tennessee
-
Memphis Cop Faces Charges for Kidnapping and Killing Man While on Duty
In case you haven’t said “what the fuck” enough over the past several days, a now-former cop in Memphis is facing charges for kidnapping and killing a man—while on duty. CNN reports that former Memphis Police Officer Patric Ferguson, 29, allegedly forced Robert Howard, 30, into the back of his squad car and drove him…
-
The LGBTQ Community Will Usher In a New Era After Big Wins on Election Night
While it might’ve been an anxiety-ridden election night for most of us, for the LGBTQ community it was a historic night of triumph. Throughout the country, gay, queer, trans and non-binary candidates racked up congressional win after congressional win, prevailing over years of discrimination in order to put Black excellence at the forefront. In New…
-
Tennessee Poll Worker Fired After Turning Away Voters in Black Lives Matter Shirts
A poll worker in Memphis was fired after refusing to allow people wearing “Black Lives Matter” shirts to vote. County Election Commission spokeswoman Suzanne Thompson told the Associated Press that the worker was fired on Friday after officials received a call from someone who witnessed a person be turned away. “What he did was patently…
-
Tennessee Lawmaker Blames ‘Inner City’ Obesity Rates on Fried Chicken, 7-Eleven Stores
A Republican state senator running for reelection drew criticism this past week over bizarre comments he gave to a local TV station, claiming that high obesity rates in the “inner city” were due to eating fried chicken. “The obesity rate in the inner city is bigger than anywhere else. Because what do they do, they…
-
NFL Postpones Steelers-Titans Game, Threatens Punishments for Failure to Adhere to COVID-19 Guidelines
On Tuesday, we reported that the Tennessee Titans have shut down their facilities and all in-person work until Saturday in response to multiple players and team personnel testing positive for the coronavirus. And now, after the NFL’s first coronavirus outbreak this season, ESPN reports that the league will now also experience its first postponement: Sunday’s…
-
Tennessee Passes Law That Would Punish Protestors By Taking Away Their Right to Vote
Republican lawmakers and a Republican governor have green-lit a new law in Tennessee that makes it possible for people to have their voting rights revoked as punishment for participating in protests. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the measure into law last week after a special three-day legislative session, reports AP. Under the new law, demonstrators…
-
Tennessee Man Alleges That Police Beat Him With Chairs, Ping Pong Equipment After Arrest
For every story of police brutality that gains national attention, there are several more that fly under the radar. Take, for instance, the story of Daniel Jefferson, who alleges that, after being arrested by Memphis Police in 2015 during a drug investigation, he was beaten up at the Raines police precinct. “They beat me with…
-
Tennessee Prosecutor Calls for Officers to Be Investigated for Beating Black Man While He Was Handcuffed
How many videos need to surface showing police officers brutalizing black people before America realizes these incidents aren’t so isolated after all? Video footage of George Floyd set off the largest Black Lives Matter movement since the BLM hashtag was created. What most people don’t know is that just two days before that incident, five…
-
Nashville Police 'Dismissive' After NAACP President Reports Finding Bullseye in His Front Yard
The killing of Ahmaud Arbery as well as the effort to re-open states despite COVID-19 ravaging black communities has displayed how little America values black life. Now, an NAACP chapter president in Nashville has revealed that police didn’t take him seriously when he found a threatening sign on his property. According to NBC News, Keith…
-
Student-Teacher Dismissed for Teaching ‘Willie Lynch Letter’ to 4th-Graders
A Tennessee instructor’s Black History Month lesson on a fake historical document backfired when school administrators discovered that she was teaching “alternative facts” instead of verifiable ones like Christopher Columbus discovering America, states’ rights causing the Civil War, or “liberty and justice for all.” While being interviewed for a book about conspiracy theories, I recently…