black lives matter
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It's Official: Aretha Franklin's Family Thought That Eulogy Was Just as Trash as You Did
In case you were wondering what Aretha Franklin’s family thought about the eulogy delivered by Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., wonder no more: they thought it was trash. On Monday, Vaughn Franklin, Aretha’s nephew, called the eulogy “offensive” and “very, very distasteful,” in a statement made on behalf of the family. “He spoke for 50 minutes…
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Chicago Officer Who Killed 17-Year-Old Laquan McDonald Breaks Silence for the 1st Time Since Fatal Shooting
Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke is ending his silence, giving multiple interviews this week ahead of his murder trial, which is scheduled to begin next week. Van Dyke gave his first TV interview to Fox32, and also sat down to speak to reporters from the Chicago Tribune. Unsurprisingly, for both interviews, he declined to…
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Ex-Cop Convicted in Murder of 15-Year-Old Jordan Edwards Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
A Texas jury has decided that former Balch Springs, Texas officer Roy Oliver will spend the next 15 years of his life in prison for the murder of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. According to CNN, in addition to the prison sentence, Oliver will be fined $10,000 in the case. Oliver, 38, was convicted of murder on…
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Ex-Officer Who Killed 15-Year-Old Jordan Edwards Found Guilty of Murder
After two days of deliberations, jurors found Roy Oliver, the ex-Balch Springs, Texas cop who shot and killed Jordan Edwards, an unarmed 15-year-old boy, guilty of murder on Tuesday afternoon. The 38-year old Oliver was on trial for murder and two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant, reports DallasNews.com. He was found not…
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At This Baltimore Summer Camp, All the Counselors Are Cops—But They Don't Tell Kids That Until the End
The “Love You to Live” camp, on its face, seems like many other summer overnight camps. Designed to help Baltimore students who are in difficult circumstances or have already been through the juvenile justice system, the focus of the camp is to help students develop, connect to peers and role models who can support them,…
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Spike Lee Responds to Boots Riley's Critique of BlacKkKlansman: 'We Need Police'
More than a week after director and musician Boots Riley delivered a pointed and detailed critique of BlacKkKlansman and its portrayal of police officers, filmmaker Spike Lee has a response. Riley shared the three-page criticism on Twitter (warning: it does contain spoilers) on Aug. 17, citing Lee as a “huge influence” on his own filmmaking…
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Father of Black Teen Shot in the Back by St. Louis PD Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The father of a black teen shot in the back by St. Louis police three years ago has filed a wrongful death suit against the officer that killed his son. Filed last Friday in a St. Louis federal court, the suit alleges that two white St. Louis officers overreacted when they shot and killed 18-year-old…
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Prosecutors Cannot Call Laquan McDonald, 17-Year-Old Shot and Killed by Chicago Cop, a 'Victim' During Murder Trial
A Chicago judge ruled on Wednesday that prosecutors will be unable to call Laquan McDonald, who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer, a victim until closing arguments. Attorneys defending Officer Jason Van Dyke, the officer who is facing charges of first-degree murder and other firearm offenses in McDonald’s death, have claimed that…
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When Black Lives Are Under Attack, What Do We Do? Stand Up, Fight Back!
It seemed like the “alt-right” got the memo that spewing hateful rhetoric and inciting violence like we saw last year in Charlottesville, Va., only further marginalizes them. The few neo-Nazis, white nationalists and sympathizers who were present at the Unite the Right 2 March were completely dwarfed and drowned out by thousands of counter-protesters. Black…