International

Continued from page 2 or war-torn countries seeking a better life in Europe.

The memorandum calls for a “strategic and comprehensive partnership” that will also boost economic ties between the bloc and the North African country, which lies on a major route for migrants and refugees traveling to Europe.

The document was signed by European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on one side and Tunisian President Kais Saied on the other. It comes as

Violence persisted in Florida during the 1900s, with hundreds of African Americans being lynched between 1890 and 1930. The state experienced an alarming number of lynching’s per capita compared to neighboring states. Notorious incidents like the Rosewood and Ocoee massacres highlight the depth of racial tension in Florida.

One of the most brutal lynching’s that occurred in Jackson County in 1930. Claude Neal, a 23year old farmhand, was accused of raping and murdering a white woman in Cottondale. Claude was arrested and taken to a jail in Alabama for his safety. An angry white mob from Jackson County went to Alabama, broke Claude out of jail, and returned him to Florida. On a small farm in Jackson County, Claude was tortured, mutilated, and killed. His lifeless body was hung on a tree in Marianna in front of the courthouse to send a message to African American community. A horrified small group of Black people looked on in disgust. One of them is a teenage girl, my grandmother. Today, Florida’s conservative politics mirror neighboring states like Alabama and Louisi - ana. Governor DeSantis’s signing of Senate Bill 7050 is another concerning act of voter suppression. Florida’s removal of African American AP courses from public schools is another disgraceful act by the state. The belief that slavery somehow benefited African Americans is an appalling indication that progress in the state is limited.

Despite the allure of Florida’s beauty and pleasant weather, the deep-seated racism in the state cannot be ignored. While cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando represent diversity and inclusivity, the same cannot be said for the rest of the state. It is time for change, and I stand in solidarity with the NAACP and the African American community in Florida, calling for inclusivity and a commitment to change. Many dark chapters mark Florida’s history. While the Sunshine State has undeniable appeal, it is crucial to acknowledge and confront its troubling past and present challenges. By addressing issues of racial discrimination, voter suppression, and historical erasure, Florida can become a genuinely inclusive state that embraces the diversity of its population, including African Americans and other marginalized communities. the number of migrants and refugees leaving Tunisia and trying to reach Europe has significantly increased in recent months.

The Tunisian leader described “inhuman migration,” which he blamed on criminal networks.

After a visit last month by the three European leaders, a financial package was approved that includes a 10 million euro ($11 million) program to boost student exchanges and 65 million euros ($73 million) in EU funding to modernize Tunisian schools.

Both sides also agreed to co- operate on border management. Von der Leyen pledged 100 million euros ($112 million) for those efforts—a figure she had already announced during the leaders’ previous visit.

Meanwhile, as of Friday, the Italian interior ministry counted more than 75,000 migrants who had arrived by boat on the Italian coast since the beginning of the year, compared to about 31,900 in the same period last year.

Yasmine Akrimi, a researcher at the Brussels International Center, criticized the memorandum as an attempt at “reshaping African mobility.”

The EU has been trying to achieve this deal for decades, Akrimi said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “Italy wants to consider Tunisia as what they call a safe third country— meaning that everyone who passes through Tunisia can eventually be relocated back to Tunisia.”

The host of the podcast Inside Story asked whether migrants are being used as political pawns. “Kais Saied hoped to clinch a $1 billion EU bailout and in return, stem the rising migration to Europe.”

Marielle Franco

Continued from page 2 to the pandemic of racism: it is permanent, and our fight against its ills must be constant. New legal instruments will continue to emerge, and the metamorphosis of violence will continue to reproduce itself. This is why the women’s rights struggle is not only for women, but also a struggle for men and everyone to participate in to create a world without violence, without racism, without machismo, without xenophobia––it is a daily struggle, every hour, every minute.

It is a struggle that calls for a permanent reconsideration of our values and our gestures, even for something as seemingly small as making a sexist joke. When we disrespect women and women’s rights, we perpetuate the vulgar historical annulment of the role women have played in the processes of liberation throughout the Americas and in the anti-colonial movements of Africa and the Caribbean.