While many of us remember the 1991 beating of Rodney King, by The LAPD; how many remember the name Latasha Harlins? Shot in the head by a Korean Store Owner that suspected the 15-Year-Old of stealing a bottle of orange juice, the murder of young Ms. Harlins was just as much a core reason for the riots as what happened to Mr. King. Latasha died with $2 dollars in her hand-the money to pay for the $1.79 bottle of OJ (no pun intended). Did I mention that she was shot in the back of the head? Soon Ja Du had confronted young Latasha physically; resulting in Ms. Harlins attempting to just leave the store. But instead her life ended on that Saturday Morning of October 9th, 1991. As for her killer? Soon Ja Du was initially charged with 1st Degree Murder, with Special Circumstances; but ultimately, she was only convicted of the far lesser charge of Voluntary Manslaughter. Soon Ja Du was only sentenced to 5 years on probation and 400 hours of community service (with a $500 fine as restitution to The Harlins Family), despite recommendations that she receive the full maximum sentence of 16 years in prison allowed under California Law. Judge Karlin actually argued that Latasha, the murdered victim, was actually the implied criminal in this case. Sound familiar???
The murder of Latasha Harlins occurred just six days after the beating of Rodney King. And while Soon Ja Du’s Empire Liquors store would become the constant target of protests, the building would be torched and destroyed during the riots that went down after the officers that beat Rodney King were acquitted in April 1992. The store never re-opened. While the entire country would have an opinion as to what happened to Rodney, anyone of the requisite age in South Central California would surely tell you that it was the unpunished murder of young Miss Harlins that was the true defining moment that led to an angry rebellion. The verdict in Simi Valley was just the lighter fluid added to an already smoldering fire. Latasha Harlins would be 42 today…
​
SOURCES:
https://www.theroot.com/a-fallen-black-girl-remembering-latasha-harlins-1790898980
https://www.good.is/articles/latasha-harlins-rodney-king-anniversary
https://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2017/04/los_angeles_riot_25_years.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/24/news/judge-who-gave-probation-in-a-slaying-may-be-moved.html

On the morning of September 15th, 1963, a bomb was detonated from under the front steps of The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. While most of the church members had already transitioned upstairs to begin, five young girls were still downstairs in the basement area of the church. As a result, Cynthia Wesley, Denise McNair, Carol Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins would be killed in the explosion. Addie Mae’s sister Susan Collins would survive; but would be blinded for life due to her injuries. Another 14-20 people were reportedly injured in the bombing; and two teenagers (Virgil Ware and Johnny Robinson) would be killed for protesting the murders of these young girls. This horrible moment of domestic terrorism and racist evil would serve as one of the most notable events among those that would galvanize the fight for civil and human rights in America and around the world.
“The blood of our little children is on your hands.”
The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church had been the base of operations for most of the activities centered around the fight for desegregation and equal rights in Birmingham; and was also considered to be a centerpiece of The Black Community. After intense efforts by Dr. King and The SCLC to mobilize the masses, a victory in the overall war had been achieved. On May 10th of that year, Birmingham officials would relent to desegregating the local restaurants, public restrooms, public fountains, stores, and more. This led to an onslaught of retaliatory violence from white groups that included fire-bombings and other bombing attacks at The Gaston Hotel (where Dr. King has previously stayed), the home of Dr. King’s brother A.D., and twice at the home of NAACP Attorney Arthur Shores. Four members a local KKK Splinter Group (The Cahaba River Group) would be named as suspects in 1965; but no indictments would come after an almost five-year investigation. In 1971, a new investigation would be launched, by then Alabama Attorney General Bill Blaxley. Robert Chambliss would eventually be found guilty of murder in 1977.  As for the other three assassins, Bobby Frank Cherry and Thomas Blanton would be sentenced to prison after The State Of Alabama again re-opened the case files in the year 2000. Herman Cash escaped punishment, as he died in 1994. 
SOURCES:
https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/13/us/1963-birmingham-church-bombing-fast-facts/index.html
https://www.nps.gov/articles/16thstreetbaptist.htm
https://www.britannica.com/event/16th-Street-Baptist-Church-bombing
BONUS READING:
https://www.npr.org/2013/01/25/170279226/long-forgotten-16th-street-baptist-church-bombing-survivor-speaks-out

Dr. Ossian Sweet was highly successful Detroit physician, and graduate of Howard University Medical School. But he would most well known for an incident that occurred at his home in the Fall of 1925. Having purchased a two-story home in an all-white neighborhood that July, the residents immediately began to protest. Dr. Sweet and his wife would not actually move in until September of that year; and he came escorted by armed "associates" and a police escort. One night later, a mob of whites would attack the house-throwing rocks and bottles. Their attempts to intrude further, and enter Dr. Sweet's home were met with gunfire. One member of the racist mob was killed; and another one was wounded. Dr. Ossian Sweet, and his associates would each be arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder.  

Famed Attorney Clarence Darrow would be brought in by The NAACP to defend them at trial. A mistrial would eventually be declared, and the subsequent retrial would ensure the freedom of Dr. Ossian Sweet and his comrades.  

Though racial codes were already routinely used in real estate contracts, this practice would be made more aggressively in the aftermath of his victory in court. Dr. Ossian Sweet's life would never again be the same. His wife and daughter died shortly after he was freed; and he would be harassed over taxes, medical licenses, and more for decades. He would ultimately commit suicide in 1960. The house on Garland Road is now listed upon those preserved by The State Of Michigan, as a historical landmark. 

