Reprieve, a non-profit organization, analyzed the more than 1,400 lethal injections carried out in the United States since 1977, and in their analysis discovered that botched executions are racially biased. According to the study, the research shows that the disparities present in the criminal justice system extend to the execution of incarcerated people.

As NPR reported, the pattern is worse in Southern states. In Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Georgia, 75% of botched executions involved Black people, even though Black people only accounted for 33% of executions in those states. Somewhat complicating things, there is no set standard for what makes an execution a botched execution. Reprieve designated executions that featured expressions of pain, an incarcerated person being conscious after a drug (or drugs in some cases) were administered, and whether execution workers struggled to find a person’s veins to administer the drugs as botched executions.

The analysis also found that it did not matter which drugs were used in a cocktail; the result, as far as a botched execution is concerned, remained the same. Reprieve’s Executive Director, Maya Foa, told NPR that tinkering with the formulas is not addressing the problem.

“There are botched executions, many of them, regardless of the drug, regardless of the cocktail. Continuing to tinker with the machinery of death is not making this better,” Foa said. “The analysis shows not only are we botching these executions and causing people torture more often than with many other methods.”

Source: Study Reveals Racial Disparities And Botched Executions Of Black People, Sparking Calls For Lethal Injection Moratorium

A Black beauty school student claims the institution she attends in Chicago recently expelled her because she disagreed with their celebration of the Juneteenth holiday.

The female student went to TikTok to voice her frustrations about an incident that took place at her school where she is being trained to be an esthetician, a professional who specializes in skin beautification.

She attends Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, located in Northwest Chicago. It is one of two locations in the Chicago area and one of 10 locations in Illinois.

TikToker @geaux_kaay explained in the video that her school has meetings Monday and Wednesday mornings to discuss important topics about the school. This past Monday, June 12 the student said they discussed their Juneteenth celebration.

“The director at my school had an announcement for us. She said that ‘Monday we would be celebrating Juneteenth, but instead of celebrating it for what it’s for, we are going to celebrate it as a diverse day. Make it a diverse holiday,’” said the student in her TikTok video.

The TikToker said she had a private conversation with the director after their meeting on how the school intended to celebrate the holiday, but it didn’t go well.

“We went into her office, and I basically explained to her ‘Um, the way you worded it at the morning meeting today, I didn’t like how you said it because Juneteenth isn’t a diverse holiday. It’s not where we celebrate diversity. We celebrate African American independence,’” said the student. “And she was basically telling me ‘You need to mind your business because you don’t know what I have planned for Monday. We are a diverse school, so therefore we are going to celebrate this holiday as a diverse day.”

Source: ‘You’re Dead Wrong’: Black Student Alleges She Was ‘Kicked Out of School,’ Had Cops Called on Her for Opposing Juneteenth Being Labeled ‘Diverse Day’

A disturbing video captured a student pummeling a school worker for taking a game console away from him.

According to a news release by the Flagler County Sherriff’s Office, the troubling incident took place at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast, FL. A 6-foot-6-inch high school student assaulted a woman who worked at the school into an unconscious state after she confiscated his Nintendo Switch video game device.

The attack occurred on Feb. 21 when the angry 270-pound 17-year-old male student pounced on the unidentified paraprofessional employee. The encounter was caught on video and showed her being assaulted when the much larger teenager pushed her forcefully to the floor. He repeatedly hit her as she laid on the ground and even after others tried to intervene, he continued to hit her, although she was already unconscious.

He was placed in custody soon after the physical attack. The 17–year–old student, who was not named, was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility before being turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice. He has been charged with felony aggravated battery with bodily harm.

Other employees came to her aid and they grabbed the student to stop him from hitting her. She was not able to protect herself as he quickly pounced on her. She was taken to a local hospital and treated for the injuries she suffered.https://www.youtube.com/embed/QV8yb3_T51g

“The actions of this student are absolutely horrendous and completely uncalled for,” said Sheriff Rick Staly in a written statement. “We hope the victim will be able to recover, both mentally and physically, from this incident. Thankfully, students and staff members came to the victim’s aid before the SRDs (School Resource Deputies) could arrive. Our schools should be a safe place – for both employees and students.”

