Black-Lives-Matter

Original:Four police officers in Mesa, Arizona have been placed on leave after a disturbing video surfaced showing the officers brutally beating a black man identified as 33-year-old Robert Johnson on Wednesday, May 23. According to AZCentral, officers arrived at the scene at an apartment complex after receiving a call from a woman in distress. In the video that's been widely circulated online Johnson can be seen leaning against a railing while on his cell phone, and another man can be seen sitting on the floor around the corner. The officers, two of whom are black, can then be seen approaching Johnson, immediately patting him down. Mesa Police Chief Ramon Batista confirmed to AZCentral that "no weapons were located" after Johnson was frisked. As Batista said in a narration to AZCentral, the officers then appeared to ask Johnson to move away from the railing to lean against the wall, to which Johnson can be seen complying. But when Johnson apparently did not get on the floor against the wall after officers allegedly instructed him to do so, the officers can be seen violently hitting and punching Johnson, making him collapse to the ground. After reviewing the footage, Batista told AZCentral that he believes the officers were not "at their best.""I don't feel that our officers were at their best," he said. "I don't feel this situation needed to go the way that it went."The four officers – three officers and a sergeant – have since been placed on administrative leave while the department investigates the incident, BuzzFeed reported. Batista told local Fox10 that he only learned about the incident after a community member submitted the surveillance video to him. "I didn't know anything about this, and the way I learned about this is because a member of the community sent me the video and said, 'hey, this looks very alarming, and I need you to look at it,'" he said. "I examined it, and I immediately opened up an investigation."Johnson's attorneys Benjamin Taylor and Joel Robbins, and Andre Miller, a pastor at New Beginnings Christian Church in Mesa, released the following statement, AZCentral reported:"The misconduct of these officers would have gone unnoticed if it had not been captured by surveillance videos at the apartment complex where the assault occurred," the statement read. "We hope and pray that the Mesa Police Department will accept responsibility for the misconduct of these officers. Mesa must take concrete steps to ensure that culpable officers are disciplined, retrained, or dismissed. The Mesa Police Department must develop a law enforcement culture that meets community and constitutional norms and ensures that police and citizens go home safely after police interactions."Batista told AZCentral that he has since moved to institute policy changes concerning use of police force. Update (August 28, 2018):The Mesa Police Department asked nearby Scottsdale, Arizona's police department to review footage of the beating. That investigation has been completed, CNN reports, and the Scottsdale Police Department found "no criminal charges are warranted against the involved officers as the use of force was legally authorized and justified under Arizona state law."Johnson's lawyer, Benjamin Taylor, rejected the department's findings, and suggested the report put out by Scottsdale was nothing more than another example of the blue wall of silence."The video flatly contradicts the self-serving accounts of the police officers involved," Taylor said. "The use of government violence against cooperating citizens, who have committed no crime and who pose no threat, is a crime without justification or legal authorization."Johnson's beating is the third by Mesa officers this summer. Taylor has promised to continue fighting for justice on Johnson's behalf, and said he and his client will seek to put their case "before a civil jury."Now, check these out:11 Times Police Successfully Disarmed White People Without Killing AnyoneStudy Finds 8 Percent Of Male Homicides In The U.S. Are Committed By Police OfficersPolice Officer Shoots And Kills Decynthia Clements In Elgin, Illinois During Highway...

