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Girl, Bye! This Black Politician Allegedly Staged Her Own Hate Crime

Girl, Bye! This Black Politician Allegedly Staged Her Own Hate Crime

Yahoo25-03-2025
In a crossover episode no one ever imagined, Fox drama 'Empire' meets the Allentown City Hall after one of it's employees was just accused of fabricating an alleged hate crime from January. Now, everything is coming to light, and LaTarsha Brown is at the center of it all.
On Monday (March 24), Allentown, Pa. Chief of Police Charles Roca announced Brown has been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and false reports to law enforcement, according to the New York Post. This comes just two months after she claimed a noose was deliberately placed on her work desk in City Hall. As you can expect, the shocking January revelation sent civil rights groups and several government agencies into a frenzy.
The Morning Call first reported a deep investigation into the matter was underway. Community activist Pas Simpson even called for the FBI to take over the Allentown Police Department's investigation. 'It has to go federal because this is a hate crime,' he said during a January rally. But now, it seems the culprit behind the hate crime is none other than the alleged victim herself.
During the investigation, every employee who had access to the floor where the noose was found was asked to submit their DNA, according to Capt. Steve Milkovits. 'Every employee agreed, except for Ms. Brown,' he said during a press conference before adding, 'Initially cooperative, Ms. Brown requested that the investigation be discontinued.'
That's when Brown's alleged scheme started to fall apart. She allegedly made 'vague statements and gave deceptive answers' to police during the probe, according to an affidavit obtained by the Morning Call. And to make matters even worse, when her DNA was finally received through a court order, officials found a match.
On March 10, investigators found Brown's DNA matched with swabs taken from the outer surface and inner knotted portion of the noose, Dailymail.com reported. No one else's tested DNA was a match.
At the same time, officials couldn't connect anyone on office security footage to the alleged crime, forcing all eyes back on Brown. Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said the charges against Brown were 'shocking.' He continued adding, 'It's doubly shocking that an employee would— that she would have fabricated this incident.'
Her alleged hoax draws comparisons to that of actor and singer Jussie Smollett, who in 2020 alleged he was physically attacked by multiple racist white men, as The Root previously reported. A formal investigation into the matter found Smollett made up the attack. He was eventually sentenced to five years behind bars despite maintaining his innocence to this day.
For now, Brown gets to keep her job as a City Hall employee and her role on the Allentown School Board, Dailymail.com reported. She is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on April 22.
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This four-decade veteran of city government thinks Los Angeles is in dire trouble
This four-decade veteran of city government thinks Los Angeles is in dire trouble

Los Angeles Times

time5 hours ago

  • Los Angeles Times

This four-decade veteran of city government thinks Los Angeles is in dire trouble

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EJI's Yearly Calendar Sheds Light On America's Hidden History Of Racial Injustice
EJI's Yearly Calendar Sheds Light On America's Hidden History Of Racial Injustice

Black America Web

time8 hours ago

  • Black America Web

EJI's Yearly Calendar Sheds Light On America's Hidden History Of Racial Injustice

Source: Equal Justice Initiative / Photo courtesy of the Equal Justice Initiative The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a non-profit challenging racial and economic injustice, has created an eye-opening calendar filled with the untold stories of America's insidious racial inequality legacy. Spanning over two centuries—from the 1800s through the 2000s—the EJI's 'A History of Racial Injustice' calendar is a powerful digital tool designed to shed light on critical but often overlooked moments in American history. Each day, the virtual calendar highlights an event with historical significance, providing richly detailed narratives and easy sharing options to spark reflection and dialogue. For those seeking a tangible version, EJI's award-winning wall calendar serves as a valuable educational resource, ideal for classrooms, community centers, offices, and homes. Both formats aim to deepen public understanding of America's legacy of racial injustice and help chart a path toward truth and repair. Among this month's notable entries is the 2016 death of Philando Castile. On July 6, Mr. Castile was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, by former law officer Jeronimo Yanez. Although Mr. Castile legally owned a firearm and calmly informed the officer he had it, he was shot multiple times at close range, with his fiancée and her four-year-old daughter in the car. The shooting sparked national outrage and added to the ongoing calls for police accountability and justice in the face of systemic violence against the Black community. Today, July 11, also marks the painful anniversary of another chapter in America's long resistance to racial equality. On this day in 1954, white residents in Indianola, Mississippi, formed the first White Citizens' Council, just weeks after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. While less openly violent than the Ku Klux Klan, these so-called 'Uptown KKK' groups used economic coercion, intimidation, and political power to prevent school desegregation and maintain white supremacy. The White Citizens' Councils were led by businessmen, pastors, and civic leaders who weaponized respectability and social standing to retaliate against those—Black or white—who supported integration. In South Carolina, 17 Black parents were fired or evicted after signing a pro-integration petition. In Mississippi, the Yazoo County council published the names of petition signers in a newspaper ad, leading to job loss, harassment, and the eventual collapse of the local NAACP chapter. Though the councils claimed to reject violence, their impact was devastating. Their tactics proved so effective that by the fall of 1960—six years after Brown —every Black child in the five Deep South states still attended segregated schools. Even by the 1964–65 school year, fewer than 3% of Black children in the South attended integrated schools. In states like Alabama and Mississippi, that number hovered below 1%. EJI's calendar invites us to engage with these stories, not as distant relics of the past, but as living truths that continue to shape our present. By confronting this history, we open the door to understanding, accountability, along with 'truth and reconciliation.' The EJI added in a statement, 'As a nation, we have not yet acknowledged our history of racial injustice, including the genocide of Native people, the legacy of slavery and racial terror, and the legally supported abuse of racial minorities. When we engage truthfully with our history, we are better equipped to address contemporary issues ranging from mass incarceration, immigration, and human rights to how we think and talk about cultural moments and icons.' Take a look at the EJI's ' A History of Racial Injustice' calendar here. SEE MORE: Activists Kick Off Criminal Justice Reform Festival In Philadelphia ​​The Legacy Of 'Good Trouble' SEE ALSO EJI's Yearly Calendar Sheds Light On America's Hidden History Of Racial Injustice was originally published on

