‘Racism fight long overdue’

SAYING the fight against racism was long overdue, US Ambassador to TT Joseph Mondello made an impromptu visit to a Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally on Monday at the Queen’s Park Savannah opposite the US Embassy.

Unlike last week, when the daily protests garnered a few people, hundreds were in attendance in support of the US-based BLM civil rights protest movement.

Mondello and his security detail were escorted by an activist and walked among protesters who maintained physical distancing while holding placards. Mondello later met with activist/musician Muhammad Muwakil. “I’m here because I believe in what these men and women are trying to transmit,” Mondello told Newsday.

“There are problems in our society that have to be alleviated.” Mondello then revealed that he had attended a school in Brooklyn in an area 80 per cent black and 20 per cent white. “If you didn’t get along together, you just didn’t make it. It is a shame the US didn’t develop so that people can get along.”

Hailing the protesters for wearing masks and keeping physical distancing amid the covid19 threat, Mondello said he was glad there was no violence at the rally unlike those in the US.

BLM rallies worldwide have been held daily in response to the May 25 killing of George Floyd, a black father, by a white police officer who used his knee to press on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. That officer, Derek Chauvin, appeared in a US court on Monday charged with second-degree murder in Floyd’s death.

Some of the protests in the US, after Floyd’s death, turned into looting of stores by both black and white people. Of the protest in PoS on Monday, Mondello said, “I’m impressed by how they handled it.” Saying violence is never warranted (at these protests) Mondello added he understands the aggravation and frustration people are under because of racial inequality. “And this has got to be corrected.”

He hailed TT protesters as “very polite and very nice,” adding, “They handled themselves beautifully.” Asked why he was attending, he said, “Because I wanted to.” He said growing up in Brooklyn before joining the US Army had made him aware of the race issue.

Mondello, 82, is described in his online profile as being of mixed Sicilian and Puerto Rican descent. Asked about racism in the US over the years, he said, “It is long overdue that something gets done about it.”

Is he in solidarity with the BLM movement? “I’m here. I’m not a believer in violence. It has got to stop short of violence.” He said peaceful demonstrations are okay in both the US and TT. “Get along with everybody. We’d solve so many problems and stop some wars.”

Activist Muwakil told Newsday that powerful white allies are important in the struggle for racial equality and the ambassador had agreed to soon meet a group of local activists. “He has opened himself to having a meeting with us after this. We’ll contact him to have a meeting on any concerns we have.”

Protests in support of the BLM movement have been held in cities across the US, in the UK, France, Canada, Australia and elsewhere.