No Charges?

     Keith Lamar Scott is a 43 year old African American male who was shot on September 20th of this year. He was sitting in his car when the police approached him on suspicions of a weapon. The policeman were pursuing another man when they came across Scott who was waiting for his son to get off of the bus reading the Quran (Muslim Bible). During a press conference on Wednesday, Attorney Andrew Murray said “after a thorough review, and given the totality of the circumstances and credible evidence in this case, it is my opinion that Officer Vincent acted lawfully when he shot Mr. Scott.” Their is no clear statement on the shooting, witnesses are saying one thing while police are saying the opposite thing. His wife was at the scene recording the shooting happening, telling the cops "don't shoot him", "he doesn't have a gun", and "he just took his medicine". The police ignored her and fired their shots. In the video you can see the policeman standing over his dead body while she asks them to call for help to save her husband. Attorney Murray says the officers tried telling him to drop his "gun" (that they only posted pictures of as evidence) at least "10 times". “The videos also show that Mr. Scott did not comply with those commands,” Murray said. “In interviews, an officer described Mr. Scott’s behavior during this incident. Those descriptions included that he had a blank stare as if he was in a trance-like state. This behavior is consistent with the known side effects of medication prescribed to Mr. Scott. Additional side effects are aggression and behavior abnormalities.” In response to a reporter's question, Murray mentions that there is no clear evidence of Scott ever pointing a weapon at any policeman. This shooting caused six whole nights of protests some at which turned violent causing people to be killed. The cop responsible for the death of Keith Lamar Scott will not face charges because they believed it to be a "lawful" shooting. 
     Educational. This teaches everybody that the justice system is truly unreasonable. If that was a black man who shot a cop, he'd get life plus 25 years. Let it had been a black man accused of a crime with no evidence to prove he was guilty, that'd be 15 years in jail. You can see where racism comes to play in the world and this really shows for it. There was no solid evidence that Keith Scott had a weapon only pictures the police posted and said they had found it after the shooting which to me looked like a Glock 22. For those of you who may not know what a Glock 22 is, it is the official gun of policeman. By reading this article I learned that the justice system will do anything to keep African American's from getting justice. 

Title of Article: Police Officer Who Shot Keith Lamont Scott Will Not Face Charges

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/keith-lamont-scott-officer-charges_us_583efbb5e4b04fcaa4d60490?section=us_black-voices  

The Guide.

       During the heights of the Jim Crow era, African Americans worried about making it from 'A' to 'B' safely. An African American male, Victor Green, made a travel guide that helped blacks to stay away from harm and if they're turned away from an establishment, how to deal with it. It was called The Negro Motorist (or Negro's Travelers) Green Book. 1936-1966 the book was distributed with information based upon barber shops, gas stations, beauty salons, tailors, night clubs and safe places to stay and dine. Calvin Ramsey, playwright and author, works on highlighting the influence the guide had on Black travel during the Jim Crow Era. He’s releasing a documentary titled The Green Book Chronicles. Ramsey told NBC News that “Discrimination was so real that not only did [Black travelers] pack their own food; but also their own gas. You never knew when traveling while Black what was going to happen to you, and if you had kids with you, it just added to the anxiety,” Ever since he found out about the Green Book, Ramsey is trying to keep Victor's legacy alive.
       To me, it's educational. How many people truly knew about this Green Book people had to walk around with in order to be safe? I didn't know about it until now and I expanded my knowledge amongst it. I don't think many people truly know much about the history of African Americans. Stuff like this truly expands people's knowledge about the struggles we went through during the early 30s through the late 60s. It means a lot to know about stuff like this and I think this will really help enlighten people on oppression.

Title: ‘Green Book’ Kept Black Travelers Safe During The Jim Crow Era.

