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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
15 Incidents That Remind Us How Close We Still Are To Jim Crow America
Every time a slavery-set film like 'Sinners' hits the screen, Black folks are inevitably pulled in two directions: a necessary reckoning with our history and a painful confrontation with how that history continues to bleed into our present, fueling a chilling, subconscious awareness of racist violence. It's a pattern that repeats itself with agonizing regularity. Each time we see an unarmed Black man fall victim to police brutality, each time we witness a Black person targeted by racist vigilantes, and each time a crime that reeks of hate goes inexplicably unclassified as such, we are reminded that the specter of Jim Crow still haunts our modern-day reality. Let's be clear: the rope and tree are not the only instruments of lynching. The legacy of white supremacy finds new and insidious ways to manifest. Here are 15 true crime cases that remind us… we're not that far from the 1960s. In one of the most horrifying police killings to date, Floyd was reported for using a fraudulent bill at a corner store before he was apprehended by a group of Minneapolis Police officers. The 2020 incident shook the world after people watched the bystander video of the arrest, where former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes as he yelled out for his mother and voiced that he couldn't breathe. Floyd died as a result of the incident but sparked an international movement against police brutality. What happens when a group of white cops have a Black inmate all to themselves? Attorneys say a 'modern day lynching.' Robert Brooks was allegedly beaten to death by a group of New York prison correctional officers. Surveillance footage shows the officers punching him in the chest, striking him in the face and pinning him up against the wall all while he was restrained in handcuffs. At some point, officers were seen pinning him down on his neck and groin with their feet while others took turns punching him. He then fell unresponsive and was declared dead by asphyxiation. Only one of the few officers charged pleaded guilty. The family of Javion Magee took to social media to sound alarms about his mysterious death. The 21-year-old truck driver was found dead in a rural part of North Carolina, leaning up against a tree with a rope around his neck, police said. Authorities ruled his death to be a suicide, arguing that evidence shows he bought the rope from Walmart. However, Magee's family claim he was lynched, arguing he never had a history of mental illness. Three young Black men say they were chased down but a group of seventeen outlaws from biker gang Hell's Angels in a KKK-like pursuit. They recalled being called racial slurs and told they 'didn't belong in the neighborhood,' per prosecutors. One of the men was kicked and punched by one of the gang members while another was stabbed in the chest and suffered a cracked sternum. Prosecutors said these individuals have a history of touting Nazi symbols and displaying white supremacy. They were also slammed with assault charges. Back in 1998, 49-year-old James Byrd took a ride home from a truck full of white men – Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer and John King. Unbeknownst to Byrd, the men had strong ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Byrd hopped in the back of the truck and the men took him down an old town road, dragged him out of the back of the truck and brutally beat him with hands, feet and beer bottles. Byrd was then chained by his ankles to the back of their pickup truck and driven wildly down the road for about three miles, leaving a trail of flesh and blood on the ground. Forensic experts say he was conscious for most of the dragging until he was swung over a concrete drainage culvert causing his head to sever from his body along with one of his arms. Once the car stopped, the three men dumped the remains of Byrd's body in a cemetery and drove off to a barbeque like nothing happened. The authorities say they found 81 different places where Byrd's scattered remains were found. Shawn Berry was sentenced to life in prison after cooperating with the investigation into Byrd's death, Lawrence Brewer was executed by lethal injection in connection to the murder and John King was placed on death row but wasn't executed until 2019. When the only Black guy on a camping trip ends up dead, you can expect there to be questions. Spencer, 29, was found shot to death at a home in rural Pennsylvania after being invited on a trip with a former co-worker, per NBC. Spencer's family believed the cops were trying to paint their loved one out to be the aggressor and argue that he was murdered in cold blood. None of the four witnesses were immediately arrested or charged despite a number of firearms and substances collected from the scene, police said. The man accused of shooting him will not face charges in the incident after authorities claim he acted in self-defense. Father and son duo Travis and Greg McMichael, initiated a chase in their pickup truck behind Arbery as he jogged through the neighborhood, suspecting he was looting a nearby property that was under renovation. Travis hopped out of the truck and fatally shot Arbery at close range. Despite arguing that they were trying to protect the neighborhood, investigators found loads of social media posts riddled with racist