A Dominican-American Bronx educator, one year away from retirement, says she was fired after refusing to participate in the cross-arm, "Wakanda forever" salute to Black power. Rafaela Espinal, who identifies as Afro-Latina, says she was chastised for repeatedly refusing to mimic the gesture popularized in the 2018 Marvel Comic’s "Black Panther," during superintendent meetings, reported the New York Post Saturday. 'BLACK PANTHER' SEQUEL TO BEGIN SHOOTING IN JULY 2021: REPORTIn the 2018 movie, the cross arm motion represents Black empowerment. The cross arm gesture from the movie is different than the civil rights group’s well-known raised fist – highlighted in 1968 Olympics by Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who raised their fists after receiving their medals. But pressuring the long-time educator to participate in the crossed arm motion "corrupted" the meaning of it, Espinal’s attorney, Israel Goldberg, told the Post.

Source: Fox News February 20, 2021 23:03 UTC