Neither Hampton or Delaware State were supposed to be playing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament in the MEAC championship game on Saturday afternoon. Delaware State pulled off a huge upset in the semifinals against top-seeded N.C. Central to reach the title game, while Hampton beat No. 2 seed Norfolk State and was trying to reach the Big Dance as the rare team to do so under .500. read more…
Michael Clemons, a senior at at Dillard University, said he’s the first in his family to go to college.
[quote_box_center]”I’m fortunate for the UNCF and what it’s done for my family,” he said. “They look up to me now and this is new for all of us.[/quote_box_center]
Clemons received scholarships to go to college. Without the help, he would not be in school in New Orleans. Read more via WDSU
Born in Philly to a hard-working 17-year-old, then sent to live with her grandmother, Summer knows the definition of sacrifice and understands the importance of perseverance. Sarah Hill, her mother and best friend, has been the other half of her team for as long as she can remember.
“She is the reason I decided to attend Howard University. It wasn’t my first choice, but I had a full ride, so it made sense for me to lift the financial burden off her shoulders. We both had hesitations about me venturing to the nation’s capital.”
It must have been mother’s intuition, because Summer’s first year at the mecca was more like winter. “My first year was not fun,” she recalls. During her freshman year, there were many moments spent alone, crying, questioning her decision to attend Howard, and in reflection. As sophomore year approached, Hill’s not-so-pleasant experience began to change. Like the blossoming tulips around the campus, she was finding her way.
Midway through her second year, her mother passed away. “It changed my life and gave me perspective. Until this moment, I didn’t know the definition of struggle.” says Summer. She continued, “we are a close-knit family heavily influenced by church and the arts; through it all, she was my best, best friend.”
She supported any and everything her daughter put her mind to. Determined to focus on school and not let this situation get the best of her, Summer successfully finished the year with decent grades and she even managed to become a member of Alpha Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
It was not until the summertime when she processed her No. 1 fan could no longer physically cheer her on. “I fell into depression until I decided enough is enough. I have to figure out how to turn my story into a triumph..what I need to do be doing is figuring out how to honor her legacy.”
With the charm and swagger of the Philadelphia arts already massaged deep into her roots, this realm was an easy one to escape to for comfort. “I used the arts as a way to express myself and release my emotions.” Summer ran for the queen of her school, the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, on the platform “Healing Through the Arts”. The platform intends to rejuvenate the campus and provide an artistic environment and fresh perspective. When Summer won the title, it was more than just a crown and a sash. She had proven to herself that happiness is a choice, that the “art-void” on campus needs more attention, and that she has a story of victory to find, claim, and share.
As she steps out on faith to pick up the first breadcrumb, on her Hansel-and Gretel trail to the big house of Broadway, the 20-year-old says “I will stop at nothing, watch me”. Just like her role model, Phylicia Rashad, she says “I am a strong woman, I will be a graduate of Howard University, and I will show the world what ‘working for your dreams’ can do”.
This summer, Summer plans to take of from school and make her way to a New York Musical Intensive, Collaborative Arts Program (CAP) 21. The program is designed to help those who have the talent, discipline, and skill level hone their craft and network with leaders in the industry. Summer says “I love all forms of performing, I have the most experience with musical theater then acting, but this program can help me find my niche.”
To help support her financial needs, Summer has a couple events arranged:
Philadelphia, PA: March 27
“A Dream no Longer Deferred” Benefit Concert
About 20 artists, dancers, poets, and singers will perform in a convenient venue in downtown Philly. All proceeds will be gifted to Summer’s dream of attending CAP 21. The theme of the night is: “Travel through the decades: poetry, dance, song”
Houston, TX: June
Musical Dance Camp
Girls ages 3 – 8 will be emerged with the musical and theater arts in a junior-intensive 2-week camp. They will perform in a final production written by Summer.
Not only will these events contribute to her resume, they will contribute to much needed finances for the $5,000.00 program. In addition to her having a job and throwing events to earn funds, Summer also has an account with GoFundMe where she can accept donations online from anyone. As she gets closer to her goal, she “appreciates any and everything”, she is hungry to see her name in lights.
The Buzz Team has made a donation, donate to Summer Hill today at http://www.gofundme.com/NoLongerDeferred, and make it Summertime each day of the year.
Computers operating on the New York Police Department’s computer network at its 1 Police Plaza headquarters have been used to alter Wikipedia pages containing details of alleged police brutality, a review by Capital has revealed.
