September 28, 2013 - October 4, 2013, The Afro-American
By Renee Starlynn Allen We just proudly marched on Washington for the second time. Last week, we celebrated the 43rd Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. But if we are
We Have Much Work to Do! going to truly overcome the challenges that we face before the end of the 21st century, we have much work to do! Our forefathers and foremothers paved many roads for us. We must focus on building our race. Yes, we were dealt a bad hand: slavery, embedded plantation mentality, Willie Lynch, denial of voting rights, separate “Colored” and “White” accommodations, lack of or substandard education, and so on. Those things kept
us divided, separated and displaced. Now—whether you’re light, bright, mocha, dark or resemble the night, it is time to unite, focus and fight for our rights!
“…it is time to unite, focus and fight for our rights!” We need to purchase from each other to increase our collective economic power and to empower our race just as others have successfully
Shooting of Unarmed Black Man in N.C. Called ‘Murder’
Georgia Ferrell, holds on to a stuffed bear she said she promised to give her son, Jonathan Ferrell’s first born child during a media conference on Sept. 16 in Charlotte, N.C. By Cash Michaels Special to the NNPA from The Carolinian CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP said the tragic death of an unarmed Black man at the hands of a White Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer nearly two weeks ago was not voluntary manslaughter, as charged, but “murder.” Rev. Kojo Nantambu, chapter president, said, “This [police officer], to me, executed this young man, for whatever reason. To me, it had to be rage, or hatred or something that clicked in this [officer]…” When asked if the charge should have been stronger, Nantambu replied, “Yes, this was murder. No doubt about it. This was murder.” Some others in Charlotte’s Black community share Nantambu’s assessment of what happened to Jonathan A. Ferrell, 24, the former Florida A&M University football player fatally shot by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Officer Randall Kerrick in the early morning hours of Sept. 14. Ferrell’s family described him as a “good” young man who had moved to North Carolina in February to start a new life. He worked two jobs and was engaged to be married. He had no criminal record in North Carolina, and a 2011 misdemeanor charge in Florida had been dismissed. Kerrick reportedly shot Ferrell 10 times as he ran towards him following a serious traffic accident. Kerrick, who has been with the department since March 2010, was charged with voluntary manslaughter, a felony, after a criminal and departmental investigation determined that he used excessive force in the incident. Investigators consulted with the Mecklenburg District Attorney’s office before charging Kerrick. Prosecutors will review the case, however, before taking it to a grand jury. Sources told WSOC-TV that video from a patrol car camera showed that Ferrell was unarmed [and] even hiked his pants to show he had no weapons. The shooting took place out of camera range. “You took a piece of my heart that I can never put back,” Ferrell’s grieving mother, Georgia Ferrell, said during a news conference. She clutched the Winnie the Pooh that was her son’s favorite toy when he was young.
done for many decades and continue to do. We must stop blaming others, pointing our fingers and sitting around waiting for things to happen. Fortyfive years after his death, I
Chris Chestnut, the Florida-based lawyer representing the Ferrell family, acknowledged the speed with which the department charged one of its own, but still raised questions about police training and how Ferrell’s race may have played a role in the tragic outcome. According to published accounts, three CMPD police officers answered the “breaking and entering” 911 call that a woman [made after] Ferrell repeatedly knocked on her door. He went to the home seeking help after his car ran off the road, crashing into some trees. Last week, CMPD made that 17-minute 911 call public and it’s clear that the woman, who told the police dispatcher that she had a “sleeping child” in the home, believed that Ferrell was trying to break in because of his constant pounding. As the officers reportedly approached Ferrell on Reedy Creek Road, he ran toward them, apparently gratified to see that help had arrived. The story becomes murky then. One officer allegedly shot Ferrell with a taser, but reportedly missed. That was followed by Kerrick discharging his weapon 12 times, hitting Ferrell 10 times before he fell. Kerrick was the only officer to fire his gun. “The evidence revealed that Mr. Ferrell did advance on Officer Kerrick and the investigation showed that the subsequent shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive,” CMPD said in a statement. “Our investigation has shown that Officer Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter.” A police incident report showed that Kerrick alleged that he was “assaulted,” though it doesn’t state by whom, and suffered “minor injuries.” He refused medical treatment, however. Kerrick turned himself in to authorities after he was charged. He is free on $50,000 bond. All three CMPD officers involved have been placed on paid leave. There have been six other killings by CMPD officers just this year. On Sept. 17, Kerrick, 27, was scheduled to make his first court appearance, but did not attend. One of Kerrick’s attorneys, Michael Greene, an African American, told reporters that the officer’s actions “were justified.” Kerrick’s next court date is Oct. 7.
wonder just how our amazing leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would truly feel about our race. We must impart in our
children the basic necessities of life such as respect, manners, honesty, excelling in school and loving yourself, as well as your brothers and sisters. I’m a single mom and I see so many single moms degrading the fathers of their children. Stop degrading the men you chose and stop sabotaging your children’s relationships with their fathers just because the law looks more favorably upon women in custody situations. To continue to do so hurts our Black men and women.
