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Baltimore Police Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. Found Not Guilty of 2nd-Degree Murder in Freddie Gray Case
Baltimore Police Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., who faced the most serious charge of all six officers indicted for the death of Freddie Gray in April 2015, was found not guilty by a judge Thursday, WBAL-TV reports. Goodson was the only officer charged with depraved-heart murder, a second-degree felony that carries a sentence of up to 30…
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Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas
The Supreme Court of the United States has upheld the University of Texas’ affirmative action program, which helps minority students get admitted to the university, Politico reports. In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that “the race-conscious admissions program in use at the time of petitioner’s application is lawful under the Equal Protection Clause,” NPR notes. It was the second…
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Ala. Woman Indicted in Beating Death of 1-Year-Old by 8-Year-Old Boy
An Alabama woman whose daughter was beaten to death while she was out with a friend clubbing has been indicted, the Associated Press reports. Katerra Lewis, 27, is now facing charges of reckless manslaughter in the case involving her 1-year-old daughter, Kelci Lewis, who was beaten to death, prosecutors say, by an 8-year-old boy after…
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Democrats Stage Sit-in on House Floor, Demanding Vote on ‘No Fly, No Buy’ Gun Control Bill
About 30 Democrats from the United States House of Representatives are staging a sit-in as they demand the chance to vote on a gun control bill, NPR reports. According to the report, the House has not yet been gaveled into session, so it is not sure when such a vote would happen. “Lawmakers are grouped in…
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House Blocks Iowa Rep.'s Amendment to Keep Harriet Tubman Off $20 Bill
Harriet Tubman will still be appearing on the $20 bill, despite an Iowa representative’s best efforts to stop the Treasury Department from redesigning the currency. On Tuesday the House Rules Committee blocked an amendment by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that would have stopped the rollout of the new currency, Talking Points Memo reports. The amendment,…
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Confederate-Flag-Waving Man Arrested After Pointing Shotgun at Black Woman, Vandalizing Car
A Virginia woman says she was terrified after a white man waving a Confederate flag pointed a shotgun at her and vandalized her vehicle, WTVR reports. Cierra Mayes was at a community yard sale Sunday morning when the incident occurred. According to police, Thomas Lee Campbell, 54, got upset after he saw a car parked…
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Mississippi Burning Case Closed After 52 Years
Mississippi officials have decided to close the investigation into the killings of three young civil rights organizers by the Ku Klux Klan, more than five decades after the young men disappeared, NPR reports. According to the report, the case had been closed for decades but was later reopened after public outcry. Now officials have decided that…
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DOJ Will Not File Charges in Death of Kendrick Johnson
The Department of Justice will not be filing any charges in the 2013 death of Georgia high schooler Kendrick Johnson, whose body was found in a rolled-up wrestling mat at his school, with officials saying there was “insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges,” 11Alive reports. According to the report, Johnson’s family met with the DOJ…
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How Social Media Is Helping to Change the Image of Young Black Dads
When mainstream media paints a picture of black fatherhood, the image is usually marred by racialized prejudices and stereotypes about black manhood in general. Case in point: Remember the little boy who fell into the gorilla habitat at the Cincinnati Zoo, resulting in the death of the endangered silverback gorilla, Harambe? (Of course you do.)…
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Body of Missing Pregnant La. Teacher Found
Authorities have positively identified badly decomposed remains as those of a pregnant Baton Rouge, La., teacher who has been missing since last week, WAFB reports. The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office used dental records to identify the remains of Lyntell Washington, 40, who was reported missing June 9 after her 3-year-old daughter was found alone…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
