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Kenneka Jenkins laid to rest, funeral draws hundreds

Family, friends, and community members gathered Saturday to say their final goodbyes to Kenneka Jenkins.

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Kenneka Jenkins? #JusticeForKenneka
Kenneka Jenkins

Family, friends, and community members gathered Saturday to say their final goodbyes to Kenneka Jenkins at her funeral.

Kenneka Jenkins funeral

The mourners strode past Jenkins open casket donned in purple flowers with a bouquet that spelled “NEKA” in purple flowers.

The Chicago Tribune reports, many of the mourners wore purple, Jenkins’ favorite color, as a show of love, while others wore shirts with pictures of her along with the message “Justice for Kenneka.”

Her case

Jenkins funeral comes three weeks after she was reported missing when she didn’t return from a hotel party at Crown Plaza in suburban Chicago.

Kenneka would be found nearly 24 hours later after pleas to the police and hotel from her family. Surveillance videos released by police days later show Jenkins wandering alone through a kitchen area near the freezer not long after she disappeared.

Conspiracy theory

The initial lack of evidence lead to activists and internet conspiracy theorists questioning the circumstances surrounding Kenneka Jenkin’s death – claiming foul play might have played a hand in her death. A number of videos on social media, appearing to show the party and some of Jenkins’ friends, has led to speculation that Jenkins was attacked, which eventually led to protests outside the hotel.

Despite the attention, church staff try to create a safe space for Jenkin’s family and friends, to grieve, and mourn.

“We are not here to solve anything,” House of Hope pastor and former state legislator the Rev. James Meeks told the audience. Church staff, at the request of the family, went as far as to monitor social media and called out users to make sure that no one was livestreaming the services.

Minister Andre Williams, who eulogized Jenkins, praised her mother for her personal strength in recent weeks, even comparing her to the Old Testament’s Job. Weeks before her daughter’s death, Teresa Martin underwent a double mastectomy, according to her attorneys.

“You’re looking at Job sitting in the audience,” Williams said as he pointing toward Martin, to loud applause from mourners.

As she left the service, mourner Denise Mitchell said she was heartened by the rousing service.

“I’m glad that it was a nice, peaceful ceremony. It was beautiful. The family seemed like they were uplifted … that’s good,” Mitchell said.

“Now,” she added, “if we could just get all of this solved.

Source : Chicago Tribune


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Unheard Voices is an award-winning news magazine that started in 2004 as a local Black newsletter in the Asbury Park, Neptune, and Long Branch, NJ areas to now broaden into a recognized Black online media outlet. They are the recipient of the NAACP Unsung Hero Award and CV Magazine's Innovator Award for Best Social Justice Communications Company.

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9-year-old cancer survivor killed in tragic school bus accident

A family is in mourning after a 9-year-old cancer survivor was tragically killed in an accident in Orlando.

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9-year-old cancer survivor killed by school bus Elyas Amyr Marshall-Rodriguez
Elyas Amyr Marshall-Rodriguez (Photo Source: GoFundMe)

A family is in mourning after a 9-year-old cancer survivor was tragically killed in an accident in Orlando, Florida.

9-year-old cancer survivor tragically killed

Elyas Amyr Marshall-Rodriguez got off the bus Tuesday afternoon and, as he was walking away from the bus, he dropped his football when he crawled under the bus to get it and the vehicle began moving.

Marshall-Rodriguez was in remission for leukemia when he was killed on Tuesday after being diagnosed at 2-years-old, according to his family who spoke at his vigil.

He loved life

“He was the life of the party,” said Trenae Gayle, Marshall-Rodriguez’ cousin. “He loved football; he loved basketball. He loved all sports.”

The family has set up a GoFundMe.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the incident and the investigation is currently ongoing.


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Hero teen saves baby whose parents were electrocuted by downed power line in Portland ice storm

A teenager in Oregon is being hailed a hero for putting herself in danger to help save the life of a 9-month-old baby.

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Oregon teenager saves baby
Photo by Jonathan Petersson

A teenager in Oregon is being hailed a hero for putting herself in danger to help save the life of a 9-month-old baby.

Oregon teenager saves baby

Majiah Washington, 18, of Portland, said she was inside her home on Wednesday when she saw a flash outside her window.

Washington said after looking outside, she saw a car with a downed power line on top of it, and man and a woman who had been trying to put their child in the car.

Oregon teenager saves baby Majiah Washington

Majiah Washington (Video Screenshot)

“The baby’s mom was yelling to the man, ‘Take my baby out of the car. Take my baby out of the car,'” Washington recalled at a press conference Thursday at the headquarters of Portland Fire & Rescue.

Intense rescue

Washington witnessed the infant’s father attempt to walk up an icy hill with the child, before slipping and falling backwards. The mother attempted the same, followed by another person, who all were unfortunately electrocuted.

Washington ran outside and called 911. When she saw the baby’s head move, she sprung into action. Despite what she had just witnessed and the dangers, she said she walked on the driveway to reach the baby.

Majiah Washington was heroic

Portland Fire and Rescue spokesman Rick Graves described Washington’s efforts as “heroic.”

“We do have fortunately with us a [child] that is going to be able to thrive and do what they possibly can as they move forward,” Graves said Thursday. “And they are here, in part, because of the heroic acts of a member of our community.”


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Burger King worker who went viral after receiving gift bag is now a homeowner

The Burger King worker, who went viral after showing off the flimsy gift from his employer for 27 years of service, is now a homeowner.

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Burger King worker homeowner Kevin Ford
Kevin Ford (Photo Source: GoFundMe)

The Burger King worker, who went viral after showing off the flimsy gift from his employer for 27 years of service, is now a homeowner thanks to the donations of people who were moved by his story.

Anniversary Gift bag

Back in 2022, Nevada Burger King employee Kevin Ford posted a photo of the anniversary gift bag that contained a Starbucks cup, a single movie ticket and a bag of Reese’s Pieces.His intention wasn’t to mock the bag.

“I wasn’t upset at all. I was grateful,” he said.

However, after 30 years of working and perfect attendance, the internet felt he deserved more.

When Ford’s daughter saw the video surge on social media, she started a GoFundMe page – just to raise $200 for her dad to come visit his grandchildren in Texas.

But the internet suprised them, with the fund collecting much more.

Burger King worker Kevin Ford is a homeowner

The page has now raised more than $450,000 in donations, including $5,000 from comedian David Spade.

“It’s an absolute beautiful miracle of what has happened,” Ford said to KABC.

Thanks to those donations, Ford recently moved into a new home. Of course, near his Burger King.

“When they tell you there is no hope for humanity in the world, don’t believe them… Hold me up as an example because people are beautiful,” he said.


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