Remember, that’s the father you chose for your child, no matter what. Our children deserve to see both parents and grow up feeling free to love them both, along with their blended families. Our children need both of their parents’ love and support—not just child support. Let’s please stop this vicious cycle of self-hatred and move swiftly and smartly toward Black love and power. As the late James Brown said, “Say It Loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud!” Allen is an author and youth advocate who lives in Prince George’s County, Md.
Rev. A. Knighton Stanley Continued from A1
Howard University and later merged into what lifeblood of the times while overseeing is now the United Church of Christ. the construction of a major addition to the His father, the Rev. Dr. Joseph T. Stanley, church, an education center named in Elmes’ had served as the pastor of the oldest African- memory. American Congregational church in North He shared his pulpit with Vice President Carolina. His mother, Kathryn T. Stanley, was Hubert H. Humphrey, authors James Baldwin the first African-American woman licensed and Maya Angelou, educators Benjamin E. to serve Congregational communities in the Mays and Johnnetta B. Cole , D.C. Mayor Southeastern United States. Walter E. Washington, civil rights leaders Early in his ministry, Rev. Stanley was a King and Dorothy I. Height, Massachusetts pastor and an adviser to many of those who Senator Edward M. Kennedy and D.C. launched the sit-in movement in Greensboro, delegates Walter E. Fauntroy and Eleanor N.C. As a chaplain at North Carolina A&T Holmes Norton, among others. State University, he is credited by some as His Sunday morning sermons often were having brought the quarterback on the football rooted in the style and substance of one of team, Jesse L. Jackson, into the Civil Rights his mentors, theologian Howard Thurman, Movement. seeking so often to tie Biblical teachings to His Washington church became the everyday life, often filtered through Rev. Christian home to many prominent doctors, Stanley’s own. The music menu at the church lawyers, judges, educators and community ranged from Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” to leaders. He served on the District’s Protestant standards, classic Negro spirituals Bicentennial Commission, chaired the board and 21st century urban gospel. of the University of the District of Columbia Church membership during his tenure and served on the board of the Black-owned grew threefold, to about 2,000, and the church Industrial Bank of Washington. Yet his church built a new sanctuary designed to resemble also invested heavily an African hut. It housed in the future of the city the largest Girl Scout through its children. and Boy Scout programs “Peoples got the in the District, a drama reputation for the place group, liturgical dancers, where you wanted an investment club, a to bring kids,” said credit union, a weekly Washington lawyer meeting of Alcoholics Bradley A. Thomas, Anonymous, a cherished — Bradley Thomas said of Stanley pipe organ and several who grew up in the church, raised his own choirs, as well as a two children there and whose father, the late regular jazz vespers service. He led the Ashton Thomas, was the first Black person to participation of his men’s fellowship in the Million Man March in 1995 and established work in the mailroom of the White House. “Peoples was his first priority,” Thomas said a regular youth-oriented collaboration with Jewish congregants on the federal holiday of Stanley. “He was involved in a lot of stuff, honoring King. but never at the expense of Peoples Church.” He was a member of the board of the Tony Stanley, as Rev. Stanley was known affectionately, came to Washington as a Greater Washington United Way and an graduate of Talladega College in Alabama and adjunct professor at the Howard University Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Conn. School of Divinity, as well as an instructor He had previously served as an assistant at the Urban Institute in Washington. He pastor at Plymouth Congregational United also was a vice president of the Council of Churches of Metropolitan Washington. Church of Christ in Detroit. His marriages to Beatrice Perry and Peoples Church, in the District’s solidly middle-class Black neighborhood of Petworth, Andrea Young ended in divorce. He is was founded in 1891 by the children and survived by a sister, Ollie Mae Stanley of grandchildren of slaves as a spinoff from Bradenton, Fla.; daughters Kathryn Stanley Asbury United Methodist Church. It was of Atlanta and Taylor Marie Stanley of the pastored for nearly four decades by the Rev. District; and son Nathaniel Stanley, also of Arthur Fletcher Elmes. Washington, D.C. As senior minister, Rev. Stanley injected A memorial service is scheduled for Oct. himself and his congregation into the 10 at Peoples Church on 13th Street NW.
“Peoples was his first priority. He was involved in a lot of stuff, but never at the expense of Peoples Church.”
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