Once again, as we have seen all too often, another white police officer has been acquitted in the murder of a St. Louis Black man, Anthony Lamar Smith. Ex- police officer Jason Stockley was charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of Smith. This 2011 case, like the few others where police officers have even been charged, ended the same way as the officer trials in Freddie Gray, Walter Scott, Jonathan Ferrell and Samuel Dubose cases. They all ended without justice for the murder of a black man. Most end in an acquittal or hung jury without a retrial. There was strong evidence in the Smith case to convict Stockley. First, Mr. Smith was trying to get away from the officer during a police chase in his vehicle. Stockley, apparently outraged at Smith’s actions is heard saying, I’m gonna kill that ___expletive. And less than one minute later, Stockley kept his promise and shot and killed Smith. Stockley later alleged a gun was found in Smith’s car---after going inside … [Read more...] about Another White Cop Acquitted in Murder of a Black Man
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How the Law Affected Rachel Dolezal’s Thinking on Race
When I first heard about Rachel Dolezal, now former President of the Spokane, Washington NAACP chapter, I didn’t know what to think about her perceived appearance changes from that of a white woman to successfully posing as a black one, until outed by her parents. As I read further about her, I realize the law played a significant part in her changes. Rachel Dolezal, for those who haven’t kept abreast, has been masquerading, my words, as a black woman, for the past several years after leaving Howard University where she obtained a Master’s degree. On the other hand, she tells Matt Lauer on the Today Show that she identified as being black since as early as grade school. Law suit records filed by Ms. Dolezal in 2002 shows she considered herself to be white. While at Howard University as a graduate student, she filed a law suit against Howard for alleged discrimination against her as a white woman. In 2005, the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled against her case for alleged … [Read more...] about How the Law Affected Rachel Dolezal’s Thinking on Race