On Tuesday, Nov.29, local pillars of the community and selected guests were invited to a virtual discussion about the recent murder of 15-year-old Jaheim McMillan. His life was taken by the police force in Gulfport, Mississippi last month.
The victim’s family expressed their journey through this experience, highlighting the lack of justice for their loved one. They join noted economist, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, in illuminating the demand for a cultural shift around police interaction with the Black community.
Reports state that police answered a 911 call on Oct. 6, concerning “multiple people in a vehicle brandishing firearms,” according to CNN. When police arrived, the group of people allegedly attempted to flee from the area, an officer fired at the presumed armed suspect, who they claim pointed the weapon in their direction. The suspect was identified as McMillan.
McMillan was shot in the head and later died after being taken off life support, according to a news release that the previous listed source obtained from civil rights attorney, Ben Crump. Crump is lobbying for the release of the footage of the incident.
The purpose of the meeting was to uplift McMillan’s story and make sure his name is recognized. KBLA media personality, Danny Morrison, moderated the meeting along with Black Lives Matter co-founder of Los Angeles chapter, Melina Abdullah. Discussion members included KBLA media personality, Dominque DiPrima, Babu Akili, and many others joined McMillan’s aunt, Natasha Boyd.
There are both written and physical protests heading directly to the City Council in Gulfport. During the meeting, there was a call to boycott Family Dollar; the victim’s family has felt as though Family Dollar drew a line in the sand and sided with the police. The McMillan family expressed that there was a lack of support from the Family Dollar store that they often visited and had rapport with.