Recently, the WeHo Times reported the tragic death of Gemmel Moore, killed a crystal meth overdose in late July.Moore was found at the home of Ed Buck, a wealthy, high-profile Democratic Party donor and political activist. The police report filed on the incident reported the death as an "accident." However, Moore's mother LaTisha Nixon wasn't so sure that that was the case.Nixon found out through one of Moore's friends that Moore had engaged in sex work before his death, and that Buck was a client of both men. “I called one of my son’s friends and was like, ‘who the hell is Edward Buck?’" Nixon said.  "And my son’s friend was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s that white guy, that wealthy white politician guy … he was like, ‘Oh my God …’"The reason for the friend's horror was what he told Nixon next. “[Buck] would have my son to go out to … Santa Monica Boulevard looking for young gay black guys so he could inject them with drugs, see their reaction and how [they] would react and take pictures of them,” Nixon said the friend told her.John Bice, a friend of Moore's, told LA Weekly a similar story."Basically this guy would find young struggling black guys around town, pick them up and say he was going to help them out — make sure they had clothes and food. ... He wanted to see them get high, first with weed. Then one day, the guy wanted him to shoot up," Bice said.Nixon believes Buck was basically conducting a psycho-sexual version of the Tuskegee experiments on the young black men. “[Buck] would supply heroin, meth and other drugs to him to smoke or use with a needle,” Nixon said. “Buck would pleasure himself at the sight of my son using drugs.”Moore's mother added that her son's friends told her that Buck would reward young men for taking big hits.“The bigger the cloud of smoke,” the more money Buck would give the men. Nixon said Buck “would excitedly encourage [Moore] to increase his dosage by saying, ‘More, more, and I’ll give you $500 more.’”Buck himself hasn't spoken out about these accusations, but his lawyer, Seymour Amster, has.Amster said that Moore injected himself with the meth, that Buck was Moore's friend and “did not witness it being injected” and that, “This was an accidental death. This was an unfortunate death … but that doesn’t mean we can make spurious accusations and spin something out of control.”However, Moore's journals, which were discovered after his death, tell a different story.Social critic and political commentator Jasmyne Cannick has made it her mission to broadcast Moore's story, and posted screenshots of Moore's journal entries on her site, which gave a more personal and gruesome look to his tragic death."I've become addicted to drugs, and the worst one at that," Moore wrote in his diary. "Ed Buck is the one to thank, he gave me my first injection of chrystal [sic] meth, it was very painful, but after all the troubles I became addicted to the pain and fetish/fantasy."A police report found that the coroner's investigators interviewed an unnamed woman who said Moore told her that "over a year ago" a person (whose name is redacted in the report) tied him up and “held him against his will at the residence in West Hollywood.”Nixon said that she heard from her son after this event, and that he filed a police report about it. Although that report has not turned up, she vividly recalls what he told her."He filed a police report because he said that Buck had held him in his apartment or whatever and had shot him up with a needle with something he didn’t know what it was," Nixon said. "He called me crying. Three minutes on the phone hollering and I’m like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ He said, ‘This man, he shot me up with something I don’t even know what it is,’ and I’m like, My son is having a breakdown or episode. But he sent me pictures of his arm, his arm was red.”Following the allegations, U.S. Representative Karen Bass donated the campaign contribution Buck gave her to Moore's family.Other Democrats have yet to follow her lead, and Democratic Party official Kimberly Ellis told the Weekly that that is a very telling thing."It suggests money and power can oftentimes have a greater influence over our elected officials than doing what's right," Ellis said. "This is a test in many ways for the Democratic Party and our elected officials to really stand up and speak out and make it very clear whose side they're on — justice and LGBTQs or special interests and big-dollar donors."This week, the Sacramento Observer reports that The Justice 4 Gemmel + All of Ed Buck’s Victim’s group announced that Chair of the African American Caucus of the California Democratic Party, Darren Parker, will pen a resolution calling on the entire Democratic party to return all funds donated by Buck.“Too often there are ills in the African American community that we just don’t discuss,” noted Parker. “These issues that we don’t bring to the surface are starting to define what happens to our people. So I thought it was important – one, as a chair who believes in transparency, who believes in education even in adversity that we have to talk about the things that we’re uncomfortable with or even hearing about.”Cannick agrees with Parker.