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Century-old Tragedy Marked in Abe’s Hometown; KC Hotel Accused of Racism

ewiley — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:47:39 +0000

Century-old Tragedy Marked in Abe’s Hometown
Abe Lincoln’s hometown of Springfield, Ill., took time last week to remember a horrific time in U.S. history when White mobs terrorized and lynched Black residents. City officials commemorated that tragic period in 1908 with an unnamed bronze statue just across the street from the Lincoln Presidential Museum. The statue, which portrays scenes of rubble, anguished families and National Guard troops, is designed to resemble the chimneys of Black-owned homes that were burned down during the melee. Ironically, the dedication coincides with a modern-day racial controversy. A century after that tragic period, nooses have been found at the work station of Black city employees. Black and community leaders have expressed outrage. “We will not go back,” R. Beverly Peters, chairwoman of the commission that organized the commemoration, told The Associated Press. “Let the word go out that we will not be deterred by one or two or even a few Neanderthal thinkers who would resurrect a hangman’s noose or any other relic of the dark and racist past.”

KC Hotel Accused of Racism
Was it a case of racism, or were a group of Connecticut Black youths booted out of a Kansas City hotel because they were too loud? The manager says that race had nothing to do with the ouster of the New Haven, Conn.-based Nation Drill Squad and Drum Corps; rather, he said, it was the result of numerous complaints from other guests at the Sheraton Kansas City Sports Complex Hotel. But Douglas Bethea, Nation Drill Squad director, said that his 48-member team had gotten substandard treatment since arriving at the hotel. The group, which included some members as young as 4 years old, was kicked out at 1:15 a.m., he told The Associated Press. Such cases have drawn even more attention since the president of The Valley Swim Club was accused of racism when his club canceled the swimming privileges Black children from a nearby day care center.

Woman’s Weave Stops a Bullet

hbarber — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:34:45 +0000

Women might wear them for length or just to switch their individual styles up, but one Missouri woman’s hair weave might’ve saved her life. According to Kansas City, Mo., police, a 20-year-old woman’s hair weave stopped a bullet, reports MSNBC. The victim called police late Wednesday night to a local market, and told the officers that she encountered her ex-boyfriend and another man in the parking lot. The man accompanying her ex approached her car telling her that the ex-boyfriend was still in love with her. After she responded, “I don’t love him,” she saw her ex walking toward her car shooting a gun. With her back window shattering, she zoomed out of the parking lot. Later on, the police discovered a bullet in the woman’s hair, according to reports. Her tightly-woven weave prevented it from entering her body. She was not injured. The victim’s ex and the man with him were arrested shortly thereafter.

Guilty Verdict in ‘Precious Doe’ Case

hbarber — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:52:10 +0000

The man who kicked his girlfriend’s daughter in the head and then dumped her body in the woods will spend the rest of his life behind bars with no chance of parole. It took a jury just about three hours to decide 29-year-old Harrell Johnson’s fate. For seven years a Kansas City community waited to bring the killers of 3-year-old Erica Green, known as “Precious Doe,” to justice. Erica’s mother, Michelle Johnson, testified during the trial that Johnson kicked the baby in the head because she didn’t want to go to bed. Michelle said Harrell was high on drugs at the time. She pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder in Erica’s death.

‘Precious’ Doe Case Begins in K.C.

hbarber — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:46:20 +0000

‘Precious’ Doe case begins in K.C.

The Kansas City man who allegedly chopped off the head of his girlfriend’s lifeless baby and buried the body in the woods is now on trial. Prosecutors say that Harrell Johnson, 29, was drugged up when he knocked Michelle Johnson’s daughter to the floor because she refused to go to bed. When the girl lay motionless for almost 10 hours, the couple did not seek medical attention, prosecutors say, adding that the duo were afraid they would go to jail on outstanding warrants if they notified authorities. The 3-year-old child, Erica Green, was nicknamed “Precious Doe” after her headless body was discovered in 2001. Her head was found several days later. It took four years before the case was cracked; in 2005, someone gave a tip to a community activist who had kept the pressure on about the tragic death of Erica. Michelle is expected to be called to testify against Harrell, whom she married a year after Erica’s death. Michelle has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Harrell’s defense attorney says that first-degree murder charges are not unjustifiable because nobody intended to kill Erica. Because Harrell withdrew his demand to have the case taken out of Kansas City, prosecutors agreed to take the death penalty out of play. The worst Harrell can be sentenced to is life without the possibility of parole.