The Myth of Black-on-Black Violence
Natalie Hopkinson, The Root, June 16, 2010

This year’s Black History Month was a particularly bloody one in Shelby County, S.C. Sergio Leary, Ja’cole Wilson, Karon Barrow and Leon Thurman Jr., all young people in their 20s, were all shot dead, according to local news reports.

The Shelby Star’s analysis of the burst of violence, hit on all the usual crime reporting clichés: ”black,” ”at-risk youth,” ”subcultures that don’t value” life. And then, there’s the clincher. ”Despite overall crime numbers falling in recent years, black-on-black [emphasis added] violence remains a prevalent issue,” the newspaper reported. (Read the full article)