Social Justice
Lebron James responds to racial slur on home : “Being Black in America is tough”
On Wednesday morning, police in Los Angeles told Lebron James that a racial slur had been sprayed painted on his home.
A day before Lebron James is set to play in his seventh straight NBA final, he would wake up to see racial slurs written on his home.
Police alert Lebron on racial slur
On Wednesday morning, police in Los Angeles told Lebron James that a racial slur had been sprayed painted on his home.
Several hours later at a press conference, the basketball star would discuss the ordeal in a press conference tackling racism in America.
Lebron James on racial incidents
“Being black in America is tough”, Lebron adds.
“As I sit here on the eve of one of the greatest sporting events we have, race and what is going on comes again,” he said. “On my behalf, family’s behalf, I look at this as if this sheds a light and keeps the conversation going. My family is safe, that’s most important.
“Just shows that racism will always be a part of the world, part of America. Hate in America, especially for African Americans, is living every day. It is hidden most days. It is alive every single day.”, Lebron said.
Emmett Till
He begins to talk about Emmett Till who was killed nearly sixty years ago in a racially motivated crime. In 1955, Emmett Till was beaten by two white men after Till allegedly had an encounter with the wife of one of the men.
“I think back to Emmett Till’s mom and the reason she had an open casket, she wanted to show the world what her son went through in terms of a hate crime in America. No matter how much money you have, how famous you are, how much people admire you, being black in America is tough.”
Lebron James vandalized with racial slurs
The Brentwood home is not James’ primary residence and James wasn’t home at the time. She said the property manager told officers it is believed the incident was captured on surveillance video.
Additionally, someone painted over the slur before officers arrived early Wednesday morning.
Crime & Justice
Detroit man awarded $10 million after wrongful conviction
Alexandre Ansari was wrongfully serving a life sentence over claims that in 2012 he shot and killed Ileana Cuevas, a 15-year-old girl.
A Detroit man who was wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for over six years was awarded $10 million in damages by a jury.
$10 million for man wrongfully convicted
Alexandre Ansari was wrongfully serving a life sentence over claims that in 2012 he shot and killed Ileana Cuevas, a 15-year-old girl, and wounded two others in Detroit, according to a lawsuit filed by Ansari in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division.
“Once I got the verdict back, my heart dropped. And I’m like, ‘Dang, I got to spend the rest of my life in here for something I didn’t do.’ And you know, I tried to kill myself,” Ansari told Linsey Davis on “ABC News Live Prime.”
“It felt like nobody didn’t put all the evidence together to see that I wasn’t the person in the first place. So things started getting overwhelming for me.”
Exonerated
Ansari, 39, was exonerated in 2019 by the Wayne County Circuit Court after it determined that Moises Jimenez, a former Detroit police detective withheld evidence for Ansari’s trial that would have implicated someone else as the shooter, according to the County of Wayne Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.
Jimenez received an anonymous tip that linked the shooter to the Mexican Drug Cartel, according to the complaint that released Ansari.
The officer withheld the evidence from Ansari’s 2013 trial, according to the lawsuit.
Jimenez’s attorneys told ABC News that the former detective claims that he provided all evidence he uncovered during his investigation and plans to appeal the $10 million lawsuit verdict.
There have been no reported arrests connected to the shooting since Ansari’s exoneration. Ansari was wrongfully arrested for the crime when he was 27 years old.
Black Excellence
Regina King stars as Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress
Shirley is will be released on Netflix March 22.
In the first trailer for the upcoming Netflix movie Shirley, Regina King stars as the first Black woman to be elected to Congress.
Regina King as Shirley Chisholm
Chisholm’s story will be chronicled, showing her uphill battle and obstacles to win a seat in Congress as the daughter of a Barbados-born maid and a Guyanese laborer, her struggles to navigate Congress alongside her White male colleagues, and her groundbreaking 1972 presidential campaign.
Movie production
Produced by Regina King and her sister Reina King, Shirley also stars the late Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Terrence Howard, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Christina Jackson and more.
King, who spent 15 years producing the film, said the project was an incredible feat.
“It was always a little disheartening for Reina and I to have so many people over the years of our lives not know who Shirley Chisholm was,” King told Harper’s Bazaar.
“What she did was so pioneering. She was a true maverick and, you know, we use this term all the time, but she was a true first.”
King said they decided to release the film during an election year as they thought it would make for a more “impactful” release.
“As a team, we felt that is probably the best way we could possibly honor Shirley: to release her in a space that she created for herself.”
Regina King as Shirley Chisholm trailer
Shirley is will be released on Netflix March 22.
Social Justice
Mike Carey, the first Black Super Bowl referee, wants to continue to give back to the game he loves
Carey candidly spoke with CNN and reflected on the progress in diversity within the NFL officiating community and expressed continued passion for the sport.
Mike Carey, the first Black Super Bowl referee, made history in 2008 during Super Bowl XLII.
He officiated the iconic game where the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots, preventing their historic 19-0 season.
Mike Carey on DEI
In the game, Carey did not call a sack on Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Despite facing criticism, Carey has always stood by his decision.
He also took a stand by refusing to officiate games involving the Washington “Redskins” due to their offensive name, emphasizing the importance of treating everyone with respect.
Carey candidly spoke with CNN and reflected on the progress in diversity within the NFL officiating community and expressed continued passion for the sport.
While there has been headway on diversity within the league, Carey said there is still much work to be done.
“The diversity in officiating when I was there, was not there. And it wasn’t malicious,” Carey told CNN.
“[Now], you have way more Black officials. You’re now having not only women, but women of color, and whatever your sexual orientation is, it’s less and less of an issue.”
After football officiating
After his retirement in 2014, Carey became a CBS Sports analyst and co-founded Seirus Innovation, a company manufacturing snow sports products.
While he is enjoying the success of his newfound career, Carey says he is grateful for his experiences, stating, “Everything that I’ve done, I’ve just loved immensely.” said he continues to look back over his football career with pride.
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