“The matter is under internal review,” an NYPD spokeswoman, Det. Cheryl Crispin, wrote in an email to Capital after examples of the changes were presented to the NYPD.
The edits and changes were linked to the NYPD through a series of Internet Protocol addresses, or IP addresses, which can be publicly tracked by various websites. (Here, for example, is one website that shows a number of IP addresses registered to the NYPD.) IP addresses can locate where a computer is when it connects to the Internet.
Computer users identified by Capital as working on the NYPD headquarters’ network have edited and attempted to delete Wikipedia entries for several well-known victims of police altercations, including entries for Eric Garner, Sean Bell, and Amadou Diallo. Capital identified 85 NYPD addresses that have edited Wikipedia, although it is unclear how many users were involved, as computers on the NYPD network can operate on the department’s range of IP addresses.
NYPD IP addresses have also been used to edit entries on stop-and-frisk, NYPD scandals, and prominent figures in the city’s political and police leadership.
There are more than 15,000 IP addresses registered to the NYPD, which employs 50,000 people, including uniformed officers and civilians. Notable Wikipedia activity was linked to about a dozen of those NYPD IP addresses.
On the evening of Dec. 3, hours after a Staten Island grand jury ruled not to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner, a user on the 1 Police Plaza network made multiple edits, visible here and here, to the “Death of Eric Garner” Wikipedia entry. The edits, all concerning the actions of Eric Garner and the police officers involved in the confrontation, are as follows:
● “Garner raised both his arms in the air” was changed to “Garner flailed his arms about as he spoke.”
● “[P]ush Garner’s face into the sidewalk” was changed to “push Garner’s head down into the sidewalk.”
● “Use of the chokehold has been prohibited” was changed to “Use of the chokehold is legal, but has been prohibited.”
● The sentence, “Garner, who was considerably larger than any of the officers, continued to struggle with them,” was added to the description of the incident.
● Instances of the word “chokehold” were replaced twice, once to “chokehold or headlock,” and once to “respiratory distress.”
Read more here.
For Method Man, the sadness and sorrow surrounding Eric Garner’s death was unfortunately nothing new. Growing up in Staten Island, the rapper — whose real name is Clifford Smith and is most notably known for being a member of the Wu-Tang Clan — had countless run-ins with police and said in a HuffPost Live interview Wednesday that Garner’s death hit close to home, as he had a close friend killed by a policeman.
“I felt the pain, because we had spoke out about a cop that had done that to one of my dear friends I grew up with, Ernest Sayon,” he told host Ricky Camilleri. “He was killed by a cop. I’m going to say killed, because he was killed by this cop, Donald Brown, who strangled him. Choked him to death. The same way Eric Garner, death by asphyxiation. Over a firework that he never even threw.”
A New York Times article from 1994 details the death of Sayon where the scene is eerily similar to Garner’s. And, not shockingly, after months of deliberation a grand jury in Staten Island decided not to file charges against Brown.
“It’s not new to us in Staten Island, which is sad,” Smith said.
He went on to describe scenes from the city much like any of his neighbors would. In doing so, he painted a picture of how policemen, most of the time not even from the neighborhood they’re patrolling, restraining residents from where they could and could not stand or hang out. But Smith was not angry at the whole situation; to him, it was more like old news.
Instead, he went on to say that he knew cops who did live in the neighborhood and who showed respect to citizens and the lives they lived.
“There were a few of them,” he said. “They weren’t ball-breakers. These are guys that were from the community, who grew up in Staten Island. A lot of times, what people fail to understand is, the cops are just as afraid as we are to be in those areas.”
Read more here.
The former chairman of South Carolina State University’s board of trustees should forfeit about $350,000 following his conviction on public corruption charges, federal prosecutors said in court this week.
Local media outlets report that the federal government said at a hearing Wednesday that Jonathan Pinson illegally took that money while carrying out plans for a low-income Columbia housing development and the development of a Marion County diaper plant. They said he shouldn’t be allowed to keep money from illegal schemes.
Pinson was convicted in July on 29 counts including racketeering, kickbacks and money laundering but was acquitted on other counts that involved similar evidence. Authorities said that Pinson skimmed federal money going to both projects, and then filed false paperwork to get more money from the government.
Pinson’s attorneys said that he should pay far less, arguing that he didn’t make all the money the government said he did. Defense attorney Jim Griffin said Pinson is still due $245,000 in Housing and Urban Development funds for his role as the developer in the Columbia project.
