Arizona State University’s George Floyd Exhibit: A Black Conservative Perspective

Arizona State University’s George Floyd Exhibit: A Black Conservative Perspective

By Tiffany Benson |

As I walked into the gallery and beheld the portrait of this so-called martyr wearing a crown of thorns, several thoughts rushed to my mind:

“What a sickening display of blasphemy and foolishness.”

“This generation has no shame as they build altars to worship a criminal.”

“This is what a cult of victimhood looks like.”

“Americans should be alarmed that this exists on our soil.”

When I heard about “Twin Flames: The George Floyd Uprising from Minneapolis to Phoenix” at Arizona State University, I knew I had to see this abomination for myself.

Over the last few years, I observed how ignorant and dangerous college students have become. What’s worse is how older generations are playing along and encouraging the demoralization of society. And maybe it’s just me, but I sense this diabolical agenda, hellbent on shackling black folks to a race-based, trauma narrative, that incites outrage among some of the most privileged people in the world.

George Floyd exhibit at ASU
George Floyd is depicted wearing a crown of thorns at an ASU exhibit.

Yes, I said it. Twenty-first-century, black Americans are privileged, protected, and honored citizens. Those who discern this truth have seized every opportunity to innovate themselves. But those overcome by a victim mentality—the ones who see themselves as hopeless casualties of “systemic oppression”—are wasting away in a mental prison of personal failures and moral decay. The appropriate mascot for the latter could be none other than a black man who chose a life of substance and crime. If this is what it means to identify as a member of the black community, then we are to be pitied above all ethnic groups.

George Floyd was not a saint. He was an eight-time convicted criminal who didn’t think twice about robbing a pregnant woman while holding a gun to her belly. Floyd wasn’t targeted and murdered by Derek Chauvin. Floyd was high on drugs and resisting arrest after attempting to pass counterfeit bills in a corner store. An autopsy—that was strategically withheld from the public in 2020—revealed that he died from acute complications related to substance abuse while under the restraint of a trained police officer. Chauvin’s negligence in regard to seeking medical attention for Floyd’s condition is debatable, but this doesn’t change the facts.

Of course, George Floyd was a human being. He has children, family, and friends. Whether those relationships were loving or dysfunctional, kind or cruel, the world may never truly know. Floyd has been reduced to a token for the Marxist “defund the police” movement. He’s forever enshrined as the cash cow that overflowed the coffers of corrupt Black Lives Matter leaders. And for all the blood money amassed in his name, there’s no record of predominantly black neighborhoods, schools, or businesses receiving a dime. If so, it’s the greatest story yet to be told.

Various displays from the George Floyd exhibit at ASU.

When I consider the venom spewed by loud-mouth activists like Al Sharpton, lowlife politicians like Maxine Waters, and progressive pundits like Joy Reid—all privileged, racist, black people, by the way—I’m appalled at how they use their platforms to shamelessly perpetuate a culture of death among black Americans. Another disgraced public figure who totes the systemic oppression narrative is The View co-host, Sunny Hostin.

During an episode featuring South Carolina Representative Tim Scott, Hostin revealed that she’s convinced all successful black people (herself included) are an exception to the rule. What’s the rule? A life of crime, violence, poverty, discrimination, and dejection. Hmm… Well, the black people I know who wear these labels and wallow in these circumstances typically identify as Democrats. But regardless of political ideology, the black community must face harsh realities:

  • Black men are not going extinct at the hands of white cops—the 2019 black-on-black homicide rate of 80% to 90% tells me they’re predominantly victims of other black men. When I saw the “Stop Killing Black People” cardboard display at ASU, I immediately thought: “We need to stop killing our own people!”
  • Systemic racism is not an existential threat to black people—abortion is an existential threat to black people. With 2019 estimations between 35% and 39%, black women have the highest abortion rates in the U.S. In no uncertain terms, I’d say this is the culprit in the case of black genocide.
  • Single-parent families are the highest among black Americans—one 2022 statistic showed that over 50% of black children were living without a father figure in the home.

Now, I’ve yet to hear sound justification for how white people or white supremacy are to blame for these overwhelming demographics. How is it a white person’s fault if a black man murders another black man, or a black woman dismembers her unborn child? Exactly how is white supremacy the root cause of having unprotected sex with (multiple) people you’re not married to? Am I missing something? Is it because my mind is free that I’m incapable of connecting these dots? I’m a lifetime learner, so feel free to enlighten me.

