release a feature documentary. Murray and Vogler joined Cheddar to dish about the experiences taking their “New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization" on the road and filming the documentary that followed the pair, along with Mira Wang on violin and Vanessa Perez on piano, at their final show in Greece. "When this opportunity to play with Jan and Mira and Vanessa came along, I thought, well how bad can I be with these people behind me," Murray self-deprecatingly noted about his own musical talents.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals: Director of Programs at Alpine Ascents breaks down how to mentally and physically prepare for climbing Mount Everest; American Himalayan Foundation's Vice President discusses Sherpa culture and ethos, and why they are so critical to the climb; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'History by the Numbers.'
All around the world, speed limits are placed on public roads to promote car safety and save lives. In that same world, car manufacturers have continued to look for ways to build faster and faster cars. Despite the dangers of speeding, many drivers are guilty of pushing the pedal from time to time. With cars being such a prevalent culture in everyday life, especially in the US, it’s worth wondering what it would take for car companies to once and for all settle the argument of safety versus freedom.
A recent study by MSI uncovers a vast racial divide in influencer marketing. The research found a 35% racial pay gap between white and black influencers. This gap is extremely wider than the gap in other industries such as education, business, and finance. The research also suggests that brands and agencies have the power to close this gap. Tiffany Hardin, founder and CEO of Gild Creative Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Student loan collection company Navient agreed to cancel $1.7 billion in debt and paid more than $140 million in other penalties to settle a lawsuit over abusive lending practices. Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania who led negotiations in the settlement, joined Cheddar to go over the details of the company's predatory lending. "What Navient would do is charge [borrowers] these exorbitantly high rates, even though they knew people couldn't pay them or they would likely default on them," he explained.
Retail platform operator and delivery company, Foxtrot,
raised $100 million in a Series C round led by D1 Capital Partners. Foxtrot bills itself as the modern convenience store that combines what it calls in-store curated discovery with 30-minute delivery and 5-minute pickup. Since launching first as a digital-only delivery service, the company has since grown into a popular local retailer, opening 16 brick and mortar locations across Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, DC. Foxtrot co-founder and CEO Michael LaVitola joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