A judge has asked both sides for letters outlining their positions on forfeiture amounts within a week.
Read more here.
Alabama State auditors issued 14 findings against Alabama A&M University regarding the school’s financial business. The report includes details instances of the school not following state law and taking money our of a foundation trust to use in the school’s general fund budget.
Our news partners at The Huntsville Times/AL.com first published the findings on Thursday, March 12. The report from the state is dated March 13.
The report spans fiscal years from 2008 to 2013. Six of the state auditor findings show the school may not have followed state law. There are also four prior findings, dating from 2005 to 2008 which were unresolved, according to the report.
The school provided a detailed written response to each of the 14 findings. In the response, the university disagreed with three of the findings. However, the school does not object to the six findings about instances of failure to follow state law.
Alabama A&M President Dr. Andrew Hugine gave a statement to our news partners at The Huntsville Times/AL.com saying the report reflects that no one benefited financially in the findings. Hugine also told the newspaper the school was “disappointed in the amount of speculation” in the report. “I, along with others in my administration, will continue to strengthen our financial controls and be transparent about the challenges we continue to face,” Hugine said.
Read more here.
The University of the Virgin Islands has dubbed March 23 – March 27 as Pride Week, a time for staff, alumni and students to showcase their pride and enthusiasm for the institution. The celebration includes a myriad of activities from pep rallies and lectures to athletic events and cultural expositions.
Pride Week is also a vehicle to expose high school students to the academic programs at UVI. In keeping with this goal, UVI President Dr. Hall, members of the administration and UVI students will host “Pride Rallies” at each of the four public high schools in the territory.
“Pride Week is the culmination of outward expression for the University of the Virgin Islands, by both alumni and the greater community,” said Nicole Gibbs, vice provost for Access and Enrollment Services and Interim Dean of Students. “Not only are we engaging in activities and events within the Territory, but globally as well. It is our hope to incorporate this event into the fiber of both the University and Territory. Each of us has our own way of displaying our pride in this great institution and we hope to see it manifest in a variety of ways during Pride Week.”
As part of Pride Week, administrators at UVI are asking all UVI alumni to wear the institution’s colors – blue and white – or other UVI clothing during the week. Additionally, the community is invited to share their memories and stories about the University on social media, via Facebook and Twitter, using the hashtag #UVIPRIDE.
Events scheduled on both UVI’s St. Thomas and Albert A. Sheen St. Croix campus on Thursday, March 26 promise to rev up school spirit.
In the UVI St. Thomas campus Sports and Fitness Center, between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., the UVI Dance Team will perform, followed by a performance from Frontline Band. Afterward, faculty members and students will square off in a good-natured volleyball game, coaxed by the UVI cheerleading squad.
On St. Croix, alumni and staff, clad in blue and white t-shirts, will get fit with a UVI Pride Campus Stride, flanked by cheerleaders. In the afternoon, participants can attend a series of cultural workshops, including: Mocko Jumbie Skills,” “Steel Pan Intro,” and “Masqueraders: Create a Mask.”
Representatives from UVI Clubs and Activities will be on display in the Great Hall to share membership information. The Seventh Day Adventist Marching Band will close out the day’s activities.
Pep rallies at high schools will take place March 23 at St. Croix Central High School, March 24 at St. Croix Educational Complex, March 25 at Charlotte Amalie High School and March 27 at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School. Dr. Hall and other UVI administrators will address students about opportunities at UVI.
Read more here.
For the latest on HBCU news, stay tuned to The Buzz.
An independent economic assessment estimates that the University of the Virgin Islands has had an economic impact of $83.5 million on the territory in 2013. The 64-page report titled “Restoring Growth, Expanding Opportunity” was conducted in 2014 by Appleseed Inc., a New York-based economic development consulting firm. UVI commissioned the study to garner factual evidence of its impact on the territory and the Caribbean region.
Appleseed assessed UVI’s current impact on the economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands, highlighted a number of recent initiatives through which the University is seeking to strengthen the territory’s and the region’s economy, and briefly discussed several reasons why the University’s impact is likely to be even greater in the future than it is today.
“UVI has been an economic force for good in the Virgin Islands for many decades,” said UVI President David Hall. “This recent Economic Impact Report just demonstrates that the contribution to the territory is greatly enhanced and meaningful. The University is one of the best investments in the Virgin Islands for both private and public investors, and this report confirms that point.”
