Politics and Current
Meet Lilian Seenoi-Barr, the former Kenyan refugee who just made history as the first black mayor of Northern Ireland
Liam McBurney – PA Images / Contributor / Getty Images
Lilian Seenoi-Barr made history this week when she became the first black mayor of Northern Ireland. She was appointed Mayor of Derry City and Strabane at a special council meeting on Monday evening.
Ms Seenoi-Barr, who arrived there 14 years ago as a refugee from Kenya, said it was an honor to change into its first citizen. Once installed, Seenoi-Top addressed the council chamber, thanking everyone who traveled from Kenya for “a historic moment for Derry”, confirming that their presence “signifies unity and shared pride between our communities”, According to BBC News.
“Many of you know that I am deeply proud of my Maasai heritage, rich in culture and tradition,” he said Seenoi-Top. “Growing up as one of 14 siblings in a Maasai village, I was raised in a home full of love, unity, hard work and a commitment to justice and freedom – values that I carry forward in my service.”
“But my story of being a Maasai and a Derry girl began in 2010, when I came to this city in search of safety and a better life,” she added Seenoi-Top. “If you had told me then that I can be sitting here today as the mayor of the second city in the north, I do not think I or anyone in my family would have believed it… Since I arrived, Derry has embraced me, it has truly given me family, community and now the honor of serving first citizen”.
The 42-year-old is not any stranger to breaking barriers – just last 12 months she made headlines for the extraordinary achievement of becoming the first black woman to be elected to “public office in Northern Ireland” as a councilor.
However, not everyone was completely happy with this development and unfortunately since the mayor’s announcement, Seenoi-Barr admitted that she had been subjected to “racist abuse and death threats.” However, she said that while the threats were hurtful, she also had tremendous support across the island from community organizations and politicians who showed solidarity,” RTE, Irish national public media reports.
“Of course, in recent weeks, some have viewed this historic moment as a threat, and it is no secret that it has sparked anti-immigrant sentiment,” he countered. Seenoi-Top. “It reminded us of the issues we face as a community, but I know these feelings have no place in Derry and have not been reflected among the majority of people in our city and borough.”
“Instead, since my appointment, I even have witnessed the warmth and kindness of Derry, which I do know and love with all my heart. The Ireland I do know and the Derry where I even have made my house is a friendly and generous place where everyone, regardless of background, can thrive,” he said. Seenoi-Top. “My nomination is a celebration of difference, of a changing Northern Ireland where the binaries of the past are breaking down. We are not any longer just green and orange, we’ve got a likelihood to make recent decisions and construct a brand new, united community.
“I won’t hold back from working as hard as I can for my entire community. I can be a mayor for everybody, accessible and leading with hope… The significance of this moment is just not lost on me. This role is a possibility of a lifetime and I’ll approach it with the utmost seriousness and commitment,” he added mayor he stated.
During her tenure as MayorSeenoi-Barr said it could work to eradicate “poverty, attract investment and support young people to reach their full potential, create jobs and promote high-quality, affordable housing.”
Politics and Current
Bernice King explains why she’s “glad” Trump’s inauguration falls on Martin Luther King Day
When Donald Trump is sworn in because the forty seventh president of the United States at his inauguration on January 20, 2025, it would coincidentally fall on the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent within the 2024 presidential election, had hoped that the day would as a substitute be a historic moment in Black history, with Harris being sworn in as the primary Black female president and only the second Black president in 248 -year history of the nation.
For many, the contrast between Trump’s inauguration and MLK Day is stark, considering Dr. King could be politically against Trump’s MAGA program.
King’s daughter, Dr. Bernice King, said that while there may be a “stark contrast” between her father’s ethos of “love and justice” and Trump’s record that “sanctions hatred and injustice,” she is “gratified” that the 2 events happened collide .
“The moment of the inauguration on MLK Day is a powerful reminder of the values my father represented – unity, equality and non-violence. It challenges us to reflect on our leadership and the direction we are heading as a nation.” he said Bernice King in a public statement.
She continued: “The inauguration coinciding with my father’s day is not about comparing individuals, but about all leaders upholding the standards of love and justice that Dr. King exemplified. This is a call to uphold these enduring values in our leadership and governance.”
Civil rights leaders have expressed concerns a couple of second Trump administration, given Trump’s vow to ban equity programs aimed toward eliminating long-standing racial disparities that may impact Black and brown Americans within the areas of business, education, health care and housing.
Bernice King described Trump as “someone who spreads hateful rhetoric” eloquent The independent president-elect “has not been very kind” and that his “policies are not humane.”
Wiley added: “We have seen him announce mass deportations that, frankly, will focus on communities of color. “We already know what he has promised to do, including using the military against his own citizens… all of this will become very real, very soon.”
“While MLK Day is a vacation, it has at all times been a day of re-engagement and acknowledgment that the work just isn’t yet done. Donald Trump’s second inauguration will probably be a stark reminder of that fact,” Batchelor said.
