Eastern Michigan University (EMU) officials are investigating after a Black baby doll was found hanging in a dorm room shower.The doll was discovered on Monday by a resident adviser, according to The Detroit News. A video from a witness shows the toy hanging from a shower rod in a shared bathroom using a noose made from clothing.Officials investigate black doll left hanging in Eastern Michigan University shower. A guest reportedly called it a “prank and did not have malicious or racist intentions.” https://t.co/vGsY2ocSFh
pic.twitter.com/tbymUgJCTO— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 12, 2019The person who placed the doll in the shower was a guest of a student who lived in the suite and said it was a prank. The person also claimed they meant no harm. EMU disregarded the student’s account and is moving forward with the investigation.“Eastern Michigan takes this matter very seriously,” the university said in a statement. “There is absolutely no place at Eastern for hateful and racist actions, regardless of their intent. At this time, the University continues to investigate the incident and will take appropriate steps upon completion of the investigation.”An EMU Housing and Residence Life source told the Eastern Echo the offender would most likely be charged with ethnic intimidation. If found guilty, the person could be in prison for up to two years and issued a $5,000 fine.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now, check these out:Gucci Collaborator Dapper Dan Demands Accountability Over Blackface Sweater: 'I Am A Man Before I Am A Brand'Esquire Slammed For Publishing Cover Story About Being A White Man In America In The Middle Of Black History Month North Carolina Catholic School Cancels Black History Program After Parents Complain About Openly Lesbian...
On November 20, we observe #TransRemembranceDay. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the Transgender Day of Remembrance was launched in honor of Rita Hester who was killed on November 28, 1998. Sadly, since 2013, there have been 128 known anti-transgender homicides reported in the U.S. In 2018 alone, there have already been 22 known transgender people violently killed in the country. On November 20, transgender people who have had their lives taken from them are remembered. Blavity previously reported on the alarmingly rapid increase in hate crimes targeting Black trans women, in particular. According to a HRC report, 82 percent of the transgender people killed in 2018 were women of color; 64 percent were under the age of 35. Lourdes Hunter, the executive director of the Trans Women of Color Collective and a Black trans woman, told NBC News worrying about impending violence is unfortunately part of her daily life. “Going to the market, going to the store,” she said, "Simple things like that, you could lose your life.”Many took to Twitter Tuesday to honor those lost to anti-trans violence with the hashtag, #TransRemembranceDay.#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/cpsCslwFS6— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018Celine Walker, 36, was fatally shot in a hotel room on on Feb 4 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was not known for several days that Walker was trans because local police claimed to not refer to victims as transgender. Investigators are still looking for a suspect in her death. pic.twitter.com/xCgbcIgJhi— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/7qSk4HMkCj— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/jCPmhv10eo— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018Tonya Harvey, 35, was fatally shot on Feb 6 in Buffalo, NY. A friend of Harvey’s expressed her condolences on FB, writing: “I knew her since I started transitioning, she was so sweet and loving.” Police have confirmed they're looking into the incident as a possible hate crime. pic.twitter.com/UxKiLIkZ2y— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/7iq5VVxBVr— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018Phylicia Mitchell, 45, was shot and killed outside her home on February 23 in Cleveland, Ohio. On April 10, https://t.co/nagSjKbDS2 reported that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Gary Sanders. Sanders was charged with aggravated murder in Mitchell's death.— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018Her longtime partner, Shane Mitchell, described her as "funny and kind" and that "everyone loved her." pic.twitter.com/pEs1PTJWy4— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/JIcWQUgDll— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018Amia Tyrae Berryman, 28, was fatally shot at a local motel on March 26 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Few details are known about the crime, and police report they have no suspects or persons of interest at this time. Peace be Upon you.. Amia. pic.twitter.com/2yybpgsyOp— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/fxrTMKQNT3— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018“I will miss you my beautiful sister. I cannot sleep, I hope they find who did this.” pic.twitter.com/6nXbOqPwP7— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/jJOxpXYwG0— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/oOczcGwxFk— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018“like someone stole something from me that I will never be able to get back.” pic.twitter.com/G3QHdNvjog— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/ym5HCyFavF— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/lq3Sqt3IvU— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018Diamond Stephens, 39, was murdered on 6/18 in Meridian, Mississippi. Family said Stephens had an “incredible personality.” As is the case in reporting anti-trans violence, she was misgendered in police statements & media reports, which delayed awareness of this deadly