According to the report, UVI is especially well-positioned to help the U.S. Virgin Islands and the region respond to economic challenges and return to a path of sustained economic growth. UVI is the territory’s only comprehensive degree-granting institution, its leading research center and one of its largest knowledge-based enterprises.
“Through our research, entrepreneurship and economic development activities, UVI enhances the territory in numerous tangible and intangible ways,” said Dr. Hall. “Through the Small Business Development Center, the Research and Technology Park, the Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, the Caribbean Exploratory Research Center, and the new entrepreneurship competition, UVI is contributing significant dollars to the economy.”
“UVI is a prominent fixture of the Virgin Islands economy and as it continues to grow through business development and innovation opportunities, we foresee an even greater and more profound impact in the years to come,” said Dr. Haldane Davies, vice president for Business Development and Innovation.
According to the report, UVI is an essential and impressive engine of economic development for the Virgin Islands. The report estimates that in fiscal year 2013, spending by UVI on payroll, purchasing and construction, and off-campus spending by UVI students and visitors directly and indirectly accounted for 1,083 full-time-equivalent jobs in the territory, nearly $39 million in wages and salaries, and more than $83.5 million in territory-wide economic output.
The report also indicated that 77 percent of UVI graduates remain in the Virgin Islands and estimated that in 2013, the knowledge and skills acquired at the University by UVI graduates added about $48 million to the aggregate earnings of residents.
University research has been a growth enterprise at UVI, stated the report. Between 2002 and 2012, research spending grew by $25.7 million – an 84 percent increase. The University’s research is funded primarily through federal funds.
Read more here.
For the latest in HBCU news, stay tuned to The Buzz.
The four young black men who collected a $1.5 million settlement this week from Metro Louisville for their wrongful arrests say they accept Mayor Greg Fischer’s apology.
But they reject Fischer and Police Chief Steve Conrad’s claims that race had nothing to do with the arrests.
And at a news conference Thursday in the Jefferson County Judicial Center, they said they believe they were victims of racial profiling, and that settlement has not restored their trust in the department.
“We feel like we still need to look over our shoulders,” said Tyrone Booker Jr., 20, who spent 70 days in jail.
Lawyers for the four men, dubbed the “Misidentified 4,” said the city deserves credit for settling the case quickly, without a lawsuit. “They did seek an honorable way to resolve it and we are going to give them credit for that,” said Al Gerhardstein, a Cincinnati civil-rights lawyer.
But he said Conrad should have sanctioned the officers involved, rather than just order them to undergo further training.
Conrad has said an internal investigation found that that Officers Cordell Allen, Timothy Lanham, Michael Torres and Jeremy Boehnlein violated six department policies when they presented the suspects to two witnesses on a sidewalk in the glare of a police spotlight.
A grand jury exonerated all four defendants — Booker, Shaquazz Allen, 19, Jerron Bush, 22, and Craig Dean — on charges that they robbed a woman at gunpoint on March 22, the night of mob violence in downtown Louisville; Allen and Booker also were cleared on separate charges of assault and unlawful imprisonment when the victims of another crime earlier the same evening saw their pictures on a local newscast about the robbery and then identified them as their assailants.
Gerhardstein declined to say how the settlement will be divided among the four men and their lawyers.
Dressed in suits and ties, the men talked to reporters for about 60 minutes about how they were affected by their incarceration. Booker and Allen were locked up for 70 days, while Bush and Dean each served five days, plus time on home incarceration.
They were cleared in part by cellphone records that showed they couldn’t have been at the crime scene.
Booker said he feared he’d never be freed. “I almost gave up,” he said.
Allen said he will have to return to high school to graduate and that he now has trouble sleeping.
All four said they thought they had been victims of racial profiling, despite Conrad’s assertion in a statement that the officers’ mistakes were based on inexperience rather than “based solely on their race.”
Read more here.
ABC affiliate WATN reports Lawrence Reed was convicted of murdering Marco McMillian, 34, a former Alabama A&M University executive assistant. According to investigators, Reed admitted he choked McMillian to death in February 2013. McMillian’s body was found partially burned near a levee on the Mississippi River.
McMillian had served as executive assistant to former Alabama A&M President Robert Jennings. Jennings was fired in 2008 when school trustees determined McMillian wasn’t qualified for the position and had been given paid leave while out of town working on his master’s degree. Read Full via WAVVYTV
Police charged 18-year-old Jordan Baker, 19-year-old Jonathan Myles, and 21-year-old Kaylnn Ruthenberg in the death of 21-year-old James Jones, Jr. They all face felony murder, aggravated assault and armed robbery charges for allegedly shooting Jones who was killed in February during an apparent Craigslist deal, according to police.
