BlackPerspective.net
Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
Megan Willimas National March Against Hate Crimes
November 5th, 2007
As I posted on Friday, I had homecoming this weekend, so I was completely out of pocket on Saturday, and though I should have gotten to this Sunday, I ended up spending my online time defending my last Megan Williams post. So my apologies on being slow with the updated developments
But anyway – lets start with this video put together by Phillis V. Du’Gas who’s maintained a Megan Willimas page at www.nessapublishing.com/meganwilliams.htm
Bet.com’s New Blog reports that:
Despite last-minute controversy over the chief organizer of a hate-crimes march in West Virginia, hundreds of people turned out at the state Capitol Saturday hoping to convince prosecutors to include hate-crime charges to the list of offenses against six Whites accused of kidnapping, raping and torturing a 20-year-old Black woman two months ago. The march, called by Malik Shabazz, the woman’s legal adviser and founder of Black Lawyers for Justice, was also designed to draw attention to what many say is a rising tide of racism in the United States. “Hate crimes are out of control in America,” Shabazz told the crowd. “Nooses are being hung and our women are being raped… . What happened to Megan Williams was a hate crime and we want this prosecuted as a hate crime.” Days before the march kicked off, the NAACP and an alliance of Black ministers in West Virginia announced that they would not be supporting the march.
blogs.bet.com/news/newsyoushouldknow/?p=906
Let Me Break Somethings Down
I don’t know the details of the rift that led this Black ministers group and the NAACP to pullout, but I don’t really care. Negroes get on my nerves. I’ll just say as an organizer coming from outside of the traditional political power structure myself, I’m glad that those who see that action needs to be taken don’t predicate their action on being sanctioned by certain people.
Nobody owns our civil rights or human rights movement, it’s our movement – that being the people.
Next, my understanding is that the march was not just to urge that the 6 defendants in Megans Case be charged with hate crimes; but to raise awareness of the growing tide of racially motivated attacks. And further, even if the hate crimes charges are not going to add anything more to their sentences because the kidnapping and other charges carry more years, it’s kind of beside the point; because if they violated federal law they simply should be charged with all crimes they committed. Plus, further it goes to the larger issue of the Justice Departments continued slackness in standing up against race based threats and assaults going on throughout the country. That’s the greater issue.
I applaud those who stood up to lead this effort, and those who went to Charleston WV in support. I’m also glad to see Megan Williams apparently bouncing back with at least outward resilience. I hope she is recovering as well internally.
Finally, how in the name of all that is holy, does the possibility that Megan may (still hasn’t been substantiated to me not that it matters) having had a previous relationship with one of her captors preclude it from being a hate crime? People keep bringing up the prior relationship as if it has anything to do with anything. Please explain to me how someone is precluded from having a racial motivation to hurt someone just because they know each other. Please breakdown for me, if it was all about a personal relationship; then why did five other people that she didn’t date, including women, participate in the torture?
Local news video report here: www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/0711/071103_5908fe44.shtml
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posted in Social Commentary, News & Events, Racial Injustice | | | View blog reactions | Print This Post
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Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
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“People keep bringing up the prior relationship as if it has anything to do with anything.”
Six evil, hateful subhumans tortured a helpless young lady. The end. Nothing else matters.
Sometimes I am in favor of cruel and unusual punishment.
Being born as inbreed labotamized hicks seems to be part of their punishment.
It seems we just can’t stick together for shyt. Why was an announcement necessary - usually if you don’t support something you just keep yo azz at home. They should have come together discussed their POV and agreed to present a united front to the world.
As far as this NOT being a hate crime - if this is not a hate crime then the law is totally useless and needs to be rewritten with some teeth.
Sorry for cussin in your house…but this just pisses me off.
LOL, I don’t mind the cursing; I curse sometimes here too.
usually if you don’t support something you just keep yo azz at home
Exactly. It seems like to me they were putting on for the white folks, like: “nahz mr. boss man, weez not stirring up the trouble; it’s not us . Weez good Negroes; it’s them.”
Either that or they were just mad because they didn’t initiate it and didn’t want to see Shabazz get credit.
“nah mr. boss man, it’s not us stirring up the trouble. Weez good Negroes; it’s them.”
That’s just what I felt when I read that nonsense.