tennessee
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Tennessee Gov. Declares Day Honoring Slave Trader and Early Leader of the KKK
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee tipped his hand, and it’s racist AF. For some reason that only Southern states will understand, Lee signed a proclamation declaring July 13 Nathan Bedford Forrest Day. Who in the fuck was Forrest? Well, just a Confederate general, slave trader and an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan, which might…
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Getting This Smoke: Black Activists Slam Meharry Medical School Decision to Take $7.5 Million Grant From Juul
Black activists and health experts are slamming what they say is Meharry Medical College’s deal with the devil: in this case, the electronic cigarette company Juul, calling the HBCU’s recent decision to accept a $7.5 million grant from the e-cigarette firm deeply troubling. “Juul doesn’t have African Americans’ best interests in mind,” LaTroya Hester, of…
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Tennessee Prosecutor to Same-Sex Couples: No Domestic Violence Protections for You!
The top prosecutor in Coffee County, Tenn., a man charged with protecting the rights and enforcing the law on behalf of all the people in his jurisdiction, apparently has no intention of doing so when it comes to LGBTQ victims of domestic violence. In video uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Nashville, Craig Northcott can be seen…
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Tennessee Church Shooter Sentenced to Life Without Parole
It took a Tennessee jury less than two hours of deliberation to sentence Emanuel Kidega Samson for his fatal role in a shooting at a Nashville church. The Tennessean reports that the 27-year-old will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty of first-degree murder and 42 other counts in…
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Tennessee GOP Ousts House Speaker Who Was Too Racist and Sexist Even for Them
After weeks of turmoil following a text message scandal involving his top aide, Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada announced he was stepping down from his role on Tuesday night. The texts, leaked earlier this month, were sent from Casada’s then-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, and contained a vibrant melange of sexist, racist commentary. Among the…
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Tennessee House Speaker's Top Aide Resigns After Accusations of Framing Black Activist and Sending Racist and Sexist Texts
Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada’s chief of staff, a white man who actually and truly goes by the name Cade Cothren, has resigned amid allegations that he framed a black activist, as well as sent racist and sexually explicit texts, some of which were received by his boss. Cothren announced his resignation on Monday, hours…
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Tennessee Just Passed a Bill That Could Suppress Black Votes
While the results of the 2016 presidential election ushered in the apocalypse, the 2018 midterms saw increased political awareness throughout the country, as hyper-vigilant voters committed to bringing order to chaos and record numbers at the polls. “Record numbers” is a gross understatement, considering an estimated 113 million people rocked the vote—the highest total for…
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What Tennessee—and the Country—Can Learn from London Lamar, the State's Youngest Black Woman Lawmaker
By the time Tennessee representative London Lamar tells me she’s “a softy and a sweet person,” she had already removed all doubt. The ambitious lawmaker—the youngest black woman in the Tennessee state House by more than 30 years—has a demeanor that reminds me of spiced honey: sweet and soothing, but not afraid to kick. She’s…
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Tennessee Detective Caught Beating a Handcuffed Black Man Still Collecting Checks on Desk Duty
A white Hamilton County, Tennessee, detective caught on camera punching and kicking a black man in handcuffs is now on desk duty as police launch an investigation into the case. Video of the Dec. 3 incident captured by a neighbor shows Detective Blake Kilpatrick beating 24-year-old Charles Toney, punching him in the ribs and face…
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Confronted by Black Lives Matter Activist, Tennessee Governor Says He’s Considering Clemency for Cyntoia Brown
Questioned by a Black Lives Matter activist during a recent speaking engagement, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced that his office is considering offering clemency to Cyntoia Brown, a sex trafficking victim currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder. Tennessee’s outgoing governor gave a speech on Monday at the Nashville Public Library on the importance…