Title of Article: http://newsone.com/3581810/green-book-kept-black-travelers-safe-during-the-jim-crow-era/

Kente Cloth

           Nyree Holmes an 18 year old who was kicked out of his high school graduation for wearing a Kente cloth. A Kente cloth is a symbol of African culture and he wore it to symbolize that he's proud of who he is and his descendants. The school had deputies waiting for Holmes when he ended up walking down the stairs. A spokeswoman for the school district told Sacramento Bee that the school only wished the student had complied because they didn't want the image of a police escort. The principal of the school met with Nyree and his parents and apologized. Nyree told Sacramento Bee that he's a good kid and student and planned to attend California State University to study film.
            This to me is enlightening because he's embracing his culture, you wouldn't tell an Islamic female to take off her abaya. It's apart of her culture, if she takes off her abaya she is going against the Islamic culture of hiding true beauty. The Kente Cloth is a symbol of African culture and he was representing his culture which he has faith in.

Title of Article: Police Remove Student From Grad Ceremony Over Kente Cloth

http://newsone.com/3447225/police-remove-student-from-grad-ceremony-over-kente-cloth/ 

1..2..3.. 37 But It Isn't An Issue.

    Amadou Diallo, 22 years old, died on February 4, 1999 from a 41 bullet shooting to his apartment by NYPD. They claimed him to be armed but turned out he wasn't, all four were acquitted during a trial in 2000. Sean Bell, 23 years old, killed by NYPD officers. When they fired 50 bullets at Sean's car wounding him fatally and injuring 2 friends. This happened hours before his wedding on November 25, 2006. they all were unarmed. Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., 68 years old, a former marine was shot and killed by police at his house on November 19, 2011. Ramarley Graham, 18 years old, died on February 2, 2012, NYPD officers chased him from the street to his house without a warrant shooting him fatally. Trayvon Martin, 17 years old, killed by a "neighborhood watch volunteer", George Zimmerman, on February 26, 2012 in Florida. Mohamed Bah, 27 years old, shot several times by NYPD on September 25, 2012. Kimani Gray, 16 years old, shot and killed in Brooklyn by plainclothes (undercover) officers on March 9, 2013. Jonathan Ferrell, 24 years old, shot and killed by North Carolina police officer Randall Kerrick on September 14, 2013. Victor White III, 22 years old, died while in the backseat of a Louisiana police car in March of 2014. Dontre Hamilton, 31 years old, died on April 30, 2014 after being shot by a Wisconsin police officer. Jason Harrison, 39 years old, died on June 14, 2014 when shot by Texas police officers for holding a screwdriver. Eric Garner, 43 years old, died on July 17, 2014 after being placed in a chokehold by NYPD officer for suspicion of selling loose cigarettes. John Crawford, 22 years old, shot and killed in Beavercreek, Ohio by policeman in Walmart for aiming weapon at customers (bb gun) on August 5, 2014. Omar Abrego, 37 years old, died on August 3, 2014 after struggle with two LAPD sergeants during an arrest. Michael Brown Jr., 18 years old, killed on August 9, 2014 by white policeman in Ferguson. Ezell Ford, 25 years old, mentally ill was shot multiple times by LAPD on August 11, 2014, killing him. Dante Parker, 36 years old, died on August 12, 2014, after being tasered by sheriff deputy in San Bernardino County. Kajieme Powell, 25 years old, died on August 20, 2014, police opened fire on him as he walked toward them with a knife. Darrien Hunt, 22 years old, shot six times by Utah police, killing him on September 10, 2014. Jack Jacques, 27 years old, was shot and killed in October of 2014 in his mother's kitchen by former Colorado policeman. Akai Gurley, 28 years old, fatally shot by NYPD in a dark stairwell on November 20, 2014. Tamir Rice, 12 years old, shot and killed for playing with a toy gun on a playground, November 23, 2014 in Cleveland by policeman. Tony Robinson, 19 years old, shot and killed in Wisconsin on March 6, 2015. Police were called to calm his erratic behavior. Walter Scott, 50 years old, shot while running from police in South Carolina on April 7, 2015. Freddie Gray, 25 years old, died on April 19, 2015 when he fell into a week long coma due to a severed spine from Maryland police officers. Ronald Williams, 23 years old, shot and killed by West Virginia officers on May 6, 2015. Michael Sabbie, 35 years old, died on July of 2015 in an Arkansas jail, medical records show heart muscle damage. A video later released a year later showing officers piling on him while he yelled "I can't breathe!" Delrawn Small, 37 years old, shot and killed by off-duty Brooklyn policeman on July 4, 2016. Alton Sterling, 37 years old, shot several times by two white Baton Rouge policeman on July 5, 2016, killing him. Philando Castile, 32 years old, fatally shot by Minnesota policeman on July 6, 2016 in the passenger seat of his car with his girlfriend driving and his daughter in the backseat for reaching for his carriers license. Gregory Frazier, 56 years old, shot and killed in his backyard in Florida on September 9, 2016 by policeman. Tyre King, 13 years old, killed in Columbus on September 14. 2016 by policeman. Terence Crutcher, 40 years old, tasered then fatally shot on September 16, 2016 by policeman who approached his stalled car while he had his hands up and was unarmed in Oklahoma. Keith Scott, 43 years old, killed by North Carolina policeman on September 20, 2016. Alfred Olango, 38 years old, killed on September 27, 2016 by California police for taking a shooting stance. Reginald Thomas, 36 years old, killed by policeman on September 30, 2016 in California. Carnell Snell Jr., 18 years old, was killed on October 1, 2016 after police shot him 5 times as he ran away with his arms raised, over suspicion of stolen car because it had paper tags.
     Now, reading this you tell me.. Was it enlightening, educational, emotional, or entertaining? To me it was a mix between all four. It was enlightening because even though gun violence, police brutality, and racial profiling are a huge thing in the media right now pertaining to African Americans and the "justice" system, there are still some things we didn't know about. Some of these people I had never heard of and when reading this article, I learned some things that I never knew about and that's where the educational aspect comes in. I'm huge on the problems African Americans face in the world and learning about more killing by policeman is very educational to me and it widens my belief on racial profiling within what some may call the "justice" system. It's emotional because I am African American and this could be me some day.. To see all of these families who have lost loved ones due to a problem from history coming back today is very sickening and sad. It kills me to know that we are being killed everyday due to "suspicions" and mainly the color of our skin. I live in a world where I have to fear for my life everyday because there's never a right place for an African American, we're always at the wrong place at the wrong time and that is scary. This was entertaining to me because news to me is just entertaining. Any news pertaining to African Americans is entertaining whether it be good or it be bad, I am entertained because it gives me more drive to speak on the issue.