rhetoric suggesting their targeting of Arbery was racially motivated. The two were convicted of hate crimes. Tamla Horsford was found dead in a friend's backyard years ago. She had been invited to a slumber party where she'd been drinking, per 11Alive News. Witnesses claimed Horsford went out on the balcony for a cigarette when she allegedly fell over the balcony to her death, leading police to rule her death as an accident under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. However, the position of her body at the crime scene as well as an independent autopsy found Horsford sustained serious injuries before she fell including blunt force trauma to her body. Also, photos from throughout the event don't show Horsford being sick or incoherent. Being she was the only Black person present at the party, her family believed foul play was afoot. Authorities say Johnson was found by classmates in the school gym, stuck upside down in a gym mat. Georgia Bureau of Investigation ruled he died of asphyxia in some weird accident, suffocating while trying to retrieve a shoe. However, the teen's cause of death later showed he suffered blunt force trauma to the head and other injuries from what seemed like a Taser according to his death certificate and a third autopsy done in 2018. Johnson's family still believes foul play was involved despite the authorities' claim that there's no evidence to support that theory. Instead, they believe two white brothers beat him to death and hid his body out of retaliation of Johnsons talking to one of their girlfriends. They also believe the boys' fathers, who were connected to law enforcement, helped clear the boys of any criminal fault. Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins accused a gang of former Ranking County sheriff's deputies – Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Christian Dedmon, Daniel Opdyke, Jeffrey Middleton and former Richland Police Department officer Joshua Hartfield – of torturing them in a no-knock raid. The two outlined the horrifying incident in a lawsuit detailing that they were profiled by a neighbor who saw them entering a white woman's home – which was a friend of theirs. When the officers pulled up on them, Jenkins and Parker said they were bound, forced to strip nude, sexually assaulted as well as beaten. Jenkins was also shot in the jaw after an officer shoved his firearm in his mouth. The so-called 'Goon Squad' pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection to the incident. On his way to meet some friends, Booker walked onto property he didn't know was private. He told police he was then apprehended by a group of white men accusing him of trespassing. Though he tried to calmly explain himself, he says the men proceeded to beat him, rip out his hair and threaten to break his arms. In the midst of the chaos, he said he heard one of them say 'get a noose.' The two men involved were criminally charged. However, Booker claims he was retaliated against by authorities who threatened to charge him in the incident if he didn't drop the charges against the two men. A 22-year-old Black woman escaped Haslett's captivity, running from his house screaming with a metal dog collar around her neck, police say. The woman told authorities Haslett said two other women 'didn't make it' – one dying by electrocution during a sexual encounter and another dying by a gas mask. The Kansas City Defender found Haslett had social media riddled with racist posts, including nasty references to Breonna Taylor. He was charged with first-degree rape, aggravated sexual offense, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault and first-degree murder of another Black woman. Taylor and his girlfriend were kidnapped by a group of Philadelphia police officers and frisked for their money and drugs. While his girlfriend was let go, Taylor disappeared and his mother and sister were shot and injured. It wasn't until a dozen years later that police located Taylor's remains in a shallow grave. Prosecutors found he was suffocated to death by the group of cops, per CBS. Also, those cops weren't cops but impersonating law enforcement. The five were charged with kidnapping resulting in death. One of them was acquitted. Authorities say McClain was walking home from the convenience store when someone called 911 to report a suspicious-looking Black man. Within eight seconds of exiting his patrol car, an officer ran up on McClain and immediately tried to grab him, prosecutors argued. Per USA TODAY's report, they also claim that instead of de-escalating the situation, the officers made the situation more intense as they tackled McClain to the ground and placed him the now-banned carotid artery control hold which rendered him temporarily unconscious. The responding officers and EMTs argued McClain displayed 'superhuman' strength leading to a fatal dose of ketamine. Two of the three officers was acquitted of criminal charges. Over the past few years, neighborhoods all over the nation have randomly been taunted with flyers from KKK or white supremacist groups either telling people of color to get out or inviting racists to be recruited into their antics. On the other hand, some communities have seen the hate firsthand by Nazi or white supremacist marches coming through town. The last one we saw went through a predominantly Black neighborhood and almost got f-cked up! The residents burned their flags, snatched their posters and forced them out of their town limits.
