West Virgina Taking Some Action Regarding Megan Williams

Hat Tip: Angie at Nu Vision For A Nu Day

Two weeks ago, a group of students, faculty, and staff met in response to the heinous crimes committed against Ms. Megan Williams in Logan County. What evolved out of that initial discussion was a sense of urgency in requesting our elected officials to publicly denounce gender and racial violence. The group wanted to provide a forum for dialogue on issues related to Ms. Williams' case specifically, and issues of race and gender based violence generally.

As a result of the meeting, two things have happened - (1) members of the law school community have joined together to form a coalition tentatively named "The Coalition to End Race and Gender Violence"; and (2) a petition requesting Governor Manchin to provide leadership by speaking out against racial and gender violence is now posted on the internet. People all across this campus, the state, and the region have already begun to sign on to the statement. Please take a moment to read and sign our statement to Governor Manchin which can be accessed at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/mwlc0907/petition.html .

Also, please consider circulating the statement to all of your friends and family members.

Finally, if you are interested in either joining or participating in events sponsored by the Coalition please visit our Westlaw TWEN website listed under "Coalition to End Race and Gender Violence."

Thank you very much for your time and support.

Alvin C. Hathaway Jr.
J.D. / M.B.A. Candidate, 2009
West Virginia University


--
Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway. Sr., D. Min.
Senior Pastor,
Union Baptist Church of Baltimore
www.unionbaptistbalt.org

Chairperson, Civic Action Committee
Baptist Minister's Conference of Baltimore & Vicinity

President & C.O.O.
The Academic Achievement Award Foundation, Inc.
www.academicaward.com

New Email Address: alhathaway@gmail.com

Megan Williams was sexually assaulted, beaten and forced to eat rat droppings for over a month

Do you remember the report from ABC News, The news of how inside a shed on a remote hillside of this coalfield community, a young black woman was tortured for days, sexually assaulted, beaten and forced to eat rat droppings.

I'm sure you remember her captors, all of them white, choked her with a cable cord and stabbed her in the leg while calling her a racial slur, poured hot water over her and made her drink from a toilet.

Do you remember the reports about how at one point, an assailant cut the woman's ankle with a knife and used the N-word in telling her she was victimized because she is black. She was forced to eat dog feces.

I'm sure you remember the picture of the mobile home, left, and tool shed at Big Creek, W.Va., where authorities say 20-year-old Charleston, W.Va., resident Megan Williams, a black woman, was allegedly captive for at least a week and tortured by six white individuals from Logan County, W.Va. Authorities.

Do you know how authorities have refused to lodge hate crime charges in the woman's case.

I'm sure you remember how the victim, who is still on the mend from her brutal, month-long experience, has been charged by authorities in three local West Virginia counties on 11 misdemeanor counts of writing worthless checks, one misdemeanor count of obtaining property under false pretenses, and one felony count of failure to appear in Circuit Court.



Do you know how Megan was tearfully arraigned as her outraged foster mother, Carmen Williams, watched. Check out the charges against her (Hat Tip Womenspace):

Megan Williams is charged with obtaining under false pretenses and writing a worthless check in Raleigh County, according to the Raleigh County warrant. The false check charge is for a $32.21 check to Dominos Pizza. The false pretenses charge is for $96.40 to the Kiddie Junction Consignment Shop in Beaver.

In Greenbrier County, Williams is wanted for eight worthless checks, according to the warrant for her arrest filed in Greenbrier County. One of the checks was for $173.79 to BSR Auto Supply.

She was wanted for two counts of worthless checks in Summers County, according to the warrant for her arrest filed in Summers County. One of the checks was for $220 to Jack W. Turner, the other was for $10.46 to Country Roads Store.

A bench warrant out for Williams in Summers County is for failing to appear at the arraignment for the worthless check charges, according to the court document filed in Summers County.

The original charges against Williams all stem from incidents in May 2006.

After the magistrate completed the arraignments for the three different counties, Megan Williams was taken to the Kanawha County Courthouse to be processed. She was released on $8,000 bond.