Title Of Article: 38 Black Men & Youths Who Were Killed By Police

http://newsone.com/playlist/38-black-men-youths-who-were-killed-by-police/item/3553742

Race-on-Race Education

      There is only a matter of 7% of African Americans making up the education workforce. But, studies show that African Americans are better teachers to African Americans than Caucasian Americans because they relate. There was a test given to 150 African American teachers from 7 states to see where they stand pertaining to their jobs, for example why they chose this job, what challenges they face living through this job and the value they bring to the schools. African Americans make sure they lead African American students to success whereas Caucasian Americans sometimes correlate their teaching methods between the Caucasian students and the African students. African American teachers like to gain a bond with their African American students so they can see if they'll be willing to open up about challenges they may be facing throughout their lives away from the school. Schools tend to place African American teachers with African American students which makes white colleagues look at the African American educators as disciplinarians rather than the educators that they are.
      This to me is educational because it seems very true. If you look at high schools, middle schools and elementary schools today you can tell. Look at the Huber Heights City Schools district compared to the Dayton Public Schools district, there are way more African American teachers, coaches, and principals in the Dayton Public Schools to compare to the amount of African American students in the district as well. Whereas, the Huber Heights City Schools district has a high amount of Caucasian teachers, coaches, and principals to compare to the amount of Caucasian students within the district. There have been so many African Americans leaving Huber Heights City Schools because they don't feel they're being taught equally to the other students. It's all so true honestly and there are statistics to show for it.

Title of Article: Black Teachers Give Voice To Challenges In Education System

http://newsone.com/3579251/black-teachers-give-voice-to-challenges-in-education-system/

Together We Stand.

