laquan mcdonald
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Florida School District Drops Tamir Rice-Inspired Novel After Police Union Labels It 'Propaganda'
How dare we tell children anything close to the truth about race in America? That’s the takeaway after a Florida school district—the second-largest in the state—suspended Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes’ award-winning young adult novel Ghost Boys from a fifth-grade curriculum after a local police union complained it was anti-police “propaganda.” A partial synopsis of the…
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How You Can Honor George Floyd's Life With Real Police Reform, Explained
A jury found Derek Chauvin guilty. He is going to jail. Whether or not convicting one man can effect change in the way Black and brown communities are policed is yet to be seen. However, using the momentum of this tragedy to transform the culture of policing does not depend on police chiefs and powerful…
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‘Police Officers Don’t Have to Fight Fair’: Defense Attempts to Frame Derek Chauvin’s Actions as ‘Reasonable’ During Day 12 of Trial
The twelfth day of the trial of Derek Chauvin saw the defense begin to argue its case that the former Minneapolis Police officer was not responsible for the death of George Floyd. According to the New York Times, the day began with the prosecution resting its case; meaning the remainder of the trial will be…
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Chicago Cops Kill 13-Year Old, Calls Grow for City to Release Bodycam Video Amid Family’s Questions
Cops are still carrying on with cop shenanigans—including what they prefer to euphemistically describe as “police-involved shootings”—as evidenced by the recent revelation that a Chicago police officer shot and killed a 13-year-old boy in the city on Monday. According to a report by Block Club Chicago, Elizabeth Toledo reported her son, Adam Toledo, missing last…
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Rahm Emanuel Reportedly Being Considered for Biden's Cabinet, a Choice That Would Be a Slap in the Face to Black Voters
President-elect Joe Biden’s credentials in terms of supporting the Black Lives Matter movement haven’t been unimpeachable. His campaign for president was marked by him explaining away and apologizing for policies widely seen as contributing to racism and racist policing, among them his one-time opposition to desegregating schools and his support of the later-maligned 1994 crime…
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Where Are the Good Cops?
I want to believe there is a God. I do not consider myself an atheist or an agnostic, mostly because my grandmother would turn over in her grave, likely awakened by the wails of her children as they laid their disappointed hands on me in prayer. I honestly hope there is an invisible, omnipotent being…
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Chicago Police Board Fires 4 Officers Accused of Covering Up Laquan McDonald's Murder
An independent civilian board voted Thursday night to fire four Chicago police officers for their involvement in covering up the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. The Chicago Police Board ordered Officers Janet Mondragon, Daphne Sebastian, Ricardo Viramontes, and Sgt. Stephen Franko to be discharged from the Chicago Police Department for making false statements about…
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Rahm Emanuel Is a Liar
The outgoing mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, is preparing for life outside of municipal governance by rewriting Chicago history. In a May 9 op-ed in the New York Times, Emanuel argues that the city of Chicago leads in police reform because he let the CPD have a seat at the table while working with the…
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Watch: New Showtime Documentary 16 Shots Explores Chicago Police Cover-Up of Laquan McDonald Murder
“This boy been shot—and it’s a lot of bullet holes in him.” In 2014, 17-year-old Laquan McDonald’s body was tragically riddled with 16 bullets discharged in an appalling 14 seconds by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. A judge later found Van Dyke guilty of second-degree murder. However, this “justice” would come four years too…