A detective testified on Thursday that the trio had been concocting armed robberies using social media by promising items for sale. The detective said Jones came to one of the suspects’ homes, where he was shot several times. The suspects allegedly stole sneakers off the victim, took his cellphone and then left the scene. Read Full via WSBTV
The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office is investigating the Ritz-Carlton in uptown after patrons said they were charged a 15 percent “CIAA service charge.”
Some customers who visited the hotel during the CIAA tournament in February said they noticed a surcharge on their bills.
Roy Cooper’s office sent Channel 9 a letter that it sent to the Ritz-Carlton requesting some background information on the charge, including what was the purpose of the surcharge.
The purpose of the letter, which was sent Monday, is to get a better understanding of the nature and circumstances of the surcharge and how it was disclosed to consumers.
The hotel has 10 days to issue a response.
Just before noon Tuesday, the Ritz-Carlton issued the following statement:
“We would like to apologize to any guests we may have offended by the addition of a service charge we implemented at a recent event in our lobby lounge. The service charge was not intended to single out any particular group or organization and we deeply regret any misunderstanding this may have caused. It is important for all guests to feel welcomed at our hotel and for them to receive the highest level of service, respect and hospitality we strive for every day.”
Read more here.
The world saw a magnificent celebration last weekend in Selma, Ala., of the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches. The racially mixed crowds were huge, exciting and orderly. More than 120,000 attended the two days of commemorative events.
Foot soldiers mingled with dignitaries from the public and private sectors. President Barack Obama gave one of the most brilliant speeches I have ever heard. More than 100 members of Congress joined him in Selma. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley attended the ceremonies, along with scores of state and local officials. A host of corporate sponsors toasted this splendid occasion under VIP tents that were erected for the privacy and convenience of privileged guests.
The theatrics and photo opportunities knew no bounds. The cinematography was simply breathtaking. It was a made-for-TV event.
All of the celebrities and visitors are gone now. The celebrations are over. The tents have been taken down. Selma is back to normal. It is once again a city in a permanent state of distress. It is poor, black and neglected.
Selma, the birthplace of the Voting Rights Act, had a bright moment in the sun for two days last weekend, but now that moment has faded.
To my amazement, not one federal, state or local public official came to Selma to honor the courage of the 1965 marchers in a tangible way. Not one of them, from Obama on down, brought a single dollar of urban-revitalization capital, economic-empowerment grants, job-training funds or educational-enhancement money to Selma. This would have been a wonderful way to say “Thank you” to Selma for changing America for the better.
I have watched over the years as America has sent hundreds of billions of dollars in aid to places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. America has justified the expenditure of these vast sums of taxpayer dollars by claiming that we are supporting nation building and democracy in these countries.
Selma represented a defining moment in American’s 20th-century democracy. The blood that was shed in the city gave millions of African Americans the right to vote. This single event literally reshaped America’s political landscape.
It would have been easy for Obama or the members of Congress to preserve the city’s legacy as the cornerstone of American democracy by bringing a check for $200 million to $300 million, made out to the city of Selma. An announcement to this effect on the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” would have signaled to the world that America values its African-American citizens and their contributions to building a greater America.
Frankly, I do not need to hear another speech honoring the bravery of our 1950s, ’60s and 70s civil rights heroes. We already know they are heroes. They did not risk their lives for mere recognition at commemorative events. They did it so that blacks could take their rightful place in American society. They were fighting and dying so that blacks could secure equal justice in all aspects of American life.
We must honor these heroes the right way. Our federal and state governments must reinvest in America’s deteriorating inner cities and communities. We must support urban revitalization and economic empowerment in Selma (and countless cities like her) with the same vigor with which we have supported it in places overseas.
Marching over the Edmund Pettus Bridge last weekend was purely symbolic and all too easy. There are no more violent confrontations with state troopers at the foot of the bridge. Those days are gone, forever.
Read more here.
For the latest on HBCU and African-American news, stay tuned to The Buzz.
CNN
One is a former high school cornerback who also loves baseball. The other is a football fan who also played competitive golf.
The two University of Oklahoma students at the center of a racist fraternity video have more than sports in common. They’re both under fire since the nine-second clip showed them making racial slurs against blacks.