Rakyat Post
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Rakyat Post
The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride: Bikes, Bowties, And Breaking The Silence on Men's Health
Subscribe to our FREE Every year in May, something bizarrely beautiful happens in cities around the world. The smell of motor oil mingles with the scent of aftershave, leather gloves grip throttles, and mustaches curl in the breeze. No, it's not a Wes Anderson film set – it's the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (DGR), a global motorcycle phenomenon that looks like a Savile Row runway collided with a Triumph motorcycle showroom. Started in 2012 by Australian That aesthetic – sharp, suave, and slightly unhinged – birthed an event now spanning over 100 countries. And it's not just about looking dapper. These genteel petrolheads are riding for a cause: men's mental health and prostate cancer awareness. We're not talking about your average biker gang. Picture thousands of riders in crisp three-piece suits, riding everything from café racers to bobbers, all under the banner of men's health. The vibe is more gentleman anarchist than Hell's Angels – think monocles and motorbikes. Image: @nicolas_cheong via DGR Instagram And it's not performative. Since launch, DGR has raised over USD$57 million (RM245.3 million) for the Movember Foundation. The funds fuel research into prostate cancer and build programs that combat the silent epidemic of male suicide. It's charity with horsepower. Style with substance. The rules are simple: dress dapper, ride a classic-style bike, and raise some money. Participants register online, join their local ride (which is often kept secret until just before the day), and roll through their cities like a motorized GQ spread. Image: @witsarud via DGR Instagram In places like London, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, and Los Angeles, traffic screeches to a halt as bow-tied bikers take over the streets. Pedestrians gawk. Influencers scramble for photos. And the riders? They're there for their brothers – some they know, some they've lost, and some they'll never meet. Image: Muhammad Hairul Bin Ramli via DGR Facebook This year's ride goes down on this coming Sunday (18 May), and if you're tempted to join: good. Dust off your dad's tux, polish your handlebars, and maybe talk to your mates about how they're really doing. The world doesn't need more silent tough guys. It needs more riders who care. And if nothing else, it's your best chance all year to wear a cravat and not look like a lunatic. Joining for the first time? Head on over to the Kuala Lumpur Genting Highlands Penang Melaka Johor Bahru Kota Bahru Kota Kinabalu Sandakan Bintulu Kuching Sibu Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Miami Herald
26-01-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Catholics, start your engines. It's Archbishop Wenski's annual motorcycle ‘biker' mass
Nearly 350 riders hailing from all corners of Florida revved their motorcycle engines in the parking lot of a Doral church, as they waited for the signal to start their ride. The chilly temperatures that plagued South Florida for a week warmed up to a nice 70 degrees. Perfect for a Sunday ride. No, these aren't the Hell's Angels gathering for a meetup. Quite the opposite. The leader of this pack is Miami's top Catholic, Archbishop Thomas Wenski. The Archdiocese of Miami hosted its 13th annual Archbishop Motorcycle Ride Sunday, which began with an early morning mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Doral and was scheduled to conclude with a group ride to St. Justin Martyr Church in Key Largo, where riders were greeted with food trucks and music. The event brings together hundreds of religious motorcycle lovers, while raising funds to benefit St Luke's Center, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility operated by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami. 