     The Beaumont Bulls youth football team followed Colin Kaepernick's protest in taking a knee during the national anthem. It became a problem to the board of the league and they decided to fire the head coach, Rah-Rah Barber. They believed he was the one behind the decision of the anthem protest when in reality it was the player's decision. Once the players found out their coach had been fired they decided to protest that as well causing the league to make up the excuse that the team "didn't have enough players to continue the season" and they cut the football team's season short by cancelling it. They would have been on their way to the playoffs if the league wouldn't have fired their coach causing them to protest the wrongful firing.
     This is educational to me because I believe that if it was an all white football team there'd be no problem and they'd be able to continue on with their season no problem. It's also a little emotional in a way. Emotional because it's sad that we have a first amendment but when we exercise it we get punished for it. They were on their way to the playoffs and preferred to stand behind their coach then to continue their season. It's enlightening as well because it's enlightening us on the way the world is set up. Yes, you have a right to protest as you please but from the world's perspective if you're protesting for black lives your protest is automatically wrong.

Title of Article: Ex-Youth Football Coach Discusses Canceled Season Over Anthem Protests


http://newsone.com/3570182/beaumont-bulls-coach-anthem-protest/

Homeless Valedictorian.

       Orayne Williams was abandoned by his family during his high school career making him a homeless Jamaican immigrant. He graduated high school in 2010 as valedictorian of his class on a full college scholarship. Today he helps out more than 82,000 homeless high school students. Studies show that the rate of homeless high school students is increasing yearly. He started a nonprofit that's helping to raise scholarship money for these homeless high school students. Williams says, "I want young people to know they don't have to do it alone." Money is also being raised to buy school supplies and he also is going to provide tutoring to those who want to head to college after high school.
     Out of the 4 Es, I see this article as enlightening. It's enlightening to me because it shows that not everybody gives up on these students who are always absent and have low grades because they understand where they're coming from. It shows that everybody can make it somewhere no matter their background. Also, this article is very educational. It educates those who feel like giving up that giving up isn't what they should do and that striving for greatness is the best route for them. Who knows the ones with the most baggage are the ones who can make it farther in life.

Title of Article: Former Homeless Valedictorian Reaches Back To Help Others

http://newsone.com/3485675/former-homeless-valedictorian-reaches-back-to-help-others/

When "Walk a Mile in my Shoes" Becomes a Reality.

     In Toronto black community members have voiced their opinions based on police racism and discrimination. Recently the police have started a new thing called 'carding' which is officers' question individuals on the street without cause and that was seen as racial profiling by the members of the black community. The policeman believe they don't racially profile anybody. CBC News asked a young black male and a white police officer to switch places with one another only for a day to get a closer look at the many different opinions. Lance Constantine is a 28 year old African American male who attends Humber College, is a musician and a motivational speaker in the Malton neighborhood. He says he is often racially profiled and fears the police such as other young black males. Adam Marshall is a 31 year old police officer who acknowledges that there is miscommunication between the black community and the policemen. These two have never met before until September 9th when they switched lives to see what it is like walking in the shoes of one another. Constantine had dinner with Marshall's family which led to a heated conversation between him and Scott Milne, Marshall's uncle. Scott referred to Malton as "a place like that." Constantine says "that's the issue, though. It's the perception that this are is bad. I went to school in that area. I became who I am because of that area." Scott admitted that he had racist ideas about black people and he's trying to change. Marshall went to Bampton where Constantine mentored students. "I've had a family member that was killed by police back in 2011-- Junior Alexander Manon ... And it was shocking, you know, because growing up ... you look up to police, and it was rough," 17 year old Shawn Cadena said. Constantine suited up with a bulletproof vest to prepare for patrolling the streets with the police Sgt. Josh Colley. Constantine told Colley about his experience with the police; he was leaving McDonald's with his little sister when officers stopped him and cuffed him for no reason. Chipping his tooth when thrown against the police car. He said this was a "scarring moment." Meanwhile, Marshall is playing basketball with Constantine's friends in Bampton. Denying police targeting certain people or neighborhoods and said they show up when they're called. Constantine's friends keep a clear message that they feel they get treated way differently because of the color of their skin. The next day Constantine and Marshall met for the first time since the life swap. "Do you feel that young black males are treated differently?" Constantine asks. "I could tell you that certainly did used to exist ... It used to exist in a big way. Am I saying it doesn't exist in some small way now? It's possible. It's definitely possible. But I think it's getting better, and for me, I want it to get better." Marshall replies.
       This was educational because you probably couldn't truly get a police officer to do something like that. This shows what it's like for African Americans and how they fear for their lives everyday. The part that really stood out was all of the statements from black people and how they all are so scared to just be living.