SOURCES: 
http://www.blackpast.org/aah/sweet-ossian-1895-1960
https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/detroit/d4.htm
http://www.detroit1701.org/SweetHome.htm

The neighborhood watchman has struck again.  But this time the mainstream media has opted to not report this one.  For those that not privy to the story, 39 Year Old Chad Copley has been charged with First Degree Murder after the executing unarmed 20 Year Old Kouren-Rodney Bernard Thomas on August 7th.  Now labeled under the moniker "George Zimmerman 2.0,” Copley called 911 complaining about “hoodlums” in his Raleigh, North Carolina neighborhood.  Kouren-Rodney Bernard Thomas, and a few of his friends, had been in the area attending a party a couple of houses away from Copley's.  On the 911 call, Copley tells dispatchers that “I’m on neighborhood watch. I am going to have the neighborhood meet these hoodlums out here racing up and down the street. It’s 1 in the morning. There’s some devil in them. They have firearms and we’re going to secure our neighborhood. If I was you, I would send PD out here as quickly as possible.”  He would go on to say "I’m Locked & Loaded & I’m Going to Secure My Neighborhood."  Secure it from What???!!!  According to police, would then leave his garage (with his shotgun) and fatally shoot young Mr. Thomas.  Copley would call back to 911 dispatchers, claiming to have fired a "Warning Shot" and that he was now somehow under attack.
“We have a lot of people outside our house, yelling and shouting profanities. I yelled at them, ‘Please leave the premises.’ They were showing a firearm, so I fired a warning shot and, uh, we got somebody that got hit...I fired my warning shot like I’m supposed to by law. They do have firearms, and I’m trying to protect myself and my family...Ma’am, I don’t know who they are. There’s frigging black males outside my frigging house with firearms. Please send PD."
no one was armed, except Mr. Copley.  And according to all reports, not only was Copley not under any assignment as neighborhood watch, he was never under any imminent threat.  Chad Copley has been charged with first-degree murder, and held without bond.  Experts say that he will have trouble advancing with any type of self-defense claim.  Whether Copley ends up spending 1 day or 1000 years in jail, WE must begin the push to hold ALL FORMS OF MASS MEDIA accountable for how The Black & Brown are portrayed in the media. The cold-blooded murder of Kouren-Rodney Bernard Thomas is a MAJOR story.  But it has received little to no coverage outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.  More importantly, we have to boycott those media channels that chose to only present shows, movies, and music that overly dramatic/aggressive and prone to violence Black Men, Women & Child day in and day out.  We make excuses and justify it as "just entertainment;" but these are the images in the heads of so-called law enforcement when they engage us-and in the minds of the jurors that let them walk free.  Change the paradigm.  #ReversePolarity    

http://heavy.com/news/2016/08/chad-cameron-copley-kouren-rodney-bernard-thomas-raleigh-north-carolina-shooting-911-calls-audio-video-photos/

​http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article94904167.html

ter·ror·ism (terəˌrizəm) -the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.
For the last 15 or so years, we've seen the word terrorism used and manipulated for political gains with an amazing increase in frequency.  Under Bush the label was used to topple regimes that America did not see/no longer sees as an ally.  And under Obama/Clinton, the label has been used to assassinate any foes left over from the Reagan/Bush years and nowadays to target exiled political prisoners like Assata Shakur.  But today no nation exemplifies the true definitions of terrorism (and tyranny for that matter) like The State Of Israel.  The Non-Israeli inhabitants of these long disputed lands live in constant fear as they are subjected to every sort of human rights abuse imaginable.  But yet few dare to speak out.  
Just last week, settlers of a long disputed village in the deserts of Israel woke up to bulldozers.  The entire village of Araqib was demolished, for what its now former occupants say to be the "hundredth time."  The people of Araqib Village have laid claim to this land since the days of The Ottoman Empire; but the land was "appropriated" in 1953, and the people were evicted from the land.  Since 2010, the longtime owners of the land returned to reclaim their their past; and have been denied vital services such as water, electricity, and sewage systems.  There are no schools.  There is no health care.  The residents are not allowed to vote.  And this most recent assault on their village came during the Holy Month Of Ramadan.  In similar fashion, Israeli authorities cut off and/or limited access to clean drinking water for Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank Area.  According to The Palestinian Hydrology Group, some areas have been without water for more than 40 days.  Even worse, Israel has spent the entire Holy Month Of Ramadan raiding Palestinian villages-arresting more than 300 Palestinians inside of 20 days, and untold numbers since then.  The arrests were allegedly targeting activists, after a shooting that injured four Israelis; but more than 30 children were detained in the process?  Did the kids shoot anyone?  Did 330 people shoot these four people?  But yet the same tired excuse of having the right to protect Israeli interests continues to make the wholesale oppression of the people whose land they stole away inexplicably okay.  According to Al Jazeera, there are currently more than 400 children languishing inside Israeli prisons-and an estimated 500-700 are prosecuted in military courts each year.  For the past few years, Israel Military and Police forces have enforced edicts to take back lands provisioned to The Palestinians under prior agreed upon peace accords-and then locking up all who protest their actions.  Aren't these the types of human rights violations American and European Nations identify as reasons to invade and/or destabilize other nations?  But yet Israel quietly gets a 60+ years pass.  I guess democracy is only meant for some; and not for others.

SOURCES:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/04/rise-palestinian-children-held-israel-alarming-160424081159486.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/palestine-hundreds-detained-ramadan-160626084302084.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/israel-destroys-palestinian-village-100th-time-160703091747401.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/israel-cuts-water-supplies-west-bank-ramadan-160614205022059.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/israelis-mark-annexation-east-jerusalem-160605141135181.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2016/06/vanishing-palestine-making-israel-occupation-160605090749034.html