on the black hand side

Tyler Perry, Racial Profiling and the Disappearance of Felipe Santos and Terrance Williams

As a subscriber, I received a message from Tyler Perry today. It was a harrowing description of his personal experience with police officers who puuled him over one night. It also goes into the Trayvon Martin situation in Sanford, Florida and two missing men from Naples, Florida --- Felipe Santos and Terrance Williams.

I thought someone had hacked Tyler Perry's e-mail account and blasted a cruel and un-funny April Fool's Day joke. Could the police stop Perry described really have occured? Well, yes. Could the missing persons story be true? I didn't think so because I live in South Florida and I'd never heard of these cases.

A quick Google search proved me wrong. It seems Perry is drawing attention to the missing persons cases of the two men who lived in Naples. Perry asked, "What's Going on in Florida?"

 

With the controversy surrounding the Trayvon Martin incident dominating mainstream media and comparisons of his fatal shooting to other civil rights cases, it's easy to see how Florida is earning a horrible reputation when it comes to black and Latin males. Tyler Perry's celebrity status, will generate more media coverage of these two missing persons cases. The question remains... What's going on in Florida?

 

Related Links:

Facebook Page: Disappearance of Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos 

 

Calkins says he 'didn't do anything wrong'

The Laurie Roth Show: Missing Men - Felipe Santos - Terrance Williams

Troy Anthony Davis was executed. What next, America? [VIDEO]

 
^{Howard University student arrested at protest at The White House}

People around the world protested Georgia’s execution of Troy Anthony Davis for the August 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah. Messages and photos flooded Twitter’s timeline. Cable television news channels covered the story. Democracy Now! livestreamed  coverage via the internet. As police presence in riot gear was beefed up at Georgia Diagnostic Prison, the site of the execution, it was apparent Davis would be put to death this time. In spite of the protests and legal appeals, Davis was executed by lethal injection at 11:08 PM EST on Wednesday, September 21, 2011.

 

The video footage of the arrest of Howard University students who were protesting at The White House were eerily reminiscent of the non-violent civil rights protests I remember as a child in the 1960’s. Has the execution, I prefer to refer to it as a crucifixion, of Troy Anthony Davis ignited a fire for a larger and louder chorus of voices demanding the end of the death penalty? It would seem so.

Troy Anthony Davis proclaimed his innocence to the end. The State of Georgia has blood on its hands. If you are a Georgia resident, even if you are not on The Supreme Court, the Georgia parole board, are one of the witnesses that recanted, or are the District Attorney of Chatham County, that would be you too.

 

 Video: RTAmerica

 

The Curious Case of Troy Davis: Too Much Doubt [VIDEO by Jasiri X]

On August 19, 1989, off-duty cop Mark MacPhail was shot and killed in Savannah, GA. Troy Davis was arrested and sentenced to  death. There was no physical evidence linking him to MacPhail’s murder. There were nine witnesses who said that Davis was the killer. Seven of those nine witnesses have recanted their testimony citing coercion by law enforcement. One of the two remaining witnesses is the original prime suspect.

Based on these facts, one has to wonder why the State of Georgia insists on executing Troy Davis on September 21, 2011. There is just too much doubt in the case of Troy Davis.

Hundreds of thousands of people have signed petitions asking that Troy Davis not be executed. Several former government officials and celebrities have also asked that Troy Davis not be executed. However, Michael MacPhail’s mother is looking forward to the execution of Troy Davis. She thinks it will bring her some peace. My heart goes out to her. I know the pain she feels. I know the feeling of having a child’s life taken in such a violent manner.

The truth, however, is that there is too much doubt that Troy Davis murdered Mark MacPhail. Family and friends want someone to pay for Mark’s murder. If Troy Davis is executed, their desire will still not have been honestly satisfied.   

The execution of Troy Davis would be a terrible miscarriage of justice. Here are three steps you can take to help him before the Georgia Parole Board meets on September 19. 2011:

1. Send a message of support to Troy as he fights for justice on what may be the final days of his life: http://action.naacp.org/LettersOfSupport

2. Sign the name wall, if you haven't already. And if you have, send it to your friends and family. Each name means a more united front for justice: http://action.naacp.org/Name-Wall

3. Make sure everyone knows about this injustice. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter (using the hashtag #TooMuchDoubt) so that Troy Davis's story can be heard. We still have a chance to save his life, but only if people are willing to speak out against injustice.

  

Free Audio Download http://jasirix.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-troy-davis-t-r-o-y

Get Counted! Mail in Your Census Form!

Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more.

When you do the math, it's easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:

• Hospitals
• Job training centers
• Schools
• Senior centers
• Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
• Emergency services

Participation isn't just important—it's mandatory.