“As Democrats we shouldn’t be in the business of protecting predators with our silence,” Cannick said. “If we can condemn those who hurt women, we can certainly condemn those who hurt the most vulnerable in our community. As a Democrat that’s what I expect from my party’s leadership.”The Stonewall Democratic Club Los Angeles made a similar statement, calling for a "thorough investigation."Club board member Ashlee Marie Preston said that Moore's case is a chance for Democrats to prove that they actually care about society's oppressed, stressing that Moore was not only black, but also gay, HIV-positive and sometimes homeless."This is an opportunity for politicians to draw a clear line as to what their values are, what they want to prioritize and where they stand on social issues," Preston said. "What would we say if this involved a prominent GOP figure? People would be busting down the door to make a statement."Chair of the California Young Democrats’ Black Caucus, Devin T. Murphy, put it even more simply.“We have a responsibility not only to Gemmel’s family and friends but to African Americans, African American Democrats and Democrats period to not only talk the talk when it comes to our Party’s values but to also walk the walk," Murphy said. "All black lives matter.”Update, July 31, 2018:The Los Angeles Times reports Buck will face no charges in connection to Moore's death.Police officials submitted the results of their investigation into Buck to the district attorney's office on July 10. The DA found the gathered evidence to be insufficient and declined to charge Buck with murder, voluntary manslaughter, furnishing illegal drugs or possession of illegal drugs.In a statement, the DA's office said the “admissible evidence is insufficient to prove [guilt] beyond a reasonable doubt,” and also claimed some of the submitted evidence had been obtained through inadmissible search and seizure.According to WEHOville, Moore's mother, LaTisha Nixon, said she wasn't surprised by the DA's decision. At a memorial for Moore following the announcement, Nixon pledged to continue fighting for her son and for other young men and women like him.“No more Gemmel Moores,” Nixon said. “I’m definitely not going to go away. Ed Buck needs to be stopped.”City council member Lindsey Horvath, who is white, slammed the decision. In a statement read at the memorial, Horvath wrote, "if Gemmel looked like me – there would be mass outrage.”Councilwoman Horvath added, “The life of a thoughtful, caring and giving 26-year-old young man was cut short due to unthinkable circumstances. More young men have since come forward, sharing their concerns of similar encounters. Yet our justice system has said that their stories don’t matter, that their truth is irrelevant. It has told the members of our community that possessing narcotics, using narcotics, luring impressionable young LGBT people without resources into sex – that all of these acts are none of their concern. That anyone facing these issues is on their own. Without support. Alone."Now, check these out:The Deaths Of These Three Women Have Jacksonville's Trans Women Afraid They're Being Targeted By A Serial Killer Chicago Activists Fear The Worst After Four Girls And Women Disappear Within Miles Of Each Other, With Two Found DeadBlack Women And LGBT Students Are At A Higher Risk Of Sexual...

Today in white nonsense, a "White Civil Rights Rally" is set to take place in Washington D.C. in mid-August -- and there about to get met with a hearty dose of counter protests from Black Lives Matter activists. According to Fox 5 DC, the August 12 rally is slated to be held at Lafayette Park near the White House. To add insult to injury, the date marks the one year anniversary of the violent, white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. As a response to the absurdity that an application for permit to hold this event was even approved by the National Park Service, both members of Black Lives Matter D.C. and Shut It Down D.C. are taking action. “We are calling all anti-fascists and people of good conscience to participate in international days of action August 10 through August 12 and a mass mobilization in Washington, D.C.,” Shut It Down D.C. wrote on their website. “This is for Heather Heyer, Corey Long, Deandre Harris, ICE abolition, open borders, dismantling the prison industrial complex and ending the settler colonial system. We will confront fascism, anti-semitism, islamophobia, white supremacy and state violence on August 10-12.”Last years "Unite The Right" rally turned deadly when 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed after 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. plowed his car into a crowd.This year, rally organizer Jason Kessler is claiming that things will be different. “This year we have a new purpose,” Kessler said of the White Civil Rights Rally. “That’s to talk about the civil rights abuse that happened in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year.”Despite the alleged "civil rights abuse," BLM activists are continuing to stand against both the fascist and racist agenda of the rally. “We are stronger than they are, that they are resistant to change and to progress that Black Lives Matter has been doing over the last four years with black liberation and fighting racism and fascism,” said Makia Green of Black Lives Matter D.C. “So it's important that we let D.C. and rest of the world know that we are not going to stand for the hate.”Now, check these out:10 Times Black Women Shut Down White SupremacyPolice Are The Real Problem: Why We Must Address Systemic Police MisconductFlorida Cop Claims Police Chief Had Him Frame Two Innocent Black...

