Criminal Justice
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Former Cheerleader Reaches $145,000 Settlement With Kennesaw State University for National Anthem Protest
A former Kennesaw State University cheerleader who took a knee during the national anthem at a KSU football game has reached an out-of-court settlement with the school. From the Marietta Daily Journal: Former KSU cheerleader Tommia Dean filed a lawsuit in 2018 after receiving backlash to her public protest with four other cheerleaders during the…
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Troubled R&B Crooner Chico DeBarge Arrested for Meth Possession
Chico DeBarge is in trouble with the law again: The DeBarge family’s younger famous brother has been arrested for drug possession. According to TMZ, the No Guarantee singer/songwriter was arrested in Burbank, Calif. in a Walmart parking lot after cops saw him trying to unlock an SUV. Officers reportedly approached and searched the 53-year-old Detroit…
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How to Protect Black Moms in America
Each year in the United States, more black women get sick or die during and after pregnancy than the year before. That’s because America is the only developed country in the world where maternal mortality has actually increased in recent decades. The U.S. maternal mortality rate—defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or…
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Never Forget: 5 Years After His Death, Family, Activists Continue to Build Tamir Rice’s Legacy
The tragedy of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, the young black boy with the cherubic face, will never leave me. We see a lot of extrajudicial abuse and murder here at The Root, but this one is especially long-abiding, given his age, how Tamir and his sister were treated after he was shot, and, of course, the…
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Five Days Before Scheduled Death, Court Stops Execution of Rodney Reed—and Kanye West Was There Holding a Secret Revival Outside of Jailhouse
It happened in Texas! Yesterday. The power of social justice, social media and major celebrity has worked in the favor of death row inmate Rodney Reed, who was scheduled for execution on Nov. 20. On Friday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously recommended delaying his execution after new evidence has come to light…
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Patrisse Cullors, LA Reform Jails Tackle Mental Health, Mass Incarceration with Mental Health Matters Summit + Day Party
In its commitment to addressing the failures of the prison industrial complex—as it pertains to mental health, drug dependency, chronic homelessness, and other issues—Patrisse Cullors, founder of Reform L.A. Jails, knew her organization would require a unique strategy in order to build a stronger rapport with Los Angeles residents and educate them on the unspeakable…
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Library of Congress Announces New Exhibit, Book Telling Rosa Parks’ Story In Her Own Words
For decades, we’ve been told of the courage and fortitude of Rosa Parks. Now, for the first time ever, the story of the woman who invigorated the Civil Rights Movement will be shared in her own words. On Dec. 5, the Library of Congress will debut the first exhibit of the Rosa Parks Collection: “Rosa…
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#FreeRodneyReed Family Members, Supporters (Including Kim Kardashian West) Demand Justice for Death Row Inmate Weeks Before Execution
Kim Kardashian West for the people! Family, friends and supporters of Rodney Reed—including the social media and reality TV superstar—want justice, and they are making their voices heard far and wide about what is considered a miscarriage of justice, by some, including Kim Kardashian West. On Saturday, nearly a hundred supporters rallied outside of the…
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When NY Ended Money Bail, a Prosecutor Trained DAs to Keep People in Jail
As New York joined a handful of other states in passing sweeping criminal justice reforms, one of the state’s top prosecutors helped attorneys and legislators find loopholes to subvert laws intended to end money bail and guarantee speedy trials. In April, New York Democrats, who controlled the governorship and both legislative branches, passed measures that…
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Exonerated Five Fighting to Stop Cops From Lying, Using Innocent People’s DNA and Other Things You Probably Thought Were Already Illegal
Innocent until proven guilty is one of the foundational tenets of American jurisprudence. Even when a person is arrested and jailed for a crime, they are afforded the same presumption of innocence as Ivanka Trump, Jesus Christ, the white people in lotion commercials or any other unblemished, blue-eyed blonde American. Of course, if you’re black,…