 

The Wrongful Conviction of Gladys and Jamie Scott

You know I'm really sick and tired of these blog posts about police brutality and wrongful conviction cases. It's just wrong that people are taken advantage of by the justice system. It's also horrible when guilty folks get off for crimes that they have obviously convicted but I won't go there on this post.

This post in no way condemns the law-abiding enforcement officers or condones folks who act like idiots and need to be jailed. But there is something so insidious about police officers, lawyers, judges and other folks who taint the judicial process. In the end, Jesus, God, Allah, Jehovah or just divine order will take care of the culprits but that doesn't relinquish us of the duty to help those in need.

Enter sisters Gladys and Jamie Scott. These two women have been incarcerated for more than 14 years. They received a double life sentence for armed robbery committed on December 24, 1993. As has become typical, one of the men who actually committed the robbery later said he was coerced. All of the evidence wasn't presented. You know the rest because these cases appear to have similar recurring civil rights violations. Let me not forget to inform you that the robbery netted all of about $11.00. That's not a typographical error.

Please check out the links below to learn more about the case and spread the word about the wrongful conviction of the Scott Sisters. I know that we all must become somewhat tired with one case after another but if we put ourselves in the shoes of the Scott Sisters and their family, we'd want all the help we could get too.

Always in Light and Love….

Related Links:

The Wrongful Conviction of Jamie And Gladys Scott

Women In Prison (Where Do We Draw the Line?)

Your Black World: Interview With Nancy Lockhart On The Case Of Jamie & Gladys Scott

Transcripts:

http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/6126504/o7p18gb3d1lj07rdgfg

http://www.squidoo.com/WRONGFUL-CONVICTION-OF-JAMIE-AND-GLADYS-SCOTT

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5974654/The-Wrongful-Conviction-of-Jamie-and-Gladys-Scott

Please sign petition to Free the Scott Sisters.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Free-Jamie-Gladys/index.html

© 2009, on the black hand side, www.blackhandside.net

Vote for this blog for Best Pop Culture Blog and Best Blog About Stuff in the 2009 Bloggers Choice Awards.

WA Deputy Attacked 15 Year-Old Girl [VIDEO]

It is difficult to watch this video of King County, WA Deputy Paul Schene attacking a 15 year-old girl --- slamming her to the jail cell floor, punching her in the face and pulling her by the hair.

Schene had the unmitigated gall to plead NOT GUILTY to fourth degree assault.  He needs to be punished to the full extent of the law.

Schene's attorney says the video does not tell the whole story and prohibits her client from getting a fair trial.

Read more

Thanks to AAPP for the heads up.

© 2008, on the black hand side, www.blackhandside.net

Vote for this blog for Best Pop Culture Blog and Best Blog About Stuff in the 2008 Bloggers Choice Awards.

   

Murder Not Suicide: Justice for Billey Joe Johnson

On December 8th, 17-year-old Billey Joe Johnson died from a gunshot
wound to the head. Police say he killed himself with a shotgun after
being stopped for a simple traffic violation in Lucedale,
Mississippi.[1] Several things seem to cast doubt on the official
story, including an independent investigation that concluded it would
have been impossible for the shot that killed Johnson to have been
self-inflicted.

Many on the ground smell a murder and a cover-up. We don't have all the
answers, but it's clear that in the racially divided town of Lucedale,
all the ingredients exist for a miscarriage of justice.

I've joined ColorOfChange.org in demanding answers and justice for
Billey Joe's family. Together, we can help ensure that the District
Attorney feels the presence of a national spotlight, and let him know
that anything short of a thorough investigation will result in massive
attention and a call for outside intervention.

Please join me. It takes only a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/billeyjoe/?id=1802-295013

From the beginning, the District Attorney has treated the
investigation of Billey Joe's death as a suicide or the result of an
accidental self-inflicted injury. Based on his public statements and
interactions with Billey Joe's family, it appears that the District
Attorney hasn't looked into whether Billey Joe was killed by an
officer or someone else. Again, we don't have all the answers, but
here's what we do know:

- Billey Joe was at his former girlfriend's house minutes before the
killing.[2] He never entered the house, but police were called to
respond to an attempted burglary there.[3] This fact was not a part of
the original story given by the police.

- Billey Joe's family say that his ex-girlfriend had been staying at
her father's house because her mother threw her out for dating Billey
Joe (she is White and Billey Joe was Black). They said Billey Joe knew
to only go to the house when the girl's father was not present, that
the two of them were on good terms even after he had broken up with
her, and that the breakup was largely because of pressure from her
father. The family also claims that there is a relationship between
the officer present at the scene of Billey Joe's death and the girl's
father.

- A witness heard two shots, not one, at the scene where Billey Joe
died, according to an independent investigation launched by the
Mississippi NAACP. The pathologist in that investigation has indicated
that it would be impossible for a bullet from a a self-inflicted shot
to enter in the manner that it did. He also said that given the length
of Billey Joe's arms and the length of the shotgun, it would have been
impossible for him to hold the weapon and fire it at himself.