I wasn’t alone when I visited the George Floyd shrine. I invited a friend, an ASU student, who happens to be a young, Christian, white male (white supremacy incarnate, according to the left). After chatting with him about his family history, I discovered he grew up under dire circumstances that I (a black woman) never experienced. During the tour, the volume and rapidity of our discussions convinced me that we shared the same frustration and sense of urgency about the communist movements overtaking America’s youth. Multiple times my friend expressed regret for wasting so much time and money studying at ASU.

Another display at the George Floyd exhibit at ASU.

For the record, I love my community. Black people are vibrant (a.k.a. loud), talented, beautiful, funny, accomplished, highly intelligent and influential. Unfortunately, black culture, like any other, has a tendency to be toxic and backwards. Of course, I’m not blind to our nation’s sinful past. History is recorded for a reason; Confederate statues should remain in open squares for a reason. Future generations must continue to engage in candid, ethical discussions about such issues as American slavery, racism, and bigotry—all intrinsically traced back to the Democratic Party. Inevitably, some in society will stereotype and profile black people, especially if they’ve only viewed them at their worst in the public sphere.

When I see a black columnist dub Larry Elder the “black face of white supremacy”; when I hear a black, pseudo intellectual say Winsome Sears has a “black mouth moving with white ideas running on the runway of the tongue”; when a black Democrat calls a black Republican an “Uncle Tom” —I’m only more convinced that the greatest threats to the black community come from within, not without. Furthermore, if you’re someone who thinks black lives only matter when criminals encounter white police officers, and don’t live to tell their side of the story, then your mind is pretty far gone. I’ll be praying for you.

I could say more, but I’ll leave my community with these words of encouragement: Your destiny is not tied to what white people will or won’t do for you. Nobody owes you anything. You are not a victim. Your identity is not bound to black culture. It’s unnecessary to put the word “black” in front of “excellence” or “joy.” We are not a monolith. We need to respect the fact that being “black in America” means different things to different people. Regardless of where you came from or what you’ve come through, God has given this generation the liberty to break off cycles of trauma and leave this world better than we found it.

Be set free.

Tiffany is the Founder of Restore Parental Rights in Education, a grassroots advocate for families, educators, and school board members. For nearly two decades, Tiffany’s creative writing pursuits have surpassed most interests as she continues to contribute to her blog Bigviewsmallwindow.com. She encourages everyday citizens to take an active role in defending and preserving American values for future generations.

ASU Art Exhibit Features Image Of George Floyd Wearing Crown Of Thorns

ASU Art Exhibit Features Image Of George Floyd Wearing Crown Of Thorns

By Elizabeth Troutman |

A speaker at Arizona State University’s George Floyd-themed art exhibit claimed Floyd died for “each and every last one of us.”

“Had not George Floyd died, we wouldn’t be here,” said Eliza Wesley, Minneapolis resident and “gatekeeper” of the Square. “God chose him. He was a chosen vessel.” 

Wesley said she “almost had an emotional breakdown” on her way to the exhibit in response to Floyd’s death, the four year anniversary of which is on May 25. 

The art exhibit, titled “Twin Flames: The George Floyd Uprising from Minneapolis to Phoenix,” features Black Lives Matter 2020 protest posters and an image of Floyd wearing a crown of thorns.  

The exhibit opened Feb. 3 and will remain at the ASU Art Museum until July 28. According to the website, the exhibit showcases “the thousands of offerings laid by mourners and protesters at George Floyd Square.”

“This exhibition recognizes that creative and artistic expressions of pain and hope exist beyond the walls of museums, in all forms and a myriad of cultural expressions, and that George Floyd Square is a public space that can teach us how to mobilize as we mourn victims of police violence and imagine a more just world,” ASU’s description of the exhibition reads. 

Frontlines Turning Point USA shared the video of Wesley’s speech on X. The exhibit “features shocking imagery and narratives that elevate Floyd to a near-mythical status,” Frontlines wrote. 

Other featured posters include messages such as “Racial trauma runs deep but together we rise,” and “Justice for black Americans.” 

Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.