Article Title: In his shoes: White police officer and young black man swap lives for a day.

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=true&displayGroupName=News&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA465468354&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=true&source=Bookmark&u=dayt30401&jsid=3cb569628e057ce893f62bbfc03c062a

It was Only a Message.

       In Maryland Tidani Epps Jr., an 11 year old boy, had drew a picture for class depicting his view of the world. He drew a black man hanging with two Ku Klux Klan members nearby. The title being "Black Lives Matter" showing the racism of the world. His teacher assumed he was suicidal and had him sent to therapy and told his mother he couldn't return to school until he was cleared that he was okay. He said "in this picture, I was trying to describe what was going on in the world, and what happened back then. It's what happened back then, and a piece of what happened back then is still here today in the present, like racism. His purpose of drawing the picture was because he wants and end to the recent police shootings of black men that have dominated the news. "I just want it to stop, I don't want to see this anymore. Young black people get killed for no reason. It's not fair or right." His mother was livid because the school suggested he did something wrong or had mental problems. "They think just because they're kids, they're not paying attention but they are. Their eyes are open to everything going on around them." Tidani's mother said.
      This article was educational in my opinion. It taught that when you exercise your beliefs you're "suicidal" or "mental" when you aren't, you're right. The thing about this article is that people don't understand what's truly going on in the world because they aren't paying as close attention as the race it's happening to. I believe Tidani's picture brightened the eyes and that's why they made him out to be wrong. We all need to start realizing what he was trying to tell through his picture, it's the honest truth and some people just refuse to believe.


Title of Article: Contention over 'Black Lives Matter' drawing



http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=true&displayGroupName=News&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA465265627&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=true&source=Bookmark&u=dayt30401&jsid=615f8ea4e4178e6d90465941181b328e 

We Thought...

      On September 28, 2016, an unarmed black man was shot and killed in San Diego. The San Diego police got reports of an uncooperative person walking through traffic. When arriving on scene, the man held his hands in a gun position pointing it at the policeman. The policeman took it as a threat, reached for his firearm but changed and fired his firearm instead. They tried aiding the man at the scene and took him to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead. In the police reports they stated that the man did not have a weapon on him.
    This article was enlightening to me because it goes to show that policeman don't really act before they react. I believe race to be a big part in the decisions made by higher authority and this case specifically showed what policeman look for when coming across a situation pertaining to an African American individual.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/police-shoot-kill-man-san-diego-area-protesters-42411018

It Was a Book.

   On September 21st Keith Scott was shot and killed by Charlotte police officer, Brently Vinson. Hours before his death, an unarmed black man in Tulsa was shot by the police. Also, last Wednesday 13 year-old Tyre King was shot and killed by police in Columbus. Keith's wife was at the scene recording the incident, telling the police that he didn't have a gun but the Quran (the Islamic bible). The police officers said Keith posed a threat but it was unclear whether he at any point pointed his gun at the police. This shooting caused a community uproar breaking out in protest. The protest caused cops to bring out riot gear and teargas. Charlotte mayor in defense with the protestors said "the community deserves answers."
    The article is entertaining to me. I was entertained because the BLM movement means a lot to me, considering I'm huge on black history and racial diversity. It informs us on police brutality and how segregation is still a thing in America.

Title of Article: Keith Scott shooting: Charlotte police say they warned him to drop handgun

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/21/Keith-scott-schooting-Charlotte-police-drop-gun

This Nation.