Court documents filed by the American Civil Liberties Union have revealed the extent of the Memphis Police Department’s surveillance of local activists.The ACLU originally filed the lawsuit in March 2017 believing the department had been illegally spying on activists, but this week’s statement of undisputed facts shows the spying went far beyond what was previously suspected.According to Citylab, the force began spying on local activists at the request of Mayor Jim Strickland. However, officers soon began spying on the associates of those activists as well. The department also began using plainclothes police officers to infiltrate black community events that had nothing to do with political protest, like a black food festival.The lawsuit largely focuses on a “City Hall Escort List” the police created to track activist who stepped on the city hall’s grounds.The surveillance was originally centered on people appearing on the "City Hall Escort List," a list comprised primarily of Black Lives Matter supporters who had protested at City Hall. The list also featured these BLM supporters' "associates in fact," a group that included people connected to the supporters on social media  or who had been seen in public with them. In addition to spying on these people, the department also compiled “joint intelligence briefs.”These briefs were essentially dossiers on planned anti-police brutality demonstrations. The department included demonstrations taking place outside of Memphis in these reports, and shared them with Tennessee's Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. military, the U.S. Department of Justice, local utility companies and with both FedEx and Autozone.The court documents also found police using social media software, a fake Facebook profile and undercover officers to spy on BLM activists and supporters.A trial is scheduled in August. However, the ACLU wants the judge to cancel that trial and render a decision based on the submitted information. It also wants an the enforcement of a 1978 consent decree that banned the surveillance of activists.“If the decree didn’t exist, there may be a different approach to calling out this kind of surveillance,” said Thomas Castelli, director of the ACLU’s Tennessee division. “It’s problematic and can have chilling effects on people exercising their constitutional rights. Police in general have a tremendous amount of power and they can have a coercive effect, so we would be condemning these practices as bad for free speech and public policy.”Memphis Police Director Michael W. Rallings released a statement on Tuesday defending the force’s actions, reports Local Memphis.“Monitoring these public social media posts is simply good police work, which has allowed us to make operations plans to protect both demonstrators and counter-demonstrators, keeping everyone safe without violence,” Rallings wrote. “I want to be clear: my officers have never interfered with anyone lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights. In fact, MPD has gone out of its way to ensure all demonstrations, even unlawful, unpermitted ones, are allowed to move forward, from the 2016 bridge protest, to Valero, to the statue protests, Antifa, KKK and Confederate 901."City Chief Legal Officer Bruce McMullen also defended the spying.“MPD's observance of posts made on social media is consistent with best practices of law enforcement agencies across the country and is nothing more than good police work,” he wrote. “The city is confident MPD's social media practices do not raise any constitutional issues. Furthermore, we have been in compliance with a fair and practical interpretation of the consent decree for almost forty years."Now, check these out:FBI Declares 'Black Identity Extremists' Newest Domestic Terrorism ThreatMan Considered FBI's First 'Black Identity Extremist' Speaks Out After Being Jailed, In Part, Over Facebook PostNewly Released Documents Show FBI Used Stakeouts And Informants To Follow Black Lives Matter...

No mother should have to bury their child, but that has become the norm for many black mothers across the nation. Seventeen-year-old Antwon Rose Jr. was buried Monday, June 25, on the birthday of Tamir Rice, who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2014 at the age of 12.On June 19, Rose was shot in the back three times by police officer Michael Rosfield in East Pittsburgh as he fled during a traffic stop.Hours after an exclusive ABC interview in which Rose’s mom said the police murdered her son “in cold blood,” the funeral was held at Woodland Hills Intermediate School in Swissvale, Pennsylvania. Rose would have been a senior next year.NBC News reports hundreds gathered to honor the short life of Antwon Rose Jr. and pay their respects to his family.Mourners pay their respects as #AntwonRose II is laid to rest at the McKeesport & Versailles Cemetery. @PGVisuals @PittsburghPG pic.twitter.com/r6fcphkhgr— Antonella Crescimbeni (@AntonellaCres) June 25, 2018Included in the funeral program was the poignant poem the talented teen wrote in 2016, titled, “I Am Not What You Think!” He wrote, “I see mothers bury their sons. I want my mom to never feel that pain.”The program for the funeral service of #AntwonRose. On the back, a poem he wrote in his Woodland Hills High School English class: “I Am Not What You Think.” @905wesa pic.twitter.com/izDOf9CvDW— Katie Blackley (@kate_blackley) June 25, 2018 The Chicago Tribune reports Muslim minister Victor Muhammad assured mourners Rose’s life and death are “part of a perfect storm meant to bring about justice for all and social progress in America.”Although the funeral was a celebration of life, following the service, Rose's cousin, Missy Carter, declared justice would prevail by any means:“My cousin’s life will not be in vain! Will not be in vain. Will not be in vain. I don’t care who, what, where, justice will...