Bill de Blasio and his former aides are advising Zohran Mamdani — and clamoring to get back to City Hall
Bill de Blasio and his former aides are advising Zohran Mamdani — and clamoring to get back to City Hall

New York Post

time20 hours ago

  • New York Post

Bill de Blasio and his former aides are advising Zohran Mamdani — and clamoring to get back to City Hall

Former Big Apple Mayor and groundhog killer Bill de Blasio and his aides are clamoring to become relevant again — by sucking up to socialist and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani in the hopes of scoring a position in his potential administration, The Post has learned. The three-term ex-mayor — a vocal supporter of the Queens assemblyman — has been whispering in Mamdani's ear as an informal adviser, sources said. Blaz's former influential aide, Patrick Gaspard, has also carved out a role in the millennial candidate's campaign, helping him to navigate the various voter blocs unsettled by his nomination in the shocking primary upset. 3 Ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to be relevant again in City Hall. Andrew Schwartz / However, insiders say that the advice and guidance is more a play by de Blasio and crew to become 'relevant' — and they don't wield much influence over Mamdani's campaign. 'My understanding is that the Mamdani people are letting anyone chime in, and the de Blasio people are providing advice, but they aren't really making campaign decisions, seemingly just trying to get their names in the paper, make some calls, be relevant,' one source told The Post. 'Technically, they are advising, but not to the extent they are boasting.' Still, Gaspard was the key architect in arranging Mamdani's appearance at the National Action Network with Rev. Al Sharpton after his stunning win over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — a noted foe of de Blasio, whom the former mayor vowed to do everything in his power to stop. Gaspard — who also served as a political director of the influential SEIU 1199 union, a US Ambassador to South Africa and as Obama's White House Director of Political Affairs — has deep ties with the Big Apple's black communities, labor unions and the larger Democratic Party. Sources told The Post that Gaspard has been pushing hard for a job in the potential administration as he carves himself out a role in the campaign. Camille Rivera, another former adviser to de Blasio who runs the political firm New Deal Strategies, has also been pitching in. Meanwhile, other cronies of the failed presidential candidate that have either been advising Mamdani or have been floated as potential campaign or administration aides include former Deputy Mayor Emma Wolfe, former city council legislative director and universal pre-k architect, Josh Wallach, and former deputy director of the New York City Census office, Amit Bagga. 3 de Blasio's aides have now sucked up to Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani in the hopes of getting a political position in his administration. Christopher Sadowski But Big Apple political operatives are warning that welcoming de Blasio's former aides back into City Hall could derail his pledge to remake the Big Apple. 'They need to be careful about measuring the drapes too early,' a source quipped. 'He has a real opportunity to bring in fresh energy and thinking to build a more modern government for NYC. That will never happen with de Blasio retreads.' De Blasio, who Mamdani praised as 'the best mayor in his lifetime' in a New York Times interview, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Both the ex-mayor and his girlfriend, Nomiki Konst, a political commentator and former candidate for public advocate, have been vocal about their support for the upstart socialist on social media. 'If they want to remind everyday New Yorkers that @ZohranKMamdani is on their side, this is the PERFECT way to do it,' de Blasio recently posted on X, in response to a Wall Street Journal article about Big Apple financiers trying to stop the lefty pol. Konst also scoffed at a New York Times article questioning the 33-year-old Mamdani's resume and experience. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters 'At this point in the race, anyone in this piece quoted is only helping Cuomo, who has no ideas and a horrible track record with people [and] should be nowhere near government ever again,' she wrote on X. 'At least Zohran has a vision and has confirmed he'll bring in folks who've been successful at Gracie.' The quest for relevance for some of de Blasio's former aides comes as Mamdani's team scrambles to beef up its ranks for the coming general election, where he will square off against Mayor Eric Adams, GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa, Jim Walden, and Cuomo. 'They're overwhelmed right now,' one source close said. 'Very reminiscent of de Blasio.' 3 The former Big Apple mayor has been a vocal supporter of Mamdani with sources saying he's been acting as an informal adviser. Matthew McDermott The campaign, meanwhile, recently made a huge shift in leadership, moving communications director Andrew Epstein to oversee video and replacing him with Jeffrey Lerner, a former aide to Cuomo and political director to the Democratic National Committee. In the final stretch of the primary and the days that followed, Epstein had struggled to keep up with the deluge of media requests from local and national media looking to cover the massive upset. Other City Hall hawks have also been pitching in to help as a go-between for the campaign to connect with business communities, including Kathy Wylde, president and CEO of the non-profit organization Partnership for New York. Wylde is one of the city's most powerful power brokers and has spoken more positively about the candidate in recent weeks. 'His qualifying comments have identified the capitalist system as promoting income inequality. A lot of people in business agree with him on that,' Wylde said in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal.

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