    Have you guys heard of the movie Birth of a Nation? Well, I have and the background to the development of the movie is very interesting. We all know the star of the movie is Nate Parker, he was the leading male in Beyond the Lights. Not only was he the star, he was the writer, producer, and director. Picture that huh? An African American leading character combined with an African American director, producer, and writer... That will never sell, some may say but it took a different toll due to persistence and determination given by Parker.
   After the filming of the romance Beyond the Lights, Nate Parker said he wouldn't be acting anymore or not again until he got the chance to play the "American revolutionary" Nat Turner. Education was the one E that stood out the me the most when I read this part of the article. It was educational because he was willing to take a break for a while before starting back up again or even stop all together just to play someone who made a huge difference to history that maybe a lot of us do not know about. It gave me the idea that you can come back stronger even when you take a break. He stopped working for a total of two years giving all his time and money to this movie. Considering, he's been writing the script for seven years. He grew up in Virginia where they didn't teach him the story of Nat Turner but an African American studies class in college did, giving him inspiration. That also stood out to me as educational because my school never put in the time to teach us on African American history; I believe they just didn't know much about it. Also, the name of the film was the title of D.W. Griffith's 1915 KKK propaganda film.
    The enlightening portion of the article was when he went to meet with investors, they knocked the idea down. What was said to Parker was "movies with black leads don't play internationally; a period film with big fight scenes would be too expensive; it was too violent; it wouldn't work without a big box-office star leading it' Turner was too controversial - after all, he was responsible for the deaths of dozens of well-off white landowners." This enlightened me on the controversy of the world; it shows how quick someone will deny making a film based off of race and background.
     Entertaining all together, from the background of the development to the finishing product. It took 27 days to shoot the film which included a lot of various emotions on set because of the time period of the story line. Parker is a wrestling coach for undeserved kids and he knew how to keep the spirits high on set. He believes that anybody who watches it should be able to see what this country was built on, rebellion.

Title of article: 'Birth of Nation': The Slave-Revolt Movie That Will Have Sundance Talking
By: Rebecca Ford

 http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/birth-a-nation-slave-revolt-857177

The "Oh So Horrid" Protest.

   We've all heard of Colin Kaepernick and his "stance" against the National Anthem. But, how well do we understand it? yeah, you hear it but are you really listening, yanno? The article itself is enlightening; it's enlightening us on why Kaepernick is making a protest against the National Anthem. Colin's reasoning is educational but at the same time, there are various emotions about this protest throughout America. Kaepernick says, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color... To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid, leave and get away with murder." It's really big for someone biracial to stand up for this kind of thing. His words to me are educational because he's exercising his right to the first amendment; freedom of speech, freedom of protest and assembly, freedom of belief and so many more rights in that amendment alone. If the first amendment isn't supposed to be exercised, then take it out of the constitution. I've always wanted to speak upon and take action pertaining to racial injustice, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement but I've been scared to because I'm biracial. Kaepernick's protest not only enlightens us on how these problems affect people but he teaches me that yeah, I'm mixed but my skin is still colored and I have every right to stand up, demanding change. There are mixed emotions towards Kaepernick's protest; such as people wanting him kicked off the team. People believe that he should no longer be allowed to play because he's being "rebellious" to something so important to the United States. Then, others, such as myself, agree with him. I agree that America is an oppressed state considering the fact that the black population is dwindling day by day due to deaths and incarcerations. Because of the negative feedback, I'm angered and due to reasoning, I'm joyous. In my opinion, the people giving negative feedback are the people who refuse to open their eyes to the problem and they refuse to believe there's an actual problem. But joy comes to mind because he's taking action along with the protesting. He mentioned in a protest that he's donating his time and his first million to the suffering communities. Not many help make a change, they just speak on change. This article stood out to me because it's become a big controversy and him standing up for change is something amazing.

Title of Article: Colin Kaepernick explains why he sat during national anthem

Article By: Steve Wyche (NFL Media reporter)

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem

Test Link