'It's a good, wholesome way of passing time with other motorcycle enthusiasts,' said Wenski in an interview with the Miami Herald. After a quick blessing from Wenski, the bikers put up their kickstands and began the 50-mile trek to Key Largo, with the archbishop astride his black Harley Davidson Street Glide. As the Catholic Church's top leader in Miami, Wenksi has made a name for himself over the years as a prominent spiritual leader with a passion for helping the under served. Wenksi — who speaks fluent Creole and Spanish — has been a long-time advocate for Haitian and Latino communities in Florida. But the Archbishop, who turns 75 this year, is also known for his passion for riding motorcycles. 'We have an undeserved reputation,' he said. 'Sometimes people think of bikers as being somewhat edgy, but most bikers are actually professionals .. you have a lot of doctors or accountants and lawyers that are bikers, because those bikes aren't cheap.' In a sea of black leather and denim, many of the bikers sported jackets inscribed with the name of their motorcycle clubs. 'Emmaus Bikers, Catholic and Proud' read one jacket, named after the Catholic spiritual retreat. 'Knights on Bikes' is a Catholic motorcycle group with members from the Knights of Columbus. John Clavijo, who has been to several of the biker mass events, waited with friends near his bike before the ride began. He said the annual group ride is a great way to merge his love for motorcycles with his Catholic faith. 'I guess I'm like a reborn guy,' said Clavijo. 'Matching the bike riding with my spirituality ... It's fun.' Clavijo said it was the 'Walk to Emmaus Retreat' that brought him back to his faith. 'I was going through some really bad times ... I was in a really depressed state,' he said. 'This brought me back to life.' All proceeds and donations from the ride will go toward St. Luke's Center, an alcohol and drug recovery center that offers addiction treatment services and residential programs for adults. The center is operated by the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami.'I've had people in church come up to me and tell me that St Luke's helped their son or their brother. So it's a very worthy ministry for helping people to conquer drug addiction and addiction to alcohol,' Wenski said. As the pre-ride mass came to a close, Wenski brought local police and safety officers on stage to review some safety precautions for the ride. Later, he joked, that there are less police officers than expected because of President Trump's arrival over the weekend. 'We don't have as many as we've had in past years because the President arrived last night in Doral. I think he came to do some golfing or something.' Wenski said he always had an interest in motorcycles as a child. But it wasn't until the age of 50 that he began riding as a hobby. He said he remembers seeing a big group of bikers riding down I-95 in Broward one day coming home from a Haitian mass. 'I said 'boy that looks like fun,'' Wenski said. His first bike — sold to him by his lawyer friend who lives in Ocala — was a Honda Shadow. Wenski eventually sold it to buy a Harley Davidson and never looked back. He recalls some of his favorite moments riding around sunny South Florida, including 10 years ago when the Port of Miami Tunnel was first opening. He claims he was the first motorcycle rider to go through it. 'Right next to me was Commissioner Pepe Diaz, but I was a little bit ahead of him,' Wenski said with a laugh. Earlier this month, the Archbishop rode over 300 miles on the west coast of Florida to Tampa for a retreat of Catholic Bishops in Florida. The highlight of that trip, he says, was riding over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa. 'It clears the cobwebs,' he said. 'You're concentrating on riding. So you don't have to concentrate on those things that bug you and worry you and all that time.' Elizabeth Fox traveled from Delray Beach to join her boyfriend Robert Armand for the ride. Though Armand has participated in the ride in the past, it was Fox's first time. But, she didn't appear nervous at all. 'I'm very excited, it's very fun. Listening to the Archbishop in there give mass was fabulous,' she said. With her shirt still wet with droplets of holy water from the Archbishop's blessing, Fox, who said she has been a Catholic all her life, was feeling grateful to be a part of the ride. 'It's a beautiful day, they blessed us. It's for a good cause. I hope that it all goes smoothly,' she said. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