In it, students at the now-disbanded Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity clap, pump their fists and laugh as they hurl racial slurs and make a reference to lynching.
School officials have expelled Parker Rice and Levi Pettit because of their alleged “leadership role” in the racist chant.
Here’s what we know about the two students:
Rice, 19, was raised in Dallas, where he recently graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School. In high school, he was an avid sportsman, and he played cornerback on the football team, in addition to baseball, The Dallas Morning News reported.
His father, Bob Rice, is a real estate agent in Dallas, where he volunteers for various organizations, including a baseball league and the local YMCA, according to the newspaper.
Earlier this year, a sibling of the younger Rice described their close relationship in an interview with their high school newspaper. In the article, the brother says they enjoy playing video games and watching movies together.
Rice has apologized for the video, calling his actions wrong and reckless.
“I made a horrible mistake by joining into the singing and encouraging others to do the same,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
His family has fled their home, where protesters gathered Wednesday. They’ve also wiped out their social media accounts.
As the university tries to heal after days of controversy, some are rallying to Rice’s defense.
Matthew Lopez, a friend and fellow student at the university, said the video is not a reflection of who he is.
“That video does not represent his core personality,” Lopez said. “Unfortunately though, as things are, that might define him for a while. But it does not define him personally, I feel.”
Lopez described him as a “charismatic, good person, with a good soul and a good spirit” who experienced a lapse in judgment.
“His behavior is a result of his influence of the fraternity system and the traditions that have been embedded since pre-civil war times, when the fraternity was made, which obviously weren’t the most tolerant times,” Lopez said.
The second student expelled, Pettit does not have much of a digital footprint. What appears to be his now deleted Twitter page mainly focuses on his musings about college football.
Pettit played golf at his alma mater, Highland Park High School, The Dallas Morning News reported.
In a statement, his parents said their son made a horrible mistake and apologized to African-Americans, students and university faculty.
“He is a good boy, but what we saw in those videos is disgusting,” Brody and Susan Pettit said.
“While it may be difficult for those who only know Levi from the video to understand, we know his heart, and he is not a racist.”
Read more here.
A Paul Quinn College administrator says he’s trying to help Dallas confront its racist history.
So last week, Dr. Christopher Dowdy published a website on the 105th anniversary of the lynching of Allen Brooks, a black man who was accused of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl in 1910.
Called “Dallas Untold: Lynching and Memory in Dallas, Texas,” Dowdy’s near-complete account tells what happened that March 3 afternoon when a mob broke into the second story of the Old Red Courthouse.
Using newspapers, court records and historical archives, Dowdy describes how a noose was placed around Brooks’ neck and the other end of the rope was tossed out a second-story window. Below, members of a boiling crowd pulled Brooks out the window. It is believed he died from the fall.
His body was dragged behind a car down Main Street and strung up on a telephone pole near a ceremonial arch at Akard Street. Historians say as many as 10,000 people witnessed the lynching. A photograph was taken and turned into a postcard.
“Every city is built on ruins,” said Dowdy, a special assistant to the president of Paul Quinn. “Whether it’s ancient Rome or the city of Atlanta, you can’t find a city that’s not built on top of somebody else’s roads. Our challenge is to figure out what those ruins mean for us and how they shape what we are today.”
Dowdy became interested in the lynching story in 2009 while studying for his doctorate in religious ethics at SMU.
In the intervening years, he discovered rarely seen photos, including one of the crowd two hours after the lynching, and painful details about the man who was murdered. He was a 65-year-old laborer who tended the furnace of a home at Ross Avenue and Pearl Street.
Brooks was accused of attempted rape after being found alone in a barn with the toddler, Mary Ethel Beuvens, on Feb. 27. Both he and the child were examined by a doctor, but no injuries were listed in sensational newspaper accounts.
Dallas County Sheriff Arthur Ledbetter hid Brooks in area jails for several days as angry crowds gathered at the courthouse and jail. But when Brooks appeared for a hearing, Ledbetter and his deputies were unable to save him from the mob.
After the lynching, some historical accounts suggest, city leaders tore down the massive Elks Arch on Main Street — a landmark displayed prominently in a photograph of the lynching — because of public shame about the incident.
But Dowdy says newspaper accounts from the time say the arch was disassembled because some city leaders thought it was gaudy. The lighted metal structure was temporarily moved to the state fairgrounds and eventually disappeared.
Read more here.