Do you remember how Megan clutched a teddy bear during the process.

All of these charges were to made so quickly after the rape of this young lady to make the Victim the Criminal!

As black blogger Adrianne of black women in europe has noted the police are making the victim look like she deserved being tortured.

Is this the face of a black woman that needed be be charged with petty theft crimes after being raped and tortured by 6 white rednecks? Why was is so important to charge her right after she was raped? Does this look like a 22 year 0ld? She has been through hell and back and the court system in West Virgina sent her back to hell again!

Now we learn through the Black Press that Logan County Sheriff's investigators have now revised their original theory that Ms. Williams was held captive for a week. In court testimony Tuesday, authorities said they've determined that Williams had been kidnapped and held against her will at the Big Creek mobile home residence since August 2 well over a month.

Do you remember what you read about slavery in America. About how in the deep woods of southern towns black women and little black girls were tortured for days, sexually assaulted, beaten and forced do things that are inhuman?

Do you remember how black folk marched to Jena for the Jena 6 to express our concern for the rights of 6 black boys? As the one award winner blogger Gina would say, What about our Daughters? What about our Women? Where is the Outrage? What about our baby Girls? What about the other Black and Missing So far, neither state nor federal hate crimes charge have been applied. Why??? Why is no one asking Why??? Where is the Congressional FOX Caucus? Where is the NAACP?? Is West Virgina too far to go for us to seek justice?

As Alton Maddox noted in the Amsterdam News, "The kidnap, torture and rape of Megan Williams is not a slam dunk. Already, the NAACP is siding with the West Virginia prosecutor, who is having a problem finding a hate crime for six whites kidnapping, torturing and raping a Black woman while repeatedly calling her a nigger."

Maddox continues, "So far, this prosecutor only sees a domestic dispute. There is a big difference between a domestic dispute and a hate crime. It is like comparing a felony to a traffic ticket. These six defendants will come closer to being convicted for a traffic infraction than incurring a felony conviction. The Megan Williams case will be a test of our gullibility." I agree with Brotha Maddox. More HERE

I remember some time ago we were so happy the the Congress would be controlled by the Democrats. Is it not time that Congress take a look at this hate crime? OK, Black Caucus, OK, Black Conservative, Liberal, and just bloggers in general, OK, Black Talk Radio, OK BET, OK, Black Media. Let's not forget about our babies, our foster care babies, our girls with special needs. Is Enough is Enough? Or should I be even asking these questions?

AAPP

Pictures That Make the Rude Pundit Want to Break Out the Good Whiskey

My good blogging buddy RUDE PUNDIT wrote a piece that I enjoyed reading. I think you will enjoy it too. I ask my readers to visit the RUDE PUNDIT. Regularly I do. Here it is:

Pictures That Make the Rude Pundit Want to Break Out the Good Whiskey, Just For Just a Sip or Two:

By RUDE PUNDIT


The protest in Jena, Louisiana yesterday was as close to the real deal as we're gonna get these days: a peaceful march and rally that were focused and intense, built around an example of unfairness in the justice system of a single place as representative of wider injustice. Goddamn, how it must have pissed off so many white people (and relieved a whole lot more) that the thing was as calm as it was.

Jena is in what could politely be considered the taint of Louisiana, the vaguely hilly netherworld between the asshole of Alexandria and the ballsack of Monroe. It is, more or less, the kind of place that the phrase "backwards ass country fucks" was invented for. Where the Jena Wal-Mart is the gathering place and major employer. Where white people drive around with Confederate flags and rifles on the back windows of their pick-ups. Where there really can still be a fuckin' tree on high school property that has the unspoken designation of "whites only," something you know goddamn well the teachers and administration just looked the other way on for years. Oh, how the Rude Pundit knows these towns well.

The whole saga of the town and the Jena Six is a sad, sordid tale of barely repressed racism coming to the surface, of white teenagers doing something stupid because they thought they'd get away with it (probably because their parents got away with it), of black teenagers doing something stupid in return, of the justice system doing something really stupid in charging Mychal Bell as an adult when there were enough real adults who who beat up Justin Barker, who would single-handedly do something stupid when he brought a gun to school. And let's not even get started with the school, which had abetted the racism on its campus. That's not to mention whatever idiot thought that setting Jena High on fire was a good idea.

