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"Amid this global movement to end anti-Blackness, we credit these companies for answering our call swiftly and taking a clear stand for what's right so we can hold Facebook accountable for its racist policies," said Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, which is one of the groups organizing the boycott.
Almost 100 firms have joined the boycott so far, Robinson said, adding: "Facebook has a decision to make: adopt a civil rights infrastructure or continue to see key advertisers dropping from its platform."
[...] Most recently, the tension between Facebook and the content its users share has come to a head due to messages posted by President Donald Trump and his re-election campaign in the past month, amid nationwide protests in support of Black communities and against police violence. Twitter in late May took action against a Trump tweet by appending a warning that it glorified violence against protesters, in contravention of the site's rules. Facebook, however, took no action against the same content, and the company took heat from both civil rights advocates and employees over that choice.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday June 28 2020, @12:05AM (11 children)
Well, with any luck I'll be in Buffalo by early August and in Canada by late 2021. I don't want to be around for this crap when it hits the fan, which it is going to do. And I fear I'm too late by at least two years, but a girl's gotta try, you know?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @01:13AM (7 children)
Welcome to Buffalo! Grew up in the 'burbs and came back after college, in part because my work is tied to some specialized mechanical lab testing capability that is still here.
To me it's a nice middle ground between the east coast (expensive, culturally rich) and the mid-west (sort of a cultural flyover). 120 years ago, Buffalo was the Silicon Valley of the country and an industrial powerhouse, supported by big hydro at Niagara Falls. Plenty of neat museums keep track of the history (but many residents don't know about the history). Since the steel plants left in the 1970s the rust belt got going here and only now is downtown being renovated in a big way, with, for example, a lot of money spent at the original terminus of the Erie Canal.
Used to be that Canadians came from Toronto for the nightlife in Buffalo (really!) Now that's all switched around and some of the towns N of Buffalo along the Niagara River have become relatively low cost bedroom communities for Toronto.
Like a lot of big city police forces, the City of Buffalo has a cop problem (apparently their union is a big part of this). I was warned as a kid (1960s) to watch my step when downtown.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Sunday June 28 2020, @01:51AM (6 children)
Buffalo. Jesus. If you're from Buffalo you're already used to living in post-apocalyptic America.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @03:21AM (1 child)
Buffalo is nothing like that at all. There are a few gritty parts of downtown but out here in the 'burbs things are fine. The weather keeps things interesting, if you don't like it, just wait a half hour--that's what happens when you are between two of the Great Lakes. But for all that, the area has never seen 100F and rarely stays below 0F, all because of the moderation by the lakes. Of course we have plenty of good water and it's cheap--so cheap in the city of Buffalo that (last time I checked) it's not metered--water bills are based on the number of toilets/tubs/sinks in the house.
Perhaps 30 years ago, NY State started re-building roads with wide shoulders for biking and walking, now the majority of roads have 6 feet(2 meters) or more paved to the outside of the white line. Even on the big roads cycling is pretty nice. With infrastructure originally designed for a larger city, rush hour barely exists for car drivers, it's about 20 minutes to anywhere in the metro area.
We have Wegmans grocery (originally from Rochester NY) which regularly wins "Best place to work" awards. When I take visitors there from anywhere in the world, they all wish they had a similar market. Whole Foods tried to move in on Wegmans a few years ago, it's a little far for me but I've been a few times and the place is a ghost town, while Wegmans is always busy.
It's about a half hour to Niagara Falls, so naturally we take visitors and it's hard to get tired of seeing all the water from this corner of the continent at once, the sheer power is always amazing. There are all sort of interesting places around the Falls too that locals know about.
I'm a bit old for the music scene these days, but when I was younger, there were national touring acts coming through all the time, and this continues.
I'll stop boring you now, hopefully you realize that the image you have formed of Buffalo, from whatever sources, is far from complete.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Sunday June 28 2020, @07:27PM
Upstate New York is a fine region. The Finger Lakes are beautiful country. But while I'm glad you like Buffalo, to me it is one of the most depressing cities in America, about double what Detroit is. For my money, if a person wanted to live in a place called Buffalo they'd be much better off choosing Buffalo, WY, south of Sheridan and on the doorstep of the Bighorn National Forest, or even Buffalo, SD, NE of Devil's Tower.
To each his own.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday June 28 2020, @06:15PM (3 children)
Stay out of the East side, most of the South side, and mind your business downtown and you'll be fine. I've spent a grand total of about 96 hours in the city and already know a good chunk of it including most of Downtown and the West Side like the back of my hand. I have to admit my traumatized, burned-out mind prefers the slower pace of Erie, but this country isn't survivable anymore and it's not for nothing that I'm moving somewhere you can literally walk to Canada from.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Sunday June 28 2020, @07:11PM (2 children)
Sault Ste. Marie, MI, in the Upper Peninsula is what you want. You can walk across to Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Nobody is around in the UP to care, and the people on the Canadian side would scarce bat an eyelash it's so quiet on their side. Once there you can melt into the Lake Superior Highlands or the vast emptiness of Western Ontario and nobody would ever know different.
Buffalo is a psychic vortex from which few escape, and the Canadian side there is relatively populous and prosperous that they might object to Upper Mexicans (read: Americans) sneaking across the border.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday June 29 2020, @01:49AM (1 child)
I don't intend to "sneak," thank you *very* much. I am a certified pharmacy technician, registered with the PTCB, and passed the national qualifier with a perfect 1600 this February. I intend to start seeking interviews in Fort Erie, Hamilton, and Niagara Falls (Canadian side of course) as soon as the border opens, with the goal of securing a work permit and residency rights by 2022 if at all possible. Inpatient (hospital) is what I'll be aiming for but working in one of the numerous outpatient pharmacies is fine too. And, who knows? I may pursue an ultrasound cert to broaden my skillset before applying anywhere in Canada, since odds are the border's going to be closed a while.
How much time have you spent in Buffalo?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 29 2020, @02:50AM
I'm the AC above, born mid-50s, grew up in Buffalo suburbs. Had very little contact with downtown Buffalo until the end of high school. At that time I started helping older friends build a race car. Their shop was downtown and a block from the old "red light district" and I was there several nights every week. From my base of suburban naivety, I got an education in the seamier side of Buffalo very quickly!
For example, one of the older guys had kept in touch with a high school friend who was a member of the vice squad. He'd stop by in the evening and tell stories of idiot johns that he'd busted. He probably didn't tell us about the pimps that paid him off to leave their prostitutes alone...
Went to college in Boston, have spent lots of time in CA (consulting), but always came back to relaxed Western NY. No earthquakes, no poisonous snakes or plants (to speak of), almost no tornadoes, and as you say, Canada is right there to experience a different country (have a number of Canadian friends).
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday June 28 2020, @08:02AM
That is wise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @03:53PM (1 child)
if you love multiculturalism so much why are you fleeing our "diverse strength" and running to a whiter country (for now)?
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday June 28 2020, @06:17PM
Right now, pal, I live in Erie PA. This city is whiter than the inside of a jar of mayo in a blizzard if you go more than a mile off State Street. Go more than 5 miles, and you can actually hear banjos. And the places in Canada I intend to move into are very much multicultural :)
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...