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North Carolina Attorney Says States Are “Criminalizing” Protests

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Looking at the current administration, we are going to have an uptick in protests because the president’s policies are not only affecting African Americans and minority communities, he’s affecting women now and you have more than just one outraged community,” said North Carolina attorney Darlene Harris.

Published

6 years ago

March 23, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

With protests growing increasingly common around the country, the movement to silence those who exercise their First Amendment Rights is fast gaining traction.

At least that’s the opinion of one North Carolina attorney who said the wave of legislation to criminalize protests has hit Charlotte where a controversial ordinance known as the “Extraordinary Event” law even led to a city councilman being charged for carrying a water bottle and a gas mask.

“That ordinace permits police to stop and search residents based on what they deem are extraordinary events, which is an exceedingly vague phrase,” said attorney Darlene Harris.

“For instance, in 2016, my client, Braxton Winston, who was attending demonstrations following the fatal police shooting of a black man, Keith Lamont Scott, was arrested for having a water bottle and a mask – items apparently prohibited by law enforcement,” she said.

“It’s one of those laws that people hardly know about and, of course, ignorance is no defense for breaking the law, but even another client of mine, Gloria Merriweather, who attended the same protest, was charged with inciting a riot for just being in attendance,” Harris said.

The charges against both Winston and Merriweather were eventually dropped but Harris said it’s because of their standing in the community and because they had a good lawyer.

“If it were a public defender and someone of little means or impoverished, they would have a difficult time fighting the charges because you think about the many days they’d need to take off from work to go to court and the loss of income,” Harris said.

Harris recently defended Rayquan Borum, whom prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder and they sought to use the theory of felony murder in convicting him.

Typically, felony murder is applied when someone is in the process of committing an inherently dangerous felony.

In North Carolina, felony murder is punishable by life without parole.

In the Borum instance, the underlying felony was rioting at the 2016 protests connected to the Scott shooting.

“Rioting was used as the underlying felony but it raises legal questions like whether all of those at the protest were engaged in a riot just because of their presence and if someone dies by means other than intentional homicide, are all the attendees responsible,” Harris said.

While Borum was convicted of second-degree murder, the jury failed to convict him on the more serious first-degree murder charge.

“It was a 9-3 split for conviction, but thank God we had four black women on that jury who just wasn’t going for that,” Harris said.

She noted that since President Donald Trump took office, protests have become even more commonplace and not just among African Americans.

“Latinos and women are becoming more involved in protests,” Harris said.

“Looking at the current administration, we are going to have an uptick in protests because the president’s policies are not only affecting African Americans and minority communities, he’s affecting women now and you have more than just one outraged community,” she said.

So, as states and municipalities attempt to criminalize or make demonstrations more difficult, Harris said it’s her job as a defense attorney to keep fighting against such laws.

“You’re seeing this strong rise in people who are dissatisfied in what’s happening,” she said.

“[Governments] are trying to keep control and when you have someone in office like Trump who is causing so much of a stir and so many issues and problems, you’re going to have mass amounts of protests because he has no plans to change his behavior.”

Harris said if legislators and police are allowed to criminalize protests, America’s democracy is imperiled.

“Had North Carolina been successful in convicting my client under the felony murder theory, it would have set a precedent that would have reverberated across the country,” she said.

“I fear the growing anti-protest sentiment coupled with deeply entrenched racism will only invalidate citizens’ First Amendment rights but will also criminalize people who choose to take a stand against injustice,” Harris said.

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Remembering George Floyd

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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2025

Oakland Post

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

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Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”

Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.

The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”

Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.