488 Search results for "sentence"

The business of prisons and the laws that make sure they exist
by Cheryldean Peters Beginning in the early 1600s, my ancestors were legally forced into slavery and robbed of their freedom. They were involuntarily exploited, beaten and forced to work as servants, which primarily helped generate income for America’s economy. Their servitude drastically enhanced local and colonial economics while creating generational wealth for their oppressors. Africans […]
Reflecting on Patrick Chamoiseau’s ‘Slave Old Man’ and physical memories of the enslaved
by Donnie Moreland This essay contains spoilers for Patrick Chamoiseau’s 1997 novel, Slave Old Man The final words of Patrick Chamoiseau’s Slave Old Man read, “Brother, I shouldn’t have, but I touched those bones.” Those bones being, “The clavicles. Some vertebrae. A few formless bits. Porous things. And a broken tibia…” Those bones, as are […]
Combating colorism: All Black children are worth defending
This essay contains discussions of r/pe and sexual violence against and the trafficking of missing Black women and girls “One after another referred her to Missing Persons, to Juvenile Court, to her neighborhood service center, to family counseling. She was a customer come too soon to the new store, stock not yet in, sales personnel […]
Black and in Vietnam, my hair is not a spectacle
by Adam Mahoney I’ve been living in Vietnam for four months and from the first 30 minutes I arrived in the country, my hair was a problem. I’m a 20 year old junior in college, so when the opportunity to not be in a classroom full of wealthy, white peers presented itself, I jumped at […]
Older siblings pay an unfair cost in poor Black families
by Cosima Smith Mobility is the ability to move, both physically over land (and territorial lines) and metaphorically through social and political classes and rankings. But mobility is also so much more than that: it is the chance to explore and live and interact across dividing lines, it in itself can be a lifeline when […]
Maybe Black men protect white women because we see ourselves in them
by Donnie Moreland My crushes, in high school, were all white girls. I used to fantasize about asking them out, kissing them, fucking them. It was about the only way by which I judged my social value—by how many of them I was of interest to. In fact, the first girl to ever hear the […]
Reclaiming our bodies through Black erotica
by Donnie Moreland Literarily, the words Black and erotic are dissonent. A by product of what would become synonymous with talk about sex, in the public domain, for Black folk—sin, depravity, immorality, etc. Though canonically scattered, some Black folk do dabble in erotic fiction. A previous romantic partner of mine introduced me to Zane—the most […]
Comic: Homophobia and the weird double standards it creates about indecency with children
by JeCorey Holder Content Warning: This essay mentions pedophilia and childhood sexual abuse On today’s episode of Straight People Seem to be Physically Incapable of Minding Their Basic Heterosexual Business, let’s talk about the highly selective ignorance folks seem to lean on in regards to exposing kids and babies to sexuality. Tell me why […]
Coverage of sex work keeps making white women dangerous victims in the name of progress
By Adrie Rose When I was thirteen, my mum stopped talking to me for a week. I don’t remember what I did, but I’m sure I was being a right little shit and she wasn’t the type of parent to spank or hit. My parents have always understood that there are far more effective (and […]
Judge ignores 20 year sentencing guideline, gives former Trump chairman Manafort 4 years
On Thursday, Judge T.S. Ellis sentenced Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, to 47 months in prison for bank fraud.
FL cop convicted of killing Black motorist is state’s 1st on-duty cop killing conviction in 30 years
41-year old fired Florida officer Nouman Raja was just sentenced to a minimum of 25 years for the 2015 fatal shooting of 31-year old Corey Jones, a Black motorist. Raja is the first Florida officer in 30 years to be convicted of an on-duty shooting.
Supreme Court hinders state and local governments’ ability to seize property
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Eighth Amendment’s clause which prohibits excessive financial penalties must be enforced at all levels of government to protect people from harsh government retaliation. It had previously been applied to federal crimes only.