Peak blackness is in full effect and this is not without rhyme or reason. Since our colonial existence, blackness in America has been rooted in lies, violence and erasure that is no longer acquiesced. Right now, we’re loving us for real. Such like the blackest historical eras, today's movements seem to have officially traded conformity for resistance. But, how woke are we--really?In the name of equality, identity and liberation, we call out the whitest lies that shape American holidays like Independence Day, Christopher Columbus Day and the southern-celebrated Robert E. Lee Day. Yet and still, many of us know nothing of, nor celebrate Juneteenth.Juneteenth became a thing when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, an army soldier-turned Union General, arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to announce slavery was eradicated per Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The bizarre part? Slavery had already ended--two and half years earlier. On this day, approximately 250,000 enslaved blacks became aware of their free status.The delay occurred for a combination of reasons: Firstly, slaveholders in the deepest parts of the south--Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana--had gotten the memo beforehand, and just as the “economy” was changing, made the exodus to Texas to protect their “assets.” Secondly, as part of the confederacy, the Lone Star state was least governed, and had a small preoccupation of Union soldiers to enforce political changes during the Civil War. Thusly, Texas was the last to concede. Third, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter did not exist. Fourth, like racist people in 2018, racists in 1865 wasn’t shit.Nonetheless, upon hearing the news of slavery’s end, newly emancipated black people danced, shouted and praised the high heavens in the street. They communed over food and libation. In the following years, they commemorated the day with prayer, reflection, music, fun and games. Think family reunion. The mass fete featured foodstuff specific to slavery and black culture--and the central focus was around a firepit. Think “barbeque.”And like many events, which involves black joy, black congregation, black people being free--Juneteenth celebrations were subjected to white tyranny. Jim Crow laws prevented blacks from gathering in public white spaces. Think: white woman calls police on two black men for barbecuing in a park. However, in the spirit of black excellence, Reverend Jack Yates, a former slave and minister, led an initiative to raise $1000 for ten acres of land in Houston, Texas, to keep Juneteenth live and kicking. Think: Oakland residents electric slide all over the park where white lady called the police on black men barbecuing. The land was named Emancipation Park and still exists today. Won’t we do it?The story of Juneteenth is a testament of how black history can be suppressed and unfortunately lost. It confirms that we must be our own documentarians. Though the black community breathes life into American history with every breath, it is equally important to keep our past experiences alive. We owe it to ourselves and our ancestors.In honor of Juneteenth, below are a few deets on some of the blackest Museums across the country--including some really dope ones that are often slept on--to get a thoroughly comprehensive look at African American history, while supporting Black institutions as well:National Museum of African American History and Culture: NMAAHC, located in Washington, D.C., opened its door in the September 2016. The institution is dedicated to Black history and culture from early slavery till the present. The Emmett Till exhibit is a must-see.National Civil Rights Museum:Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, is a historical landmark and main feature of this Memphis, Tennessee museum. The institution also acquired the building the lethal shot came from.Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History:The historic library opened in 1921 as a result of Jim Crow laws, when black people had limited access to books. The library’s focus today is documenting and digitizing African American history, and providing education through programming and art.Apex Museum:According to the website “The APEX Museum is the only museum in Metropolitan Atlanta solely dedicated to telling the rich and often untold story of people of the African Diaspora.”Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History:The Wright, as it is called by local Detroiters, has the “Still I Rise” exhibit that shares Black people’s transition from Africans to African Americans. Unique to this showing is the incorporation of Detroit history. The slave ship exhibit and its audio component will shake visitors to their core. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture:The Schomberg is located in the heart of Harlem, New York. The library was founded in 1925 and began with the collections of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, a Puerto-Rican born, black scholar. The institution is acknowledged as the leader in the exclusive focus of African and African American culture, history and experience.National Great Blacks in Wax Museum:This Baltimore wax museum offers a comprehensive history of black Americans through sculptural art. Their replication of the middle passage is skillfully executed as it is impactful; the same goes for their exhibit on lynching and castration of Mary Turner.Afrikan Poetry Theater:For 40 years, this cultural nook has contributed to the black community by presenting African and African American history through Black Arts. The theater has hosted the performance and readings of The Last Poets and Amiri Baraka, during the Black Arts and Black Power movements. Today, it continues to offer and educate through performance and youth programming.Dusable Museum of African American History:In Chicago, the Dusable is the go-to institution for art, history and research on all things black culture. It was started in 1961 by an educator and art historian, Dr. Margaret Burroughs and prominent residents of the Second City. Its namesake is Jean Baptiste Point DuSable. The Haitian of African and French descent, established the trading post and permanent settlement that is now known as Chicago.The National Memorial for Peace and Justice:Is the newest and only African American museum dedicated to the memory of enslaved, oppressed and lynched black people. This museum pays homage to their lives and struggles, and honors their deaths.Whitney Plantation Museum:Is located in Wallace, Louisiana, and opened its door in 2014. The plantation has a 262 year history and houses the only museum in Louisiana that centers slavery.International African American Museum:This Charleston, museum focuses on South Carolina’s role in the international slave trade, Civil War and the contributions of black people. The state received and sold more enslaved African captives than any other.Happy Juneteenth, my...

White South Carolina restaurant manager Bobby Paul Edwards who physically abused a black man and forced him to work more than 100 hours a week without pay for years has pleaded guilty in federal court. Edwards used violence and threats toward John Christopher Smith who has intellectual disabilities and worked at eatery J&J Cafeteria in Conway, South Carolina. According to The New York Times, Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of forced labor. He admitted that from 2009 to 2014 he beat Smith with a belt, hit him with pots and pans, punched him and burned him with hot tongs on his bare neck. Smith is around 40 years old and had worked at the eatery since he was 12, the Justice Department revealed. Edwards also hurled racial slurs at Smith, who feared to lose his job, the Times reported. #ThisIsAmerica #2018 “For years, John Christopher Smith suffered in silence as his manager at a South Carolina restaurant physically abused him and forced him to work over 100 hours a week without pay, federal officials say.” @CNN https://t.co/jVa4pL3Jjm— Jemar Tisby (@JemarTisby) June 7, 2018 In an interview with local ABC 15 News last year, Smith said he tried to escape the abuse and get out of the restaurant for years but had nowhere to go.  "I wanted to get out of there a long time ago," he said. "But I didn't have nobody I could go to." He added, "I couldn't go anywhere. I couldn't see none of my family so that was that. That's the main basic thing I wanted to see was my mom come see me. I couldn't see my mom...and I couldn't talk to nobody."In 2014, a frequent customer called the authorities when they noticed scars on Smith's body, CNN reported. Authorities then removed Smith from the restaurant. Abdullah Mustafa, the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, called Smith's disturbing experience "enslavement.""We are talking about enslavement here," he said, according to CNN. Edwards could face up to 20 years in prison when sentenced, the Times reported. He also faces a possible fine of up to $250,000 and mandatory restitution to Smith. His sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.John M. Gore, acting assistant attorney general, said the following in a statement released by the Justice Department:"Human trafficking through forced labor can happen on farms, in homes, and as today’s case shows — in public places, such as restaurants. Edwards abused an African-American man with intellectual disabilities by coercing him to work long hours in a restaurant without...