The protest yesterday was a chance to put some tinder under the dying flame that was thought to have been started by the post-Katrina treatment of blacks in Louisiana. Read MORE HERE

Home Grown Terrorism

OK, America is on the verge of spending some $190B more of our hard earned money on the Bush/Haliburton/Blackwater War with (Democratic approval). That's for FY 2008. If Democrats have their way, it will be more of the same in 2009, 2010,2011, 2012, 2013 and beyond. Many black Americans are demanding lawmakers get things done to address real terrorism - "terrorism at home."

Black bloggers like afrospear member, Eddie Griffin are not feelin' whats going on in America and in Washington and are going directly to one of the sources - House Committee on the Judiciary.


Eddie Griffin (above) wrote the folllowing letter:

House Committee on the Judiciary
2138 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-3951

Attn: U.S. Representative John Conyers


Dear Mr. Chairman:

In light of what may seem like good news today coming out of Jena, Louisiana, Governor Kathleen Blanco may be too late to mend race relations in that small town. The cat is already out of the bag.

Even though LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters announced that he will not pursue the case against 17-year old Mychal Bell in adult criminal court, the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis have crept into the festering situation feeding on racial tension.

Read More HERE

Huffington Post is keeping it real!

Last week I had the opportunity to guest post on Huffington Post.com it's great to see that the Huffington Post is willing to provide an outlet for views from the AfroSphere.

Yes, now Internet Civil and Human Rights Activist, Francis L. Holland debuts at Huffington Post! Let's hope that other prominent blogs will begin to expand their cross blogging efforts. I'd like to see Politico.com, Politics Online.com and other blogs do the same. It would surely expand their reader base, and it is really about time.

More HERE

Clinton, Edwards, Obama are war mongers

File this under Disgrace
Yes, I said it: Clinton, Edwards, Obama are war mongers



Check this out. The Democrats won't commit to getting our troops out of Iraq, even by 2013!

You know Malcolm X once said the Dixiecrat and the democrat are both the same, they are both canine. they both will bite you. Well. We have been bitten, again, and again, and again. Is it not time for our own political party, holding both major parties accountable? It seems that Voting Republican or Democrat continues to be a lost effort for black America. If you think I'm talking crazy, think out this.

As reported the The Washington Post. Tim Russert opened the debate by asking Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and former senator John Edwards (N.C.) -- all of whom have supported a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, whether they would promise to have all the troops out by January 2013. All three declined to do so More HERE>

This as Defense Sec. Gates Seeks $190B for Wars while Bush plans to veto legislation vastly expanding a federal health insurance program for the children of the working poor. I'm reminded of a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

Bloggers Roundtable September 26, 2007

African American Political Pundit participated in this week's Bloggers' Roundtable. Here is a link to the discussion:

• Analysis: Bloggers' Roundtable: Jena & Jesse
  Sep-26-2007, News & Notes

  News & Notes, September 26, 2007 · This week's panel discusses how bloggers raised awareness about the Jena 6 case and Jesse Jackson's criticism of Sen. Barack Obama for "acting like he's white."

• Bloggers' Roundtable: Jena & Jesse

  

• Analysis: Bloggers Roundtable: Part II
  Sep-26-2007, News & Notes

  

  News & Notes, September 26, 2007 · The conversation continues with talk about the sexual harassment trial of New York Knicks coach Isaiah Thomas.

Mos Def, M1, Talib Kweli, and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Sankofa Community Empowerment, Change the Game, call for a National Student Walk-Out

Hat Tip: Bronze Trinity for the link Bronze Trinity

Source and HatTip: Thug Life Army

We All Live in Jena - National Call to Action

Hip Hip artist/ Activist Mos Def along with fellow rap and hip hop notables M1, Talib Kweli, and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Sankofa Community Empowerment, Change the Game, National Hip Hop Political Convention, Hip Hop Association, and student leaders from 50 campuses call for a National Student Walk-Out to rally and show support for the Jena 6, who are being denied their human rights by the Louisiana criminal justice system.

