united states racial unrest
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Criminal Charges Against Breonna Taylor’s Boyfriend Kenneth Walker Permanently Dropped
Nearly a year to the date that Louisville Metro Police Department officers entered 26-year-old Breonna Taylor’s home in a raid that ended with them shooting and killing the young woman, charges have finally been permanently dropped against her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. Judge Olu Stevens in Louisville, Kentucky, has ruled that the charges of attempted murder…
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Jury Selection Postponed in Derek Chauvin Trial as Potential Third-Degree Murder Charge Still in Question
Jury selection in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin did not go through as planned on Monday, as prosecutors and the defense continue to battle over whether an additional charge of third-degree murder should be added to the case against Chauvin. Chauvin, who was seen in a viral video in May…
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House Passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Republicans Predictably Reject Proposed Reforms
On Wednesday, the House passed a comprehensive police reform bill named in honor of George Floyd, the 46-year-old Black man whose brutal death after being restrained under the knee of a Minneapolis cop helped spur a nationwide movement against racism and unjust police practices in 2o2o. In a clear indication of where the two major…
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Judge in Derek Chauvin Trial Says Only One of George Floyd’s Family Members Can Be in Court; Other Stories Come Out About Cop’s Use of Force
The presiding judge in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis cop captured on video kneeling on George Floyd’s neck until he died last year, has ruled that only one of the victim’s family members can attend the trial proceedings. The trial for Chauvin, who is facing charges of second-degree murder and third-degree…
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Georgia High School Teacher Tells Class Breonna Taylor's Death Was Her 'Criminal' Boyfriend's and Her Own Fault
It’s about time we have a serious conversation about how a lot of white teachers have no business whatsoever teaching Black students. Earlier this Black History Month, The Root reported that a teacher in Florida—who must have gotten his doctorate in unmitigated caucasity long before he achieved the credentials that put him in charge of…
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Michigan Police Officer on Unpaid Leave After Being Accused of Sharing Racist George Floyd Meme
There’s a reason I generally never feel bad about the negative things I say and write about police officers. I’ve spent much of my life witnessing the disregard and even the contempt a lot of cops have for Black life. And that’s only based on what I’ve observed in person—I can only imagine what cops…
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Grand Jury Declines to Charge Rochester Police Officers in Daniel Prude’s Death
On Tuesday, Rochester, N.Y., continued America’s long-standing tradition of not holding police officers accountable for their careless actions when dealing with Black people. On March 23, last year, Rochester police officers encountered Daniel Prude while he was walking naked in the street. Prude was clearly in need of help, but instead of receiving the care…
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Southern Poverty Law Center Estimates 160 Confederate Monuments Were Taken Down in 2020. We Need to Pump Those Numbers Up
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), estimates that approximately 160 Confederate monuments were taken down over the course of 2020. Come y’all, those are rookie numbers, we need to pump those numbers up. The Associate Press reports that the SPLC has released the figures as part of its “Whose Heritage?” database that keeps track of…
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Ahmaud Arbery’s Mother Files Civil Lawsuit Against Son’s Killers, Glynn County Officials on Anniversary of Death
One year to the day that 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down by Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael while jogging through a neighborhood in Glynn County, Ga., Arbery’s mother has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court seeking $1 million in damages for his death. Wanda Cooper-Jones filed the suit at a U.S.…
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Proposes Overhaul to Citizen’s Arrest Law Amid Death of Ahmaud Arbery
It’s been nearly a year since Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot after being chased around a Glynn County, Ga., neighborhood. Arbery’s accused attackers are charged with multiple felonies, including murder, and are sitting in jail cells after being denied bond multiple times. Meanwhile, Gov. Brian Kemp announced a new bill Tuesday to change Georgia’s citizen’s…