news
-
Va. Man Threatens Richmond Churchgoers: ‘I’m Gonna Kill All You and All You Are Gonna Get Killed Tonight’
A raging Virginia man threatened churchgoers at a Richmond church, banging on the door and threatening to kill the people within while yelling racial slurs during a regular Thursday-night service, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The man reportedly had something resembling a weapon in his hand, which a police officer, who was working security at the…
-
Former Ole Miss Student Admits to Role in Draping Noose on Statue of 1st Black Student
A former University of Mississippi student took a plea deal from prosecutors, pleading guilty Thursday to a federal civil rights charge in the racially charged vandalism of a statue of the school’s first black student, Reuters reports. Graeme Phillip Harris, who was 19 at the time of the vandalism, could get up to a year…
-
Dylann Storm Roof Confesses to Fatal Mass Shooting in SC: Report
Updated Friday, June 19, 10:10 a.m. EDT: Dylan Storm Roof told authorities that he “almost didn’t go through” with the horrific shooting spree at a South Carolina church Wednesday night “because everyone was so nice to him,” sources told NBC News. Despite the welcome he received at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Roof concluded that he…
-
Let’s Call Charleston Shooting What It Was: A Terrorist Attack
It’s become quite the national pastime (centuries in the making, in fact) that when violent, racially motivated and genocidal-like tragedies befall African Americans, the reflex is to avoid calling it what it is: domestic terrorism. State, local and federal authorities, however, will want us all to find comfort in the “hate crime” stamp after Wednesday…
-
Canadian Province Addresses Racial Profiling
Racial profiling is a concern beyond our northern border. To address the issue, Community Safety Minister Yasir Naqvi announced June 16 that the province of Ontario will standardize its controversial carding policy, the Canadian Broadcast Corp. reports. The safety minister said that in too many cases, police conduct identity checks without having probable cause. He…
-
The Victims of the Charleston, SC, Church Massacre
One woman coached the girls track team at a local high school. Another young man had just graduated from college last year and was thinking about pursuing a career in broadcast journalism. Another man was the consummate community leader, having met both President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of…
-
Judge Rejects Lawsuit by 2 Black Men Alleging a Pattern of Racial Discrimination at Kansas City Entertainment District
A U.S. District court has thrown out a class action racial-discrimination lawsuit against a Kansas City, Mo., entertainment center. Two African-American men accused Cordish Cos.—which owns the downtown Kansas City, Mo., entertainment area called the Kansas City Power & Light District—of using various tactics to limit the number of black patrons at the district’s restaurants, bars and…
-
US Supreme Court Permits Texas to Reject Confederate Flag License Plate
In a 5-4 ruling on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Texas’ refusal to issue a license plate with the Confederate flag, the Associated Press reports. Justice Clarence Thomas joined the more liberal justices to form a majority. They overturned an appeals court ruling that barring the plates was a violation of free speech rights.…
-
Watch: Obama Speaks Out on Charleston Church Shooting: ‘I’ve Had to Make Statements Like This Too Many Times’
In a speech Thursday afternoon before a trip to California, President Barack Obama gave a statement on the mass shooting in Charleston, S.C., denouncing the “senseless murders” while also remembering the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church’s long and embattled history. “To say our thoughts and prayers are with [the victims] and their families and their…
-
Dylann Storm Roof, Suspect in SC Church Mass Murder, Arrested in NC
Updated Thursday, June 18, 1:36 p.m. EDT: A South Carolina news station, WLTX, is reporting that law enforcement has apprehended Dylann Storm Roof in Shelby, N.C. According to the report, the 21-year-old was taken into custody at approximately 11 a.m. after a traffic stop. Charleston, S.C., Police Chief Greg Mullen said that a citizen called…