The Case of the Jena 6

Mos Def is asking students worldwide to assist in the fight against racial injustice and show solidarity for these young people, who have been treated unequally by the law. The prosecution of these young men symbolizes a terrible miscarriage of justice, by punishing students who opposed segregation in their schools and disregarding the threatening acts of others who advocate it.

As students and activists we say enough is enough! What is happening in Jena is happening all over this country. From Sean Bell to Mychal Bell, the criminal justice system is killing and incarcerating us. We will not be silent!

Demands
Judge J.P. Mauffray and District Attorney Reed Walters have engaged in a string of egregious actions, the most recent of which was the denial of bail for Bell on Friday. We call for:

1. All charges against the Jena 6 be dropped

2. The immediate release of Mychal Bell

3. The United States Department of Justice to convene an immediate inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the arrests and prosecutions of the Jena 6;

4. Judge Mauffray to be recused from presiding over Bell 's juvenile court hearings or other proceedings;

5. The Louisiana Office of Disciplinary Counsel to investigate Reed Walters for unethical and possibly illegal conduct;

6. The Louisiana Judiciary Commission investigate Judge Mauffray for unethical conduct; and

7. The Jena School District superintendent to be removed from office.

Other endorsers include: Common, Immortal Technique, NyOil, Cynthia McKinney

For more info contact info@mxgm.org
To add your school to the list assata@pitt.edu or spjlewis@hotmail.com

We All Live in Jena - National Call to Action Monday, October 1st, 2007 at Noon, Central Time

More HERE

Liveblogging With What About Our Daughters -Today's Congressional Hearing

African American Blogger What About Our Daughters WAOD is in Washington, D.C . Liveblogging Today's Congressional Hearing

Gina of WAOD says: Folks the list of witnesses is up for who is going to testify today. OH I can see this is going to be just a lovely lovely day already. Scroll down to the posts. You will be able to watch or listen to the hearings via the internet. I haven't found this listed on C-Span. OH YEAH, and immediately following the hearings, Viacom will be plying African American members of Congress with Drank and Vittles at a reception. Ain't representative Democracy wonderful?

Go to her blog for up to the minute coverage of this important event. She also has a link to the congresssional hearing on her site.

Nailah Fanklin is missing.

Source: Hat Tip D. Yobachi Boswell - Black Perspective.net

Misssing Black Woman Nailah Fanklin

In the words of the great Chi-lites song, have you seen her?

Chicago resident Nailah Fanklin is missing. As usual, the national media is missing as well. I have to give credit to CNN for running a substantive story last night, but that’s it. Nothing else on the news all day today, and nothing from the national media on the net — except Fox News, how you like them apples. Thanks white liberals! More HERE

Barack Obama Missing in Action

OK, why is Barack Obama Missing in Action regarding critical issues of the day? is he really serious about winning ? OK why do I ask this question? Because he is missing the boat.He missed the boat on Jena 6 and he is missing the Boat and Vote on Petraeus.


David Podvin of MakeThemAccountable.com writes:

The United States Senate has voted 72-25 to express “the sense of the Senate that General David H. Petraeus, commanding general, Multi-National Force-Iraq, deserves the full support of the Senate and strongly condemn personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all members of the United States Armed Forces.” The resolution was passed by a bipartisan coalition comprised of forty-nine Republicans who emulated Joseph McCarthy and twenty-three Invertebrates who channeled Barney Fife. Congratulations must be extended to Hillary Clinton for voting “no” and to Barack Obama for fleeing in terror. Whatever motivation led her to oppose the resolution Clinton showered herself with glory, and since Obama didn’t have the guts to stand tall he was wise to make himself scarce.

