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'When They See Us:' Central Park Five vs. Scottsboro Boys

SAN ANTONIO OBSERVER — History is like a pendulum.  It swings back and forth between narratives and many times those narratives swing back around. ​No other metaphor rings true than looking at African American history. Then and now, experiences are reborn and relived through perpetual rhetoric in America. From Emmitt Till to Trayvon Martin- both teenage Black boys, both visiting relatives when killed, both posthumously villainized and sparked a movement. 

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By Fernando Rover Jr.

History is like a pendulum.  It swings back and forth between narratives and many times those narratives swing back around.

​No other metaphor rings true than looking at African American history. Then and now, experiences are reborn and relived through perpetual rhetoric in America. From Emmitt Till to Trayvon Martin- both teenage Black boys, both visiting relatives when killed, both posthumously villainized and sparked a movement.

Despite their experiences being fifty years apart, how their deaths left Black America has not changed.

That is what makes discussing Central Park Five so important and so painful.

On May 31st Academy Award nominated director Ava DuVernay released her critically acclaimed miniseries When They See Us. The multi-part miniseries tracks the story of the five young Black boys in New York who were accused of gang raping a white woman jogging through Central Park. From the first accusation, to imprisonment, to release, and finally, acquittal, DuVernay assures that we witness the psychological impact this had on these boys beyond social and cultural persecution.

Much of the reception surrounding When They See Us has been strong and controversial. Many having to take breaks when viewing the series and many news outlets voicing their support of the avant-garde director taking on such difficult subject matter. The 46-year-old California native is no stranger to such subject matter, having created films on topics such as the March on Selma and the 13th Amendment and Mass Incarceration.

Upon viewing and learning about Central Park Five, it becomes necessary to revisit the story of the Scottsboro Boys.

In 1931, nine African American boys ranging from ages 13 to 20 were falsely accused of raping two white women on a train. No other evidence, other than the women’s testimony, was used to show these Black boys were guilty of such a heinous crime. Beyond the crime and trial, the Scottsboro Boys were stripped of their humanity and were not given a fair trial, despite being American citizens.

The similarities between Scottsboro Boys and Central Park Five is not one of coincidence. It is one of African American experiences in a perpetual context. Much conversations surrounding the miniseries have been about how so many years later, after the impact of being falsely accused had on the five boys, this story is still relevant? What does this say about the Scottsboro Boys case in which many of them were given 75-99 years in prison and dying before receiving any recognition?

One thing that still stands. History, like a pendulum, swings back and forth between narratives. Which direction will the narrative swing next?

This article originally appeared in the San Antonio Observer.

By Fernando Rover Jr.

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Activism

Los Angeles Hosts Annual ‘Stop the Hate’ Campaign Amidst Growing Reports

Los Angeles County hosted its seventh annual United Against Hate Week with community partners to rally against the growing hate incidents that are occurring across the country. United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is used as a call for local civic action to stop hate, discrimination, and implicit biases that negatively impact our diverse communities across the state.

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While hate crime reporting is still very underreported, mainly due to fear from victims, Toma said the LA vs Hate reporting line has changed the way people view reporting crimes because victims are now given the option to receive resources, such as counseling, to help get them through their trauma. Before the reporting line existed, victims felt ignored by police because often no action was taken from the report.
While hate crime reporting is still very underreported, mainly due to fear from victims, Toma said the LA vs Hate reporting line has changed the way people view reporting crimes because victims are now given the option to receive resources, such as counseling, to help get them through their trauma. Before the reporting line existed, victims felt ignored by police because often no action was taken from the report.

By Magaly Muñoz

Los Angeles County hosted its seventh annual United Against Hate Week with community partners to rally against the growing hate incidents that are occurring across the country.

United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is used as a call for local civic action to stop hate, discrimination, and implicit biases that negatively impact our diverse communities across the state.

Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission Executive Director Robin Toma said the event is usually held in November, but they decided to move the event up to September because of the fall election and the negative rhetoric it has brought to certain groups.