Tamir Rice was shot and killed by a Cleveland police officer outside a recreation center in 2014 when he was just 12 years old. His mother, Samaria Rice, is planning to open a cultural center in Cleveland as a safe place for children in honor of her son.In an interview with Cleveland.com, Samaria Rice shared that she plans to open The Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center in 2019, which will be a hub for children to be mentored, nurtured and taught how to dissect political systems. It's a gift to Tamir, she said. The 3,500-square-foot property was purchased in March by the family estate's foundation, the Tamir Rice Foundation. Samaria Rice told Cleveland.com that she's hosting a party in honor of her son's "Sweet Sixteen” milestone. The event will also serve as a fundraiser to help raise money to renovate the building for the cultural center. The party, open to the public, will include appearances from Ohio State Senator Sandra Williams, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Opal Tometi and spoken word performers, the Eventbrite page for the party states. If police weren’t called on a 12-year-old playing with a toy gun in a park, #TamirRice would be celebrating his 16th birthday this year.#IfPoliceWerentCalled pic.twitter.com/kdNzkCXHok— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) May 17, 2018 Samaria Rice wants to ensure her son continues to be remembered. "Nobody is talking about Tamir any more in Cleveland," she told Cleveland.com. "And that's sad."The Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center will help guide children to envision brighter futures in their communities and to help instill a sense of hope. Samaria Rice explained to Cleveland.com that Tamir Rice loved drawing cartoons and making pottery. She hopes the center will help support children through a nuturing environment. "I'm a nurturer and I still had some nurturing to do for Tamir but I was robbed of that...I want to see some positivity," she said. "I don't really see a whole lot of positivity coming out of the inner city when it comes to the youth that is suffering...I want the center to give them a sense of...

On Easter Sunday 2016, Wakeisha Wilson's body was found in an Los Angeles Police Department jail cell, and her death was was initially ruled a suicide. However, Wilson's family and the rest of the black community fought to learn the truth to what looked to be a very suspicious incident. Earlier this year, the LA City Council paid a $298K settlement to end the legal dispute. But, in the case of Wilson's aunt, Sheila Hines-Brim, the fight is far from over. According to NBC Los Angeles, Hines-Brim and another woman, Melina Abdullah, were detained after their protest during a Los Angeles Police Commission meeting on Tuesday, May 8. Hines-Brim allegedly threw a powdery substance at LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. Abdullah is a leader of the Black Lives Matter Los Angeles chapter. "I used her ashes," Hines-Brim said. "So they could be with him. So he could feel her because he murdered her.""That's Wakiesha. She's going to stay with you," Hines-Brim shouted as she walked away from Chief Beck.Hines-Brim told CBS Los Angeles that she heard her niece's spirit inform her to use her ashes. The meeting immediately went into recess following the alleged incident.  Check out the CBS video report...

A judge has dismissed the indictment of a man believed to be the first person to be designated a black identity extremist. That man, Christopher Daniels, was ordered to be released from pre-trial detention early this week, Al Jazeera reports.Daniels was arrested by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in December 2017 for possessing rifles. The federal agencies argued that Daniels could not possess firearms given that he was charged with a misdemeanor domestic assault in Tennessee in 2007.Daniels' supporters maintain that he was arrested as a black identity extremist for his work with two armed groups that regularly protest police brutality, the Huey P. Newton Gun Club and the Guerilla Mainframe. The term "black identity extremist" first became public following the release of an FBI report in 2017. The report claims that the deaths of Michael Brown and other black men at the hands of law enforcement have spawned a dangerous new class of domestic threats.“The FBI assesses it is very likely black identity extremist (BIE) perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement and will very likely serve as justification for such violence,” the report read. The report went on to say that further black deaths would only "feed the resurgence in ideologically motivated, violent criminal activity within the BIE movement."Newly released documents show that the FBI kept tabs on members of the Black Lives Movement following the compilation of the black identity extremist report.Documents from Daniels' court hearings show that he too was being watched by the FBI, who took notice of him after he appeared on several far-right news outlets in reports covering anti-police brutality protests. Prosecutors also used his social media posts criticizing the police when making their case to the court as to why Daniels ought to remain in jail.Daniels' lawyers claimed that while he did own firearms, because the Tennessee definition of misdemeanor domestic assault differs from the federal definition, that he broke no laws. Judge Sidney Fitzwater agreed, and Daniels should be a free man again...