Relatives of Tyre Nichols, George Floyd and Eric Garner — three Black men killed in violent confrontations with police officers — expressed frustration Friday with politicians who have failed to pass police reform legislation or have worked to invalidate laws intended to reduce chances that citizens’ encounters with police end in death.
Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” echoes documentary-style moments, a fitting element given the film’s pursuit of truth within the cinematic art form.
Authorities came under pressure Tuesday to arrest and charge a white woman who fired through her front her door and killed a Black neighbor in a case that has put Florida’s divisive stand your ground law back into the spotlight.
In addition to working on some of the most high-profile cases in the U.S., representing the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, and Michael Brown, Crump has fought for justice for the residents of Flint, Michigan, who were affected by poisoned water; Black women with ovarian cancer targeted by Johnson & Johnson to use talc products; and people who experienced discriminatory practices – “banking while Black” – by some of the nation’s largest banks.
Tears streak down the cheek of Ahmaud Arbery’s mother Wanda Cooper-Jones after the jury convicted Travis McMichael in the Glynn County Courthouse, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool)
The National Newspaper Publishers Association Fund (NNPAF) BLACK PRESS WEEK will honor the George Floyd Family and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) with the Newsmaker of the Year Award for Leadership during its two-day virtual conference on Thursday, March 18, at noon.
In response to the rising movement for Black Lives Matter, Los Angeles City College (LACC) has implemented several initiatives to fulfill their commitment to pursue racial justice.
The Rev. Al Sharpton sat quietly in his office in late July, watching the final funeral service for Rep. John Lewis on a wall-mounted television.
Instead of flying down to the memorial in Atlanta, Sharpton had remained in New York; he had work to do. Preaching at the funeral of a year-old boy who was shot in the stomach at a Brooklyn cookout — a boy not much younger than his first and only grandson — Sharpton demanded gun control, an issue close to Lewis’ heart.
Hordes of protestors have taken to streets all across the U.S. proclaiming that “Black lives matter” in wake of the death of George Floyd. Videos show that the Black Minneapolis man died after being pinned down beneath three police officers for several minutes.
Support for police and criminal justice reform have made recent headlines but, for Equal Justice Now’s Co-founder Tony Smith and national spokesperson Attorney Benjamin Crump, this fight has been long awaited.
In this day and age, society has built a system and a niche economy within the world of social media. One that produces everyday influencers and brings everyone closer to their favorite celebrities. This same structure is now a change agent in the fight for Black Lives.
Throughout the year’s social media has put a voice to the unheard bringing to light case after case of police brutality. Since the death of Trayvon Martin, there hasn’t been a year without multiple horrific stories and videos of a Black life being taken. With the help of celebrities and the millions of users on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, the names of the thousands and counting Black victims live on. However, justice is yet to be served in its totality.
In the middle a global pandemic of unprecedented scale and disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of African Americans, the nation reckons with another.
The racist public murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has now added to a list of recent and historical victims of police violence and racist terrorism, including Devon Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arberry, Tamir Rice, Atatiana Jefferson, Philando Castile and numerous others. And as our people rise up in massive resistance seeking justice for these Black men, women and children, martyred on the altar of White supremacy, they serve as bright lights and fierce fires lifted up to show the way forward in struggle. Indeed, they call on us to intensify and continue the struggle against the radical evil of these murderous police and vigilante practices and against the savage system which sanctions and supports them and other related forms of oppression. And we owe it to ourselves and to our martyrs to continue the intensified struggle, keep the faith and hold the line until victory.
As our fellow Californians and Americans protest across our country, we must not lose sight of why they are protesting. It’s because of a deep pain that we recognize all too well. The pain of not confronting a dark history that has spanned the life of our country. The pain of recognizing our fathers, uncles, brothers, mothers, sisters, and aunts in the faces of so many Black men and women who were taken from us because of racism and violence.
Social advocacy group Equal Justice Now recently collaborated with Attorney Benjamin Crump to hold its 1st Annual Benjamin Crump Equal Justice Now Awards, honoring those who’ve committed their lives to social justice advocacy and equal rights for the marginalized.
Opponents of the ban fear that it would give police another reason to profile African Americans.