Cop Imprisoned In Tucson For George Floyd’s Death Expected To Survive Stabbing

Cop Imprisoned In Tucson For George Floyd’s Death Expected To Survive Stabbing

By Corinne Murdock |

Derek Chauvin, the former Minnesota police officer imprisoned for the murder and civil rights violations of George Floyd, is expected to survive the stabbing he sustained last Friday at Tucson’s Federal Correctional Institution (FCI). 

The incident was initially shrouded in mystery, with Chauvin’s identity released via an anonymous source to AP News, and his family kept in the dark. 

Chauvin’s mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, was not informed of the stabbing for over 24 hours after it occurred, Alpha News reported. Pawlenty found out about the attack on her son through the media.

“How the hell do these news agencies know and his own mother doesn’t even know? And that [prison] has an emergency contact number [for me],” said Pawlenty.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison later confirmed to the media that Chauvin was the unidentified prisoner attacked. 

A little over a week before the stabbing, Chauvin made his first public statement to Alpha News in their documentary, “The Fall of Minneapolis,” calling his trial and sentencing “a sham.” Chauvin said that he followed his department’s Maximal Restraint Technique policy as required of him.

One of Chauvin’s attorneys, Bill Mohrman, said at the time that the Bureau of Prisons hadn’t responded to their request for information about Chauvin’s condition, even after media reports.

Another of Chauvin’s attorneys, Gregory Erickson, told outlets on Monday that the prison refused to provide him information about his client’s condition and the attack until Chauvin signed consent papers. Erickson told reporters that both he and members of Chauvin’s family had reached out to the prison multiple times to no avail.

FCI Tucson issued a press release that Chauvin was attacked around noon and that his injuries required “life-saving” medical intervention. The prison disclosed that they had also notified the FBI of the attack.

“Responding employees initiated life-saving measures for one incarcerated individual. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were requested while life-saving efforts continued,” said the prison. “The incarcerated individual was transported by EMS to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation.”

FCI Tucson is a medium security prison with just under 400 inmates total, both male and female. Chauvin was transferred to the prison last August from the Minnesota state prison. Unlike in Minnesota, Chauvin wasn’t kept in solitary confinement at FCI Tucson. 

Chauvin is facing two concurrent sentences: 22 years for second-degree murder, and 21 years for civil rights violations. The Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction last week, just days before the attack. 

Floyd’s autopsy determined that his cause of death wasn’t from Chauvin kneeling on his neck, contrary to popular belief. Rather, it was concluded that Floyd’s demise came from the conjunction of preexisting health conditions — coronary heart disease characterized by an enlarged heart and untreated hypertension, with one artery blocked about 75 percent, and inflamed lungs — as well as a drug cocktail of 19 ng/ML of methamphetamine, 11 ng/ML of fentanyl, and 5.6 ng/ML of norfentanyl in his system. The fentanyl alone was determined to be a fatal dosage.

“The autopsy revealed no physical evidence suggesting that Mr. Floyd died of asphyxiation. Mr. Floyd did not exhibit signs of petechiae, damage to his airways or thyroid, brain bleeding, bone injuries, or internal bruising,” stated the report. “That is a fatal level of fentanyl under normal circumstances.”

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

BLM’s Failure Is a Blessing in Disguise

BLM’s Failure Is a Blessing in Disguise

By Dr. Thomas Patterson |

I don’t know about you, but the first time I heard the slogan “Black Lives Matter” I thought it was, well…curious. Whoever said otherwise these days? Wasn’t that obvious?

I soon discovered the depths of my naïveté. The tip-off was realizing that “All Lives Matter” was not a more inclusive iteration of the same concept, but its opposite—racist fighting words. People were vilified and fired for saying them.

It turned out that BLM was a “social justice” organization focused primarily on “intervening in violence inflicted on black communities by the state and vigilantes,” i.e. police.

But this wasn’t your typical well-intentioned social advocacy group. Its founders were Marxist activists. BLM’s goals included not only stirring racial violence, but destruction of the nuclear family and eliminating capitalism.

BLM started as a loose confederation of underfunded organizers. But their fortunes changed after George Floyd’s death in 2020. Suddenly, radical racism became a lucrative business. Over $90 million came pouring in, even though BLM did no solicitation and was not even IRS qualified to receive it.