Then there are the rabble rousers who use congressional resolutions as garrotes with which they strangle dissent. Their latest orgy of pseudo patriotism represents conservative politics at its most demagogic: “The Senate strongly condemns personal attacks on the honor and integrity … of all members of the United States Armed Forces.” Point of clarification: Are we allowed to condemn the torturers at Abu Ghraib? How about the Marines who slaughtered citizens in Haditha? And what of the GI’s who have raped our own female soldiers? Is their honor and integrity also beyond critique? Or is this resolution somewhat rhetorically overblown, and the practical significance is that we are merely forbidden from criticizing generals who spew deceit while promoting the corporate agenda?

MoveOn.org was overly kind to General Petraeus. Not only has Petraeus betrayed the American people, history will record that he is a liar and a coward. The general cravenly deceived the public when he told Congress that The Surge is working…

Click here for more.

There is more from Media Matters

Did that voice inside you say I've heard it all before?

When then Colin Powell delivered the case for the invasion of Iraq before the UN Security Council, the media accepted his argument with unquestioning obedience. Even after it became clear that Powell's address was riddled with untruths, many journalists steadfastly refused to criticize Powell believing that his stellar credentials and polished military reputation transcended ordinary political criticism. The results were disastrous. Four years later Gen. Petraeus has assumed the role as the as the polished mouthpiece of the Iraq war, but the question remains; can the media overlook Petraeus' unvarnished reputation or will they make the same mistakes? Read More

Jena 6 and Black Bloggers - More Coverage

Here are a number of great post and discussions. They are from NPR, Independent Bloggers Alliance and Pams House Blend. the issue of Race and Jena 6 seems to be a hot topic of discussion for some bloggers. I think it's about time.

Bloggers a Force behind Jena Protests

by Eric Weiner

Ann Heisenfelt

The crowd marches through Jena, La. in support of six black teenagers initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate. A network of African-American bloggers helped raise awareness about the case before it emerged in the mainstream media. AP Photo

For months, the story of the so-called "Jena Six" unfolded largely out of sight of the mainstream media. But in the emerging "Afro-Sphere," as some call the loose network of black bloggers, the story of six black teenagers initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate passed from blog to blog, taking on a life of its own. Petitions were signed, money was raised and protests were organized — all online.

"I think a lot of people ignored the story but the African-American blogosphere has been on it from early on, and it has really caught steam recently," said Shawn Williams, who writes the popular Dallas South blog. more HERE

jena 6, big box bloggers 0

cross-posted at skippy and a veritable cornucopia of other community blogs.

via jon swift guesting at c&l, we find pam's house blend having a quite astute realization that none, that would be zero, zip, zilch, nada, goose egg, null set, absence of anything, of the big box blogs have had anything to say about the jena 6:

chris kromm of the institute for southern studies and its blog facing south, is appalled, rightfully so, at the sparse coverage of the historic march for justice in jena, lousiana.

it's not to say that it isn't being covered in the blogosphere at all -- black bloggers have largely been responsible for the high profile of this case, picking up the ball where the melanin-challenged blogs of influence have dropped it. you'd think that the events today, which are being covered by the msm, would mean that the story is now mainstream blogworthy, but you would be wrong. chris:

dailykos features a handful of posts about injustice in iraq today -- but not a single entry on its main page, or even its user-generated "diaries," about this important case.

talkingpointsmemo, a favorite of the dc wonk set, is similarly incensed about foreign policy, but apparently not about racial justice in the south -- nothing there either.

long-time progressive blogger atrios doesn't have a lot of posts up,but found time to touch on paul krugman, iraq and the state of the euro -- but not this major issue.

surely talkleft -- which has positioned itself as the leading progressive blog about criminal justice issues -- would have something? think again -- not a single mention, not even in the quick news briefs!

what about another progressive favorite, firedoglake? a rant about republicans being "little bitches," but nothing on the jena 6.

when the jena 6 does make an appearance on progressive blogs today, it's little more than a passing nod. huffington post has a blog post buried below the fold; thinkprogress gives it a two-sentence news brief.

[ed. note: the today pam refers to is last thursday, the day of the huge march and demonstration in jena]

however, many of these blogs are eagerly pointing to news stories