“We knew that with this special election year there would be a lot of things said that would foment hate, foment division, foment hostility and scapegoating of others,” Toma said.

Following the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, where Trump spread misinformation about Haitian immigrants eating animals, hate crimes against Haitians grew in Springfield, Ohio.

Although the group will not publicly endorse a candidate, Toma encouraged everyone to “vote against hate” because who and what people vote for can contribute to whether hate continues to rise or not.

While hate crime reporting is still very underreported, mainly due to fear from victims, Toma said the LA vs Hate reporting line has changed the way people view reporting crimes because victims are now given the option to receive resources, such as counseling, to help get them through their trauma. Before the reporting line existed, victims felt ignored by police because often no action was taken from the report.

LA County District Attorney George Gascón, who has served as San Francisco District Attorney and Police Chief, said the DA’s office is taking two major actions against hate crimes.

The first action is prosecution where the case calls for it, but Gascón said this is not the sole approach he wants to rely on.

The DA’s office also prioritizes education and restorative justice programs for hate crimes to offenders who qualify. This could involve offenders visiting the communities where they committed their crime so that they may learn the severity of committing these hateful acts.

“In a county as diverse as Los Angeles, my office is extremely proud of our partnership with this important community coalition to take strong action against hate crimes, and to encourage acceptance and understanding among Angelenos,” Gascón said.

LA County recently had a reported spike in hate crimes by 18% from 790 to 929 reported crimes in 2022. Gascón said the county has the highest prosecution rate for hate crimes in all counties across California.

Hate crime victim Frankie Aguirre also spoke at the United Against Hate event, sharing his experience as a gay man in Los Angeles.

Aguirre was the victim of harassment by his neighbors for six years because of his sexuality. He often felt he could not invite family and friends to his home for fear that residents in his building would bully them too.

Aguirre said he decided to call the 211 LA Hate hotline number to report the harassment he’d been receiving. After calling, he was connected to a care coordinator that connected him to services and resources, which he said he wouldn’t be here without.

The team at LA vs Hate helped him get out of his toxic living situation and he urged others in a similar place to contact the team to receive help.

LA vs Hate has received more than 2,700 reports of hate, over 800 during the last year, according to the organization. Nearly 90% of callers have requested personal assistance through case management.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate program.  The program is supported by partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https://www.cavshate.org/

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Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌

NAACP Denounces L.A. City Councilmember Kevin de León; Cites Racist Rhetoric

Two years after racist comments in a leaked recording of Los Angeles City Council members emerged, members of Los Angeles branches of the National Advancement Association of Color People (NAACP) on Oct. 7 gave councilmember Kevin de León’s a “failing” grade for his performance in office. The announcement was made on the south lawn of the Los Angeles City Hall by leaders of the NAACP branches of Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Watts, Beverly Hills-Hollywood, Santa Monica-Venice, and San Pedro-Wilmington.

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Kevin de León. Courtesy of Kevin de León (Facebook).
Kevin de León. Courtesy of Kevin de León (Facebook).

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

Two years after racist comments in a leaked recording of Los Angeles City Council members emerged, members of Los Angeles branches of the National Advancement Association of Color People (NAACP) on Oct. 7 gave councilmember Kevin de León’s a “failing” grade for his performance in office.

The announcement was made on the south lawn of the Los Angeles City Hall by leaders of the NAACP branches of Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Watts, Beverly Hills-Hollywood, Santa Monica-Venice, and San Pedro-Wilmington.

De León was on a conference call with other council members who made racial comments about Indigenous people and one of their colleague’s son, who is Black.

The leaked audio led to Council President Nury Martinez’s resignation on Oct. 12, 2022, former Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s ouster, and Ron Herrera stepping away on Oct. 11, 2022, as president of a powerful Southern California labor organization.

The branches and CA/HI State Conference of the NAACP President Rick Callender first asked all persons involved to resign from their positions in October 2022. The civil rights leader expressed concern that that the disparaging remarks coming from top city officials could impact hiring and other decisions of the City Council.