A video of his arrest was placed on the police department’s Facebook page.

“Creating a safe learning and working environment on our campuses is critical. Violence is never an appropriate reaction,” said Flagler Schools Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt.

Source: High School Student Caught on Video Beating School Worker Unconscious for Confiscating Nintendo Switch

Before Autumn Roberson-Manahan’s mental breakdown, she was a top contender for valedictorian at Slaton High School in Slaton, Texas.

In October, she asked another student to stop using the N-word four days in a row, but he refused. Administrators and school staff ignored her parents’ complaints. So, Autumn said she snapped, grabbed the boy by the hood of his sweatshirt and yelled at him between slaps on the top of his head.

“You’re gonna learn! … To stop! … That f——! … N—– sh-t!”

The incident was just a sample of what the nearly two dozen Black students at Autumn’s school experienced, according to one of two civil rights complaints filed by the Intercultural Development Research Association, the local NAACP and a group of Black parents and students. They are calling on the federal government to launch a civil investigation into Slaton High and Laura Bush Middle School, also in Texas.

The complaints allege that Black students experienced “a daily onslaught of racialized taunts, threats and jeers from other students.” They accused Slaton ISD and Lubbock-Cooper ISD of failing to protect Black students from racial bullying and harassment in their schools and imposing inappropriate and harmful discipline against those students.

According to the complaint, Black students were sentenced to the district’s disciplinary alternative educational program (DAEP) “without evidence or in violation of state and federal law.”

A Black girl was sent to DAEP on the first day of school after the nurse scanned her face with a blacklight accusing her of using marijuana because she found glowing “specks” on her cheek and chin. She was referred to the program for 30 days.

Autumn’s brother was also referred to DAEP for 30 days before school even started because Staton’s principal said he was “guilty by association” for something he alleges he had nothing to do with.

While at the alternative school, students had to change into an orange jumpsuit, according to the complaints. The advocacy groups argue that DAEP has a record of leading to loss of instructional time and decreased interest in academics and could increase the risk of substance abuse, juvenile delinquency and dropping out.

“Adding insult to injury, Black students were then forced to endure other students in DAEP hurling racial slurs on a daily basis — calling the Black students the “N-word” and “porch monkeys”; telling a Black girl “you aren’t worth anything”; and making “monkey sounds” at them,” the Staton complaint said.

Source: ‘This Is the Only Way’: Black Texas Student Slapped Bully Who Called Her the N-Word; She Faced Severe Discipline, Driving Her Into a Mental Institution

By Victor Omondi

Delvin White, a Tampa police officer, knew he was doing well in his job. He was, however, hit hard when he lost his job for what he thought was “culture.”

According to Bodycam footage, White is seen driving as he spoke with his wife on phone. He then uses the N-word in a November 12, 2020 incident. In another incident, a video shows the cop using the same word on a student who stubbornly didn’t want to leave campus after receiving a suspension.

“In the second video you see me interacting with a young man,” said White. “I was frustrated with him and you will see I had so much patience with him. I didn’t want to arrest that young man. I know what happens especially with young Black men when they get put in the system so, I did everything I could not to arrest him.”

Viola Davis Won Two NAACP Image Awards: ‘I Refuse to Explain Myself Now’

During the interaction, both White and the young man use the N-word. According to White, the young man said he didn’t take any offense. However, he still lost his job, as dictated by the B1.2 Discriminatory Conduct Policy.

“It’s just too much. I understand you feel like you have to do something; if I would have got suspended for 30 days, I wouldn’t have complained. It’s the fact that it had to go all the way to termination when you received no complaint from anybody in the community,” said White.

Brain Dugan, White’s former police chief said in a statement: “Derogatory statements made by police officers jeopardize the trust that our department works to establish with our community. Tampa Police officers are held to a higher standard and incidents like this negatively impact the entire law enforcement profession.”

White’s former school, Middleton High’s students met at the school, all in white, for what they called Officer White Day. They carried out a rally and had a petition which had 2,000 signatures.

Source: Students Rally Behind Black Tampa School Cop Fired for Using The N-Word