Dear Diary,
James White, a Minneapolis native who has lived in Asia for over 30 years, hopes George Floyd’s death while in police custody on May 25 will be a turning point for racial equality in the United States.
White, who has worked for global sports, events and talent management company IMG, Total Sports Asia, International Basketball Federation and NBL Asia among others, still has family in Minneapolis, the epicentre of the reignited Black Lives Matter movement.
“It feels different, somehow. It is an unfortunate incident but it has raised awareness about the importance of black lives,” White said about Floyd – a 46-year-old a black man who died after police officer Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes while the former was handcuffed face down in the streets of Minneapolis.
“A lot of white people have been reaching out to me saying ‘Oh I can’t believe we have ignored this’ and ‘We’ve got to do something’. It’s the first time I’ve received such messages from non-blacks … despite all the violence against, and shootings of, black people through the years.
“I think and hope this time, it will be different.”
But White knows it won’t be easy.
“I hope change comes, but the biggest change is, inside of people, right? You can’t make a law to change how a person feels,” said White, who recently started his own company, ResultX Asia.
“That will take generations, in terms of getting everyone to be open, to being friends and loving all people. That takes longer.
“But I see how people have reacted this time and that fills me with hope.”
White said his children Anjani and Dante, and his ex-wife Ivo, have been actively donating food and helping to clean up the neighbourhoods following the protests and scattered riots which hit the city.
Since Floyd’s death, there have been protests not just in the United States, but in several other countries as well.
“(US President Donald) Trump’s supporters are trying to show black people (who are protesting) are criminals as there were some looting and rioting.
“That’s certainly not true. There were some incidents, yes but by and large the protests have been peaceful and it is about the cause.
“I hope the peaceful protests continue as it will show Trump’s supporters are wrong.
He added many Americans are starting to turn against Trump and that the US President has lost support for his handling of the incident.
“If this is the spark which gets Trump out of office, Floyd will probably be smiling down on us.”
For live updates of what’s happening in the US, click here.
Back home, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to make an announcement regarding the Conditional Movement Control Order at 2pm tomorrow (live on RTM, Bernama TV, TV3 and Astro Awani).
Here’s how Day 81 of the Movement Control Order (MCO) unfolded.
7.35am: TORTURE TIME– After nearly three months, it’s boot camp ala physical distancing. I’m surprised I survived!
9.35am: REWARD – After buying some groceries, I make my way gingerly to breakfast for some wan tan mee with char siew and siew yuk.
10.45am: INSPIRATION – The breakfast encouraged me to make my own roast pork.
12.05pm: TIME TO ZZZZ
2pm: BARBERSHOPS MAKE THE CUT – Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob says barbershops, hairdressing salons and beauty parlours can resume operations on June 10 while open markets, morning markets, night markets and bazaars can resume operations on June 15.
3.59pm: INDIA REELING – India overtakes Italy’s Covid-19 tally as lockdown easing looms. It now has 236,000 cases. India has fewer infections than the United States, Brazil, Russia, Britain and Spain, and its Covid-19 death toll is only 6,642, relatively small compared with those nations.
4.19pm: MAS, PETRONAS GET NEW CHIEFS – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announces Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin as the new Malaysia Airlines Berhad chairman. He also names Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz as Petronas president/CEO. Both appointments are effective July 1.
5pm: ANOTHER DEATH – For the second day running, Malaysia recorded one death from Covid-19, bringing the total to 117. There are 37 new infections, making it 8.303 cases in total. Another 25 patients have been discharged, meaning 6,635 people have been cured.
6pm: REMEMBERING D-DAY
On this day.
D-Day 6th June 1944.
Operation Overlord consisted primarily of British, American & Canadian troops but also included Australian, Greek, Belgium, Czech, Dutch, French, New Zealand, Norwegian, Rhodesian & Polish Naval, Air & Ground support. pic.twitter.com/8TEMZcFxG7— TomSelby. (@TruthJavelin) June 6, 2020
7.20pm: OPENING UP – Sri Lanka’s tourism industry can reopen for foreign guests from August but under strict guidelines, including multiple Covid-19 tests during their stay.
8pm: ROCK AND ROLL IS ALIVE! (AND IT LIVES IN MINNEAPOLIS) – Here’s a song by Prince celebrating Minneapolis.