“We will not sit idly by and allow our elected representatives to engage in these kinds of disgusting and racist behaviors,” stated Latricia Mitchell, President of the Los Angeles Branch of the NAACP.

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Community

Los Angeles Hosts Annual ‘Stop the Hate’ Campaign Amidst Growing Reports

Los Angeles County hosted its seventh annual United Against Hate Week with community partners to rally against the growing hate incidents that are occurring across the country. United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is used as a call for local civic action to stop hate, discrimination, and implicit biases that negatively impact our diverse communities across the state.

Published

on

While hate crime reporting is still very underreported, mainly due to fear from victims, Toma said the LA vs Hate reporting line has changed the way people view reporting crimes because victims are now given the option to receive resources, such as counseling, to help get them through their trauma. Before the reporting line existed, victims felt ignored by police because often no action was taken from the report.
While hate crime reporting is still very underreported, mainly due to fear from victims, Toma said the LA vs Hate reporting line has changed the way people view reporting crimes because victims are now given the option to receive resources, such as counseling, to help get them through their trauma. Before the reporting line existed, victims felt ignored by police because often no action was taken from the report.

By Magaly Muñoz

Los Angeles County hosted its seventh annual United Against Hate Week with community partners to rally against the growing hate incidents that are occurring across the country.

United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is used as a call for local civic action to stop hate, discrimination, and implicit biases that negatively impact our diverse communities across the state.

Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission Executive Director Robin Toma said the event is usually held in November, but they decided to move the event up to September because of the fall election and the negative rhetoric it has brought to certain groups.

“We knew that with this special election year there would be a lot of things said that would foment hate, foment division, foment hostility and scapegoating of others,” Toma said.

Following the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, where Trump spread misinformation about Haitian immigrants eating animals, hate crimes against Haitians grew in Springfield, Ohio.

Although the group will not publicly endorse a candidate, Toma encouraged everyone to “vote against hate” because who and what people vote for can contribute to whether hate continues to rise or not.

While hate crime reporting is still very underreported, mainly due to fear from victims, Toma said the LA vs Hate reporting line has changed the way people view reporting crimes because victims are now given the option to receive resources, such as counseling, to help get them through their trauma. Before the reporting line existed, victims felt ignored by police because often no action was taken from the report.

LA County District Attorney George Gascón, who has served as San Francisco District Attorney and Police Chief, said the DA’s office is taking two major actions against hate crimes.

The first action is prosecution where the case calls for it, but Gascón said this is not the sole approach he wants to rely on.

The DA’s office also prioritizes education and restorative justice programs for hate crimes to offenders who qualify. This could involve offenders visiting the communities where they committed their crime so that they may learn the severity of committing these hateful acts.

“In a county as diverse as Los Angeles, my office is extremely proud of our partnership with this important community coalition to take strong action against hate crimes, and to encourage acceptance and understanding among Angelenos,” Gascón said.

LA County recently had a reported spike in hate crimes by 18% from 790 to 929 reported crimes in 2022. Gascón said the county has the highest prosecution rate for hate crimes in all counties across California.

Hate crime victim Frankie Aguirre also spoke at the United Against Hate event, sharing his experience as a gay man in Los Angeles.

Aguirre was the victim of harassment by his neighbors for six years because of his sexuality. He often felt he could not invite family and friends to his home for fear that residents in his building would bully them too.

Aguirre said he decided to call the 211 LA Hate hotline number to report the harassment he’d been receiving. After calling, he was connected to a care coordinator that connected him to services and resources, which he said he wouldn’t be here without.

The team at LA vs Hate helped him get out of his toxic living situation and he urged others in a similar place to contact the team to receive help.

LA vs Hate has received more than 2,700 reports of hate, over 800 during the last year, according to the organization. Nearly 90% of callers have requested personal assistance through case management.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate program.  The program is supported by partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https://www.cavshate.org/

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