Lynched by the State: The Wrongful Conviction of Black Lives Matter Organizer Jasmine “Abdullah” Richards
June 8, 2016
“It is our duty to fight for freedom….It is our duty to WIN…We must love and protect one another….We have nothing to lose but our chains…” a raised-fist, clenched-jaw, teary-eyed, handcuffed Jasmine “Abdullah” Richards chants as she is led out of the courtroom by sheriffs after having been convicted for what was initially called a felony “lynching” charge. The charge comes as a result of Jasmine’s activism around the murder of 19 year-old Kendrec McDade, who was killed by Pasadena police on March 28, 2012. Jasmine initiated the Black Lives Matter chapter in Pasadena after having been activated amidst the Ferguson uprising in 2014