- Billey Joe was a star athlete with scholarship offers from more than
half a dozen schools. No one--including family, friends, and
coaches--could think of a reason that Billey Joe would want to end his
life.[4,5,6]

A true investigation would sort out fact from rumor. But we can't be
sure that Johnson's family will get the investigation it deserves. In
the case of the Jena 6 we saw a District Attorney and a judge
incapable of carrying out justice in a racially charged environment.
In the recent case of the murder of Oscar Grant by police (and many
like it), we see how unlikely it is for District Attorneys to do their
job when the suspect is an officer of the law. But in both these
cases, public pressure has made all the difference by shining a
spotlight on local authorities.

In the case of Billey Joe Johnson, we're looking for the truth and for
justice. A minute of your time can help ensure his family gets both:

http://www.colorofchange.org/billeyjoe/?id=1802-295013

Thanks.

References:

1. http://tinyurl.com/aul9hd
2. http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/1050689.html
3. http://www.wkrg.com/news/flash_paper/12_19_08_billy_joe_johnson/
4. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0812/17/cnr.07.html
5. http://tinyurl.com/cs7cjm
6. http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_11280331

 

It’s Time to Focus on the Jena 6 Again

Blogger D. Yobachi Boswell over at BlackPerspective.net, rightfully challenged black bloggers on the issue of coverage of the Jena 6. Accurately, he points out that the issue of the Jena 6 is rarely covered by the mainstream media and more important by the very black bloggers that pushed the issue to the forefront of international media just eight months ago.

It's important to note that as the case continues, a hearing is scheduled for this Friday to consider a motion on behalf of the Jena 6 to remove Judge J.P. Mauffray from the case for judicial bias. Judge Mauffray is at the heart of the disparate judicial rulings in the Jena 6 case.

Like many, I have my reasons for abandoning the topic and I'm sure you do also. For me, the presidential election has consumed most of my energy especially with Barack Obama on the verge of being named Democratic Party nominee. I must also confess that I had concerns about the actions of some of the Jena 6 and did not want to continue to be disappointed. That being said, the Jena 6 issue is not as much about the young men involved as much as it about the situation happening in the first place. The decisions of the Jena , LA leaders following the initial incident and the violation of the civil rights the Jena 6 and the black students at Jena High School cannot go unabated.

I ask you to join me and other bloggers in covering the Jena 6 story, regardless of findings, until the issue has reached its conclusion. I'm adding the Jena 6 back to my news alert list. Will you do the same?

Related Link: The Jena 6 Blog

The civil-rights era, punctuated by the King slaying 40 years ago, bred a singular slogan of defiance

BY LEONARD PITTS JR.

lpitts@MiamiHerald.com

LEONARD PITTS JR.

Elmore Nickelberry, left, then a Memphis sanitation worker on strike, was shocked at the King slaying: 'I was mad. It hurt me.' His son Terence displays a slogan made famous by the 1968 sanitation strike. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

Share your thoughts on this article and see what other readers are saying. Click here to comment.

I am a man.

If you met me, you would regard it as a self-evident truth. But there was a time it would not have been.

See, I am a black man.

And for most of the years of America's existence, the terms were regarded by many as mutually exclusive. You could be black or you could be a man. You could not be both. Last month marked 40 years since striking sanitation workers in Memphis, virtually all of them black, composed a defiant response:

I AM A Man … the verb capitalized and underlined for emphasis on signs they carried as they marched for fair wages, for better conditions, for their own dignity.

Friday marks 40 years since that era came to its bloody end. Standing on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where he had gone to support the sanitation workers, Martin Luther King was shot and killed.

Forty years later, here I am, a man - a black man in an era where black men, like other men, struggle to define manhood itself. Is it defined by strength? By toughness? By sexual potency? By money?

Forty years ago, it was defined by a single act of courage, black men saying what was unsayable and daring anyone ever to deny it again.

I am a man.

Mychal Bell Accepts Plea Deal

Jena 6 defendant Mychal Bell accepted a plea deal that may see him released next year. Read Howard Witt's coverage at The Chicago Tribune. I guess this is the win-win situation in that neither side got everything they wanted.

While I'd like to be happy about this decision, I'm not. The racial problems in Jena, regardless of the disavowal of some residents, still exist. The 'White Tree' was cut down at Jena High School but the cancer of racism still festers.

Justin Barker's role in the unrest and the attacks on other black teens still haven't been addressed. And let's not even get into using some of the Jena 6 for their athletic prowess and not arresting them until after the football season was over.

Until the issue of racism is actually addressed, whatever happens in Jena will be just like putting perfume on a pig. It still stinks.