incident. pic.twitter.com/39e2wBihWq— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/1ST8YkrRok— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018Sasha Garden, 27, was found dead w. signs of trauma in Orlando, Florida, early July 19. Sasha is remembered by loved ones as a “firecracker” who “didn’t hold anything back.” Friends recall Garden as a talented & aspiring hair stylist & had been saving money to fund her transition pic.twitter.com/YYwfuqX6nD— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/MspjRYExgn— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018“Every time you saw her she had a smile on her face," said . “She was just trying to live her best life as a young girl.” pic.twitter.com/zP3d9ui2lp— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/n3GI6dhDna— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018Vontashia Bell, 18, was fatally shot on August 30 in a neighborhood of Shreveport, Lousiana. The Louisiana Trans Advocates organization released a statement condemning the shooting and calling on the city’s leaders to help curb the violence against the trans community. pic.twitter.com/YyREUVXWCb— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/X8XltB3ShI— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/T6AwQK7dRL— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/SyxXaua1ee— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018#TransDayOfRemembrance
pic.twitter.com/yyvYaPVk2y— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 20, 2018by friends and loved ones, who said that she will “always be missed.” pic.twitter.com/YOVAb5WRWg— IAM (@IndyaMoore) November 20, 2018“We honor their contribution to the movement,” said Hunter, who is scheduled to mark the remembrance with a speech at Metropolitan Community Church in Washington, D.C. Tuesday night. “It’s because of them — their energy, their presence, their existence — that we are here today, still moving forward.”Now, check these out: New Report Puts The Spotlight On The Black Transgender ExperienceKeo O'Neal, The First Openly Trans Man To Graduate From Spelman, Encourages Trans Youth 'To Be Brave’Why Are We More Interested In Transphobia Than We Are In...
Police officers have identified a 13-year-old boy as the suspect behind a threatening phone call made to a Georgia branch of the NAACP.The call was being investigated by the FBI until it was discovered that a teen was responsible for the call; after which the bureau returned the case to the Marietta police department, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Investigators believe the boy used software to disguise his voice so his age wouldn’t be obvious.He called the Cobb County branch of the NAACP and left a voicemail ridden with racial slurs.This is part of the threatening message, someone left for the Cobb County NAACP.Now, police say if caught, the person will be charged with making a terroristic threat.The story, coming up on Ch. 2.@wsbtv pic.twitter.com/qlPCDPABWv— Audrey Washington (@AudreyWSBTV) March 2, 2018“My number is kill n*ggers 101. My name, Johnny Rebel,” he said. “My profession, murdering black people. F*ck you, stupid f*cking n*ggers.”The call, made on Februrary 25, alarmed chapter president Deane Bonner at the time.“Physically, I almost got sick hearing the guy because one of the things he said right off the bat was this is murder,” Bonner said. “I mean, he wanted to murder.”The suspect’s name and photo have not been released because of his age, but he will appear in juvenile court for a terroristic threat charge. Documents that would point to a motive are also unavailable.Bonner agrees with the charges.“At 13, terroristic threats should be taken seriously,” said Bonner. “We believe in due...
On Sept. 9, City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue lieutenant discovered that his photos in the fire station had been vandalized with hateful explicit remarks. Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban described the incident as a "hideous, distasteful act of hate,” for which 6 other Miami firefighters have been held responsible and reprimanded. The men have since been terminated for allegedly placing a noose around the family images of a black colleague. The victim’s identity has remained unknown so far; what we know is that he has served the fire department for 17 years as a lieutenant.Fire chief immediately responded and took action against the treacherous acts of hate. "Appalled by my observation, I immediately requested the Miami Police Department investigate the matter and temporarily transferred all personnel assigned to that station, per our department policy," he said.Upon the investigation, it was discovered that nearly a dozen firemen were involved, in some capacity, in the incident. However, the main 6 Of them- a captain, another lieutenant, and four firefighters were the primary culprits who decided to place the noose on the pictures. All 11 men involved have since been terminated, the main six let go without pay. They are William W. Bryson, Kevin Meizoso, David Rivera, Justin Rumbaugh, Harold Santana and Alejandro Sese.The noose, made with twine, was initially being investigated for vandalism until it was soon uncovered as a hate crime. “City of Miami Fire Rescue is an ethnically and racially diverse department and one of the best in the country," City Manager Daniel Alfonso says. "The priority as first-responders is to work as a team to be of service to our community. We cannot and will not tolerate behavior that is disrespectful, hurtful and compromises the integrity of the department and the City of Miami."A press conference is scheduled for this morning at 10:30 am, to discuss the incident and legal actions, with Daniel Alfonso, Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban, and Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado at City...
Cities like Chicago rose 20 percent in 2016, New York City had a 24 percent increase, Los Angeles had a 15 percent, and Philadelphia had a 50 percent increase.
Nearly a month after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a newly released study shows the steady increase in the number of reported hate crimes in the nation's largest cities.The study, authored by Professor Brian Levin, indicates that the hate crime data to date comes in wake of a divisive election year. And much of data from 2016 coincides with the increased activity and exposure of white supremacist groups The violence and unrest in the Virginia city was just one of many incidents marked by the rise of President Donald Trump. There were multiple instances of brutal backlash at Trump's rallies prior to the election. Blavity reported in August that Maumee, Ohio resident James Alex Fields, Jr. was apprehended after ramming a Dodge Challenger into the back of a car that hit members of a crowd of Charlottesville counter-protesters and bystanders at the Unite the Right rally. The 20-year-old white supremacist was with other various white nationalist groups and Confederate sympathizers protesting the removal of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee statue. Fields killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injured 19 others that day in August. According to the study, data collected from 31 large cities and counties, including the 10 largest cities in the U.S. were tabulated showing that there were 2,101 hate crimes in those cities and counties. That means that there is a nearly 5 percent rise from the 2,003 hate crimes in the same places the year before.“If these moderate overall increases of 5 percent hold nationally for 2016, this will be the first time since 2004 that the nation has experienced consecutive annual increases in hate crime,” Levin said.Cities like Chicago rose 20 percent in 2016, New York City had a 24 percent increase, Los Angeles had a 15 percent, and Philadelphia had a 50 percent increase. The city with the largest increase in hate crimes was Washington, D.C., which saw a 62 percent rise. Many of these cities have large black populations. However, the study is unique because many claim that there is no accurate way to track hate crimes. According to VOX, the FBI reports are not a reliable way to keep record. “What is so unusual about 2016 ― with the exception of the Midwest ― and particularly among the largest jurisdictions with the best data, was a clear and dramatic spike for the election period that was unlike anything I can recall in my professional career,” Levin...
Racism and hate continue to infiltrate our safe spaces, unfortunately.Two nooses were recently found in Brooklyn, the New York Daily News reports: one outside of a museum and the other outside of a public library.Police officers took down one noose from the tree in front of the New York Public Library's Bedford-Stuyvesant branch location a couple hours before the library opened. The noose was made from a six-foot long rope.Not too long before the library incident, a noose was discovered outside of a Brooklyn museum. It too was in a tree.“Someone has decided to stoke fear, and try to encourage fear, among young people and among the people that live in this community,” L. Joy Williams, President of the Brooklyn branch of the NAACP, told CBS New York.Reverend Kirsten John Foy of the National Action Network called the unknown perpetrators “cowards” according to NBC New York, and said that putting the noose outside of a library was like threatening children. “They didn’t go down to the Marcy Housing and hang a noose!”Councilman Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. pointed out that the noose was not just outside of the library, but also directly across from a school. "Not long ago it was illegal to educate a black person," said Cornegy. "We're saying it's in front of a library but across the street is an elementary school, so what's he subtle message there?"The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incidents, but no arrests have been made at this time. A Brooklyn Public Library spokeswoman says that the library is “cooperating fully in the investigation.”...
Remember William Boucher, a 24-year-old white male had a temper-tantrum, blurting racial slurs at a Starbucks in Chicago after someone allegedly spilled coffee on his pants as we reported back in June?According to Okay Player, Boucher's violent and racist rant caused him to face hate crime charges. Boucher spat on Gerald Mitchell, 30, and an unnamed woman, 34, both black and, per reports, told another person, "Shut up, slave".If you recall the incident, it gets even worse. Boucher also punched a homeless man on his way out of the Starbucks for no apparent reason. Mitchell and another witness then tackled Boucher to the ground.“He said a lot of stuff that didn’t make it on the video,” Mitchell said. “I try to see the good in people. I don’t know his background. I would try to give him the benefit of the doubt. I just know it was downright wrong. Disgusting.”
A Starbucks spokesperson released a statement addressing the incident saying, “We have absolutely no tolerance for this type of behavior in our stores, and are grateful to the partners (employees) and customers who stepped in to help until officers arrived.”Initially, Boucher was charged with three misdemeanor counts of battery.However, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, a no-bond warrant was issued in August on new charges of hate crime felonies.Boucher appeared before Judge Arthur F. Hill Jr., on Monday.Hill set his bail to $50,000 and Boucher will reappear in court on October...
Racism is alive and well… and dangerous. This time, it’s an incident in Brooklyn, where two neighborhood assailants brutally attacked an interracial couple, including hurling a lynching threat at the male victim. Per the New York Daily News, the attack happened last weekend outside of Coney Island Hospital while the two were out trying to celebrate their sixth anniversary. “I feel like I’m back 50 years ago or something,” said Anna, 38, of the attack toward herself and her boyfriend John, 42. “Being attacked for (our races) — it’s the first time. I’ve never felt any hate from people that live here.” Anna is a white while John is black. Police have identified the alleged attackers as Bernard Szurant, 25, and Rudolph Evmenenko, 27, who reportedly screamed things such as “This is our neighborhood you f-----g n-----! Get out of here!” and “Go back to your neighborhood, we’re going to lynch you, you f------ charcoal burner!”“They were basically torturing (John),” said Anna, who reported that the two assailants were drunk. “They couldn’t hit him because he’s tall and they were smaller, (but) they literally attached to his body and wouldn’t let go. Like leeches.”“I was trying to sort of be a barrier between her and them,” John added, who was repeatedly hit in the face for a seemingly forever 10 minutes and left the incident with a gash on his arm according to court documents. “I was more concerned about her because she just threw herself right in the middle of it.”"A couple times they feigned that they had a weapon, acted like they had a gun, and that was a bit unnerving,” he continued. “I said to him, 'You're not a man if you can't use your hands.’”“(John) didn't want to cause serious injuries,” noted Anna who also assisted in pushing and kicking the two men. “He was a professional boxer years ago. He knows how to protect himself from hits. If they couldn't get a good shot on him, he wasn't gonna take the first shot." Anna attempted to call 911, but Evmenenko knocked away her cell phone. "This was going on all the way until the cops literally pulled up in the car and they grabbed them off of him,” Anna said of the cops who immediately seized and took both men into custody. The drama didn’t stop there because Szurant even threatened the black NYPD detective exclaiming, “I know where you work. I am going to come to the 61st Precinct and f------ kill you, you f------ n-----.” Both men were charged with assault, menacing, criminal mischief and harassment, with Szurant getting an extra charge of harassment for threatening the detective. The two will be released from jail and told to stay away from the interracial couple following a brief Sunday arraignment, per judge orders.Records show that Szurant has quite the bulky criminal history, with 23 arrests, including robbery. “So it's only a matter of time before he does something to really hurt somebody. I feel like I got to pray about this,” he said. “It sounds like he is on the path for a criminal career sort of thing. That's insanity." Evmenenko has one single prior arrest for marijuana possession. Anna and John are rightfully shaken up by the experience, but their bond will remain stronger despite and because of it. "We are closer now more than ever,” she said. “I feel that we've been more protective of each other. More sympathetic and understanding.""I've always felt that living in this part of Brooklyn there is this sort of deep-seated racism,” said John. “For them to make that attack based on pure racism is a sad sort of commentary on where we are at in this society at this given time.”Yes, unfortunately… this still happens in...
Hate crimes in the great state of California have seen an 11.2 percent spike per a report released Monday, July 3 by the state's Justice Department.In a state considered to be one of the most liberal in the Union, black people have been subjected to violent hate crimes more than other groups in the state.According to the report, race-related hate crimes exploded to 21.3 percent in 2016 with 251 hate-related “events” and 333 “offenses” were against African-Americans. The only group that comes close to the terror black people had face is Latinos who had 83 events reported and 114 separate offenses. Many have attributed to the spike in hate crimes to the rise of white nationalism during the 2016 presidential election and then-Republican candidate Donald Trump's popularity among white supremacy groups. “We’re out there encouraging people to report crimes they normally wouldn’t be willing to report,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Det. Christopher Keeling, a hate crimes investigator. “The vast majority of what we’re seeing is vandalism, like a swastika here or there, or people making a blanket statement about hating a certain group of people, but we can’t directly link that to the election. If there is nothing saying this is related to the election, how can you attribute it to that?”But the data is reflective of another shocking revelation about California. The state has the most active hate groups in the nation, with 79, followed by red state Florida with 63 and major red state Texas with 55. So, what is going on in...
Another day, another failed and cowardly attempt to intimidate a black person with a noose. The gag isn't getting old, it's been old. Aina Adewunmi is a transfer sophomore at Palisades Charter High School. No sooner than the 15-year-old arrived on campus, she was dismayed to almost immediately be met with racially charged insults and passive aggressive behavior, according to KTLA 5. White students freely used the n-word, and, even went as far to ask that she grade her "hotness on the black-versus-white scale," for their amusement. Things finally reached peak levels of harassment when she learned that 3 boys had created an image of her with a noose drawn around her neck and accompanied it with a stock photo of a white man thoughtfully considering the noose and (it is implied) what to do with it. They then shared the image within a chemistry group chat. (because that's apparently what study groups are for) She immediately went to school administrators who swiftly suspended the young bigots. Though the incident would be frustrating for any young person to say the least, Adewunmi remains poised and undeterred from focusing on the bigger picture. "...I won't be leaving, but this is something that needs to be stopped because it has happened in the past", said Adewunmi. "I knew if I didn't come out with this story, it would happen over and over again."The culprits apologized but the Adweunmi family believe that it's not enough. They've secured a lawyer and are asking for the boys to be expelled. According to KTLA, "The boys involved have been barred from campus for at least the rest of the school year but couldn't discuss further disciplinary details, citing privacy...
It's horrible enough to be the victim of hate-crime-induced graffiti and epithets, but to have to endure it after a violent crime as well?!A Schodack, New York family had to endure just that when, after narrowly surviving a fire, they found a swastika and racial slur spray-painted on their charred garage.According to the Atlanta Black Star, the fire appears to have a connection with the racial epithets, and looks to be an arson commitment with a racist agenda.Father of the household Laquan Madison woke up to take his usual bathroom run pre-midnight on May 14, when he said he noticed “an orange glow.” He quickly realized that his house was on fire and rushed to get his wife and kids to safety.“I screamed my wife’s name,” Madison told the Albany Times Union. “We all got out.”Soon after arriving at the scene, investigators found a swastika and a racial slur spray-painted on the family’s home. The huge blaze took five volunteer fire departments to subdue, and left little but rubble.The exterior of the Albany area home, not too far from the hugely damaged garage, also suffered some damage, according to a local police chief.Fortunately, the Madisons, their children and their animals escaped without injury, but of course, there is some emotional damage. The incident is now being investigated as a hate crime. Schodack police Chief Joseph Belardo told the press, “Whoever did this will be facing some very serious charges.” He also noted that incidents like this aren't common in the quiet rural neighborhood.The traumatic incident won't scare the family away, however. “It’s not going to force me to move,” Madison, 31, told reporters on Monday afternoon. “This is our home. This is where we live,” his wife Jennifer Madison added with agreement. And unfortunately, hate crimes aren't a new concept to Mrs. Madison, who experienced a similar incident while living in Nassau, New York, in which someone spray-painted the n-word on her door. “We’re OK. This is just something I accept,” she said. “This is the world that we’re living in."Laquan Madison confirmed with the Albany Times Union that while he doesn’t forgive the arsonist for what he or she did, he's concluded, “People are going to be who they are."That may be true, but there's no need to harm others to be who you are. We wish for peace and for justice to be served for this family as they attempt to move forward through this...
Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who raided Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina and killed 9 people, has been convicted on all counts by a jury. The jury found him guilty on all 33 counts. 24 of the 33 crimes qualified as federal hate crimes.According to NBC News, Roof "barely looked at the victims' families or reacted to the wrenching testimony" during the trial. On June 17, 2015, Roof killed worshipers Rev. Clementa Pickney, Susie Jackson, Myra Thompson, Rev. Daniel Timmons Sr., Ethel Lance, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Cynthia Hurd, Rev. Sharonda Singleton and Tywanza Sanders. Roof could face the death penalty for these hate crimes. The jury's next duty is to decide if he will received the death penalty or life in prison. They will reconvene to decide on January 3. Never miss a headline. Sign up for our...