BLM became wildly popular. Its tenets became influential in crafting Democratic party policy. Corporate executives, ever vigilant to burnish their woke credentials, praised it and donated lavishly. Sports teams stitched BLM onto their uniforms.

BLM initially parked the money with sister organizations who had IRS certification. After BLM’s nonprofit status was established, $66.5 million was immediately transferred into its account.

Here’s where the story gets murky. BLM cofounder Patrisse Cullors issued an “impact report” in February 2021, claiming operating expenses of $8.4 million and $21.7 million in grants to local affiliates, but no further detail was provided. The rest of the funding was unaccounted for. Moreover, BLM has yet to file their IRS annual report required last November.

Meanwhile, Cullors resigned last May amid reports that, absent any other known sources of income, she had purchased millions of dollars in prime real estate. The two activists she appointed to assume the helm of BLM declined the offer.

The worm had turned. Charity Watch described BLM as a “ghost ship full of treasure with no captain, no crew no and no clear direction.” Other philanthropy watchdogs also withdrew their endorsements.

Washington and California ordered BLM to cease fundraising and Amazon kicked BLM off its charity platform. Antagonizing California, Washington, and Amazon had to be unprecedented for a radical leftist outfit!

The BLM scam, wasting the funds, was actually a good thing. According to the website Candid, nonprofits devoted to “racial equity” raised $25 billion total post-George Floyd. Yet the “accomplishments” of these groups have been demonstrably harmful to blacks.

Their main policy goal was to “defund the police,” the prime cause of the everyday genocide purportedly inflicted on young black men. That didn’t turn out well.

In 2019, 7,777 Blacks  were murdered, 53% of all homicide victims. After the “defund the police” movement succeeded in jurisdictions across the country, 9,941 blacks were murdered the next year, indicating 2,000 lives were lost due to a failed ideology.

Blacks are repeatedly informed that thousands of unarmed black victims are killed by police each year, but the numbers tell a different story. As Heather Mac Donald points out, in 2019, the year 7,777 blacks were killed, police accidentally shot a total of nine unarmed blacks, one for each of the 800 murder victims. Decimating and denigrating the thin blue line was a tragic mistake, especially for Blacks themselves.

BLM can’t be reformed because it is based on the concept that there is social good in driving the races apart, since one is inherently predisposed to oppressing the other. Media and academic elites, playing upon the historical realities of black victimhood and white guilt, insist racism is deeply ingrained in American culture, the core influence in our history.

Americans must decide. Do we concede the future of permanent tribalism advanced by BLM, the 1619 Project, and Critical Race Theory?

Or do we still believe in the vision of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and MLK that Americans can achieve another historic first. We can establish a multi-racial society where race really doesn’t matter and we all share the Dream of living united as Americans.

Flagstaff Will Send Behavioral Health Specialists For Certain 911 Calls

Flagstaff Will Send Behavioral Health Specialists For Certain 911 Calls

By Corinne Murdock |

Flagstaff will now have behavioral health specialists and medics answering 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and public intoxication. The city council approved a $2.6 million contract during Tuesday’s meeting for the “alternative response mobile unit” service offered by Terros Health.

According to the council’s executive summary of the contract, the mobile response units will only operate from 10 am to 8 pm. They will also have “cultural items” on board in addition to the medical basics.

The mobile response unit will be conducting proactive outreach and responding to calls in a van. The van will provide enough space for specialized equipment for basic life safety response, in addition to comfort items such as water and snacks, emergency clothing, toiletries, blankets and cultural items like abalone shells, sage and cedar and the ability to transport individuals as needed.

Flagstaff Mayor Paul Deasy tweeted the news on Wednesday.

“We did it! In a few months, a behavioral health specialist and medic will respond to 9-1-1 calls around mental health and public intoxication, diverting calls that don’t require police presence,” wrote Deasy. “Council approved the contract with Terros Health. A defining moment for Flagstaff!”

https://twitter.com/MayorDeasy/status/1445748957674496002

Flagstaff’s decision to assign certain 911 calls to response teams of behavioral specialists and medics is part of a larger national movement – one that picked up speed after the death of George Floyd.

Terros Health is a nonprofit mental health services provider that receives Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funds and has federal Public Health Service (PHS) status. They’ve recently partnered with Mesa Public Schools (MPS) to offer their services, paid for by patient insurance or outside financial assistance.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.