Walter Scott, a 50-year-old unarmed Black man, was shot in the back and killed as he ran away from a white South Carolina police officer in April 2015. A bystander caught the incident on video, including now-former Officer Michael Slager, 35, planting a Taser beside Scott’s body as he lay…
Tag: South Carolina
107-Year-Old Black Woman, Daughter of Slaves, Ready to Vote
South Carolina resident Donella Wilson has voted in every national and local election since 1948. By Sheryl Estrada Election Day has great meaning for Donella Wilson, a 107-year-old Black woman born to parents who were slaves in Calhoun County, South Carolina. On Tuesday Wilson will vote in a presidential election…
Confederate Flag Raised Again at South Carolina State Capitol
By Sheryl Estrada In light of the police-related deaths ofAlton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the killing of five Dallas police officers, the South Carolina Secessionist Party was asked by law enforcement to postpone a previously planned rally toraise the Confederate flag on state capitol grounds Sunday. The group refused, and…
One Year After Charleston Shooting: A Victim’s Granddaughter Says ‘Hate Won’t Win’
“When I spoke to [Dylann] Roof in the bond hearing a few days after the massacre I said to him, ‘Although my grandfather died at the hands of hate, he lived in love and he preached love so his legacy will be love and hate won’t win,’” Alana Simmons told…
U.S. v. Dylann Roof: Justice Dept. to Seek Death Penalty for Charleston Killings
By Sheryl Estrada Dylann Roof The U.S. Department of Justice has decided to seek the death penalty against Dylann Roof, who stands accused of opening fire on June 17, 2015, during Bible study at the Charleston, South Carolina, historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Nine Black church members were killed,…
Ex-Cop Who Killed Walter Scott Faces Federal Charges
Former North Charleston, S.C., Police Officer Michael Slager gunned down Walter Scott, an unarmed Black man, on April 4, 2015, and lied about the incident. A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment, on top of state murder charges, thanks to a cell phone video recorded by a bystander. Principal…
Lawmakers in N.Y., S.C. Seek to Unwelcome Refugees
By Frank Kineavy As the conflict in Syria escalates and ISIS continues to grow its global footprint, state representatives in South Carolina and New York say that while they are sympathetic to Syrian refugees, they prefer they not be in their states, citing the threat of terrorism as the reason….
Clinton and Sanders Battle for the Black Vote
The first Democratic primary in the South will take place on Feb. 27 in South Carolina, where almost a third of residents are Black. Presidential candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are competing heavily for votes. This primary is a litmus test for how…
S.C. Cop Who Killed Unarmed Black Motorist Released on Bail
The former South Carolina police officer charged with murder for fatally shooting an unarmed motorist in the back last April was released on bail Monday night. Michael Slager, 35, theformer North Charleston police officer who was caught on video shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott eight times in the back as he…
Petition Contests Charges Against Black Student Flipped in Desk by Officer
By Sheryl Estrada Photo via Twitter. Black parents and civil rights activists presented a petition with reportedly150,000 signaturesto South Carolina Fifth Circuit Solicitor Dan Johnson on Thursday calling for him to drop the misdemeanor charges against a high school student who was violently arrested by a police officer. Former Richland…