He continued: “A country that can on the same day celebrate a national holiday honoring a freedom fighter and hand over the presidency to an authoritarian peddler of white nationalism is a country still at war with its identity.”
Batchelor said Jan. 20 is the time when the United States must ask itself: “What form of country do we would like to grow to be? King’s dream or Donald Trump’s nightmare scenario?
He added: “This should also galvanize us into action. It should inspire us to take up the mantle of protest, peaceful resistance, social and economic justice, and radical love in the face of noisy hatred.”
Politics and Current
Atlanta teen seen in video explodes at AT&T store after mom allegedly disconnects cell phone service, sparking thousands of shocked reactions
A teen’s explosive outburst at a cellphone store has attracted hundreds of thousands of views online.
The clip, posted to TikTok by user @wydchichii with the caption “Her mom cut off her phone,” shows the mother-daughter duo at an AT&T store because the teenage daughter pleads together with her mother.
The video begins with the teenager jumping wildly before grabbing her mother by the neck and screaming, “MOMMY, PLEASE!”
Outraged by her daughter’s hysterical tantrum, her mother shouts at her: “Shut the hell up!”
The daughter screams loudly and with tears in her eyes: “Please!” together with his arms spread wide, begging his mother to alter her mind. At one point she slams her hand on the table, prompting her mother to again tell her to calm down.
The video cuts to a segment where the mother tries to take her daughter outside and he or she puts her arm round her neck and grabs her, continuing to plead together with her mother.
As the 2 reach the exit, the daughter falls to the ground contained in the store, continuing her fierce protest against her mother’s actions.
The clip ends with the lady and her daughter standing next to an Atlanta police vehicle and appearing to proceed arguing.
The melodramatic breakdown attracted nearly 17 million views on TikTok in at some point and tens of thousands of comments from viewers expressing shock at such a dramatic outburst.
“Having a full tantrum in a store is a terrible job,” one person commented. “She would never get another call from me,” one other person said, referring to what she would do if she were her mother.
This generation is different – somewhat too different for those who ask me,” one other comment said.
Earlier this 12 months, a 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl was charged with allegedly killing her mother after her cell phone was taken from her. A teen has expressed “regret, guilt and self-loathing” for stabbing her mother after the 2 allegedly argued over her mobile phone use.
However, some commenters blame the Atlanta mother for the explosive interaction.
“Parents need to set limits on the amount of time their children use any mobile device. They need to read more,” wrote one person on X.
According to clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, parents should monitor their kid’s phone use as soon as they get their first phone. When children ask for a phone, parents can set strict rules at first that might be relaxed over time.
Love he said Parenting Magazine that it is important for fogeys to look at out for the signs of phone addiction in teens.
“I would be concerned if a young person couldn’t regulate their emotions or fall asleep at night without access to a phone,” she said. “This can be prevented by having some basic parameters around phone access, such as banning phones in bedrooms, during meals, during in-person family gatherings, and so on. However, if it is too late and the young person becomes addicted to the phone to calm down, this should be taken seriously.”
Politics and Current
Kamala Harris Considers Running for Governor in 2026 and Returning to the Presidency in 2028
After a devastating and decisive defeat to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris is keeping her options open regarding her political future once she leaves office next 12 months.
Harris told her advisers and close allies: ‘I’ll stay in the fight’ Policy reports. However, it isn’t known what this fight will appear like.
According to Harris’ inner circle, the vice chairman is considering a run for California governor when Gov. Gavin Newsom’s term-limited term ends in 2026. Harris also hasn’t ruled out running for president again in 2028. However, insiders told the news outlet that it’s unlikely Harris could achieve this each.
While Harris, who left Washington last week for a vacation to Hawaii along with her family and advisers, has loads of time to resolve her next move, those close to the vice chairman have made clear she is going to remain a critical voice of Trump and his recent administration.
Politico notes that another choice for Harris is to create an independent entity as former vice chairman in which she would proceed to travel the country, give speeches and maintain political relationships if she runs for public office again.
Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic strategist who’s a detailed adviser to Harris, told Politico that the vice chairman gained “a lot of political capital” as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024. Although Harris lost the presidential election, including the popular vote, she won the most votes of any presidential candidate Democrats outside of President Joe Biden’s 2020 vote totals.
“You can’t waste this by making rash decisions,” Brazile said.
According to the latest survey conducted by Puck News/Echelon InsightsHarris stays the favorite of influential Democrats in a possible 2028 presidential campaign. The vice chairman won 41% amongst those polled, well above average support for Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Republican Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others.
Democratic strategist Joel Payne said he “doesn’t see why Kamala Harris doesn’t have a place in the future of the Democratic Party,” noting that she only has 100 days to construct a presidential campaign after President Biden dropped out of the race three months before Election Day .
Even as Democrats pointed fingers at one another after Trump’s victory, Payne added: “I believe Kamala Harris has something to be pleased with. I believe it will be shortsighted to just lay it at the feet of Kamala Harris, which is what happened to Democrats this cycle.
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