by Fabiola Noel | Jan 4, 2023 | Latest, Social Justice |
As previously reported on Oct. 12, 2019, Atatiana Jefferson was shot and killed in her Texas home by a cop. Yesterday (Dec. 20), former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Atatiana Jefferson. Jefferson, a 28-year-old black woman, was shot and killed by Dean, a white police officer, while she was inside her home. The shooting occurred after police received a call about an “open structure” at Jefferson’s home.
This is the first time a police officer in Texas has been convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting in nearly 40 years, according to The New York Times. Dean resigned from the police force hours before he was arrested and charged with murder in October 2019. He pleaded guilty earlier this month. In a statement released after the sentencing, Jefferson’s family said they were “satisfied” with the outcome but that “nothing will bring Atatiana back.” “We hope that her tragic death will shine a light on the actions of police officers and how they treat people of color,” the statement continued. “It is our sincere hope that no other family will have to go through what we have had to endure.”
In October, a Texas grand jury indicted Dean on a charge of murder, to which he pleaded not guilty. However, in November, he accepted a plea deal that reduced the charge to manslaughter. At his sentencing yesterday, Dean apologized to Jefferson’s family, saying “I am sorry for taking Atatiana’s life.” Atatiana Jefferson’s family had asked for the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, but Dean was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months behind bars.
by Tanyette McCoy Davis | Dec 19, 2022 | Latest, Social Justice |
Since comedian Mark Curry went public with his story of being racially profiled by staff at The Mining Exchange A Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa in Colorado, he has been flooded with support from fans and fellow celebrities. Mark Curry recounted the incident on “The D.L. Hughley Show,” alleging that he was asked to show multiple forms of ID before being allowed to enter the hotel lobby. When he asked why he was being singled out, Mark Curry claims the employee told him it was because he “fit the description” of someone who had been causing trouble at the hotel.
The comedian said he was “shocked” and “humiliated” by the encounter and has since filed a complaint with the hotel. He also praised the show’s host, D.L. Hughley, for speaking out about similar experiences he’s had with racial profiling. The outpouring of support for Curry has been overwhelming, with many people taking to social media to express their outrage at the treatment he allegedly received.
ome have even vowed to boycott the hotel until they issue a public apology to Mark Curry and implement policies to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. It’s clear that this story has struck a nerve with many people, and it’s great to see so many people standing up for what’s right.
Mark Curry shared his story on social media, and it quickly went viral. He has since been inundated with messages of support from people all over the world. The Mining Exchange A Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa has issued a statement saying they are “deeply troubled” by the incident and are conducting an investigation. They have also reached out to Curry to apologize and offer him a free stay at the hotel.
by Jesse Swindell | Dec 8, 2022 | Latest, Social Justice |
Yesterday, local Maryland news station WLBT 3 shared that a Black Starbucks customer recently went through a troubling situation while visiting the popular coffee chain. Monique Pugh, was waiting for her coffee at a Starbucks when she noticed the word “monkey” written on her cup. She said that she asked the barista why her drink had that word on it, and the employee explained that it was because her name is Monique.
Monique said that she was immediately upset and felt disrespected by the barista who had written the word on her cup. She confronted the employee, who reportedly responded by saying that “monkey” is a common nickname for people with names like Monique. Starbucks has since issued an apology to Monique and has suspended the employee involved. They are also investigating the incident to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again in the future. The customer said she is still considering whether or not to pursue legal action against Starbucks
Hopefully, this latest incident will prompt Starbucks to take even stronger action to ensure that all of its customers feel safe and respected when they visit one of its. This is just one example of the racism that Black people face on a daily basis. It’s sad that in 2022, we’re still having to deal with such blatant disregard and disrespect. Hopefully, incidents like these will help to show people that change is still needed in our society.
by Samantha J Rice | Dec 20, 2021 | Latest, Music News, Social Justice |
Following a private funeral service for Young Dolph, a public memorial for the beloved rapper is reportedly in the works.
According to HipHopDX, Pastor Earle Fisher, who spoke at Dolph’s private service on Tuesday (November 30), said a public memorial will be held for the late 36-year-old in Memphis during the FedExForum ceremony on December 16.
Having a capacity for almost 19,000 people, fans of young Dolph will pay their last tribute
Dying at the tender age of just 36 years will affect Young Dolph fans, relatives, and family, and leave a gap in the entertainment industry.
Arranging a memorial in a venue with a large capacity is a decent idea, since the burial was a private event involving family members and friends.
Disturbing fat is that police have yet to make any arrests over two weeks since the shooting.
Speaking during the burial of Young Dolph, Pastor Fisher said is that failure by the police to arrest the assailants is concerning.
Adding to his sentiments, the pastor noted that elected leaders and officials should bring the assailants to accountability and justice quickly. Within Shelby County, murders happen about every day, yet people who are in powerful positions that have created policies cannot act.
According to REVOLT, three men fired shots into a mourning crowd outside Makeda’s Cookies the day after Dolph’s death. Shooting incident happened a few days later where police found a car that Dolph’s killers used, and a man was killed.
Processing the two-door white Mercedes Benz also revealed that it had been reportedly linked to an additional shooting in Tennessee. Ongoing effort to capture the suspect has led to police releasing surveillance photos
Adding to the surveillance photos, police have also asked anyone with additional information about the shooting to call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
Bizzy Bone shares full apology following Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia’s Verzuz battle
Taking place last night was the Verzuz battle which was between Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia.
Taking to the stage to perform the track Buddah Lovaz,” Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs’caused an altercation between him and Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia.
Resulting from a mocking allegation by Bizzy Bones towards Three 6 Mafia, there was a scuffle on stage between the two groups.
Misunderstanding between the two groups, however, did not ruin the much-awaited Verzuz battle event.
Stopping for about 15 minutes, the show resumed, picked up, and proceeded problem-free.
Issuing an apology on stage, Bizzy apologized to Three 6 Mafia and the crowd for the earlier confrontation.
Taking the stage, he said,” I’m not trying to fuck this shit up. Pardon me. Let’s keep the motherfuckin’ party going.”
Following the day after the event (on December 3), Bizzy took to his Instagram and wrote an apology and complete statement regarding the ugly incident.
Taking to his Instagram page, he wrote, “I feel as a man there is a time to apologize and be the bigger person. Even if you do not feel wrong.”
Acknowledging his mistake, he also insisted that errors happen. In hip-hop, and If he was posed to be per, then he couldn’t have reached that far.
During the statement, he also thanked Verzuz and Triller organizers for everything. Speaking on how he redeemed himself after returning to the stage, he said he came back because a lot of people depended on him
Confirming that everything that happened was not scripted, he was grateful that the event ended perfectly.
Acknowledging the maturity exhibited by Three 6 Mafia’s members in handling the situation, he promised to call Swizz Beatz to smooth things over, despite Verzuz co-founder assuring him that everything was okay.
Commending the Three 6 Mafia members, he wrote ‘“You guys did a heck of a job and embracing me after that I took a class as well.”
This article was penned by Jonathan P. Wright. Jonathan is a freelance writer for multiple mainstream publications and CVO of RADIOPUSHERS. You can read more of his work by clicking here.
by Jonathan P-Wright | Dec 8, 2021 | Latest, Social Justice |
Jeffrey Thornton, a black man, is filing a case against a visual and audio company because despite being eligible, the firm did not hire him. Despite being eligible for employment, the company refused to hire him for hair cutting. Encore Global’s San Diego’s one branch was taking interviews for a position, and they rejected the suing man based on the look as told by the hiring manager.
He files a case based on the law known as CROWN Act. Crown Act defines rules for managers while hiring the employees and avoid hair basis discrimination. Officially enacted in 2019, Article 13 of the Human Rights Act establishes discriminatory practices as attacks motivated by “attributes typically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyles.”
In a news conference, Thornton’s attorney Adam Kent believed that professionalism is related to competency and not only about fitting in Eurocentric norms. He added that workers should be judged on abilities and character, but they handled the Thornton case differently. Kent said that his client’s demands for the damages and changes in policies for black Americans.
Thornton worked at Florida’s Encore Global before the pandemic, and because of lockdown, he lost his job during COVID year; his hair was never a problem for him. Encore Global’s spokesperson apologized for miscommunications and for not meeting the grooming policies in a complete manner. Additionally, he said for further improvement in the company’s policies to avoid any ambiguity in the future.
This article was penned by Jonathan P. Wright. Jonathan is a freelance writer for multiple mainstream publications and CVO of RADIOPUSHERS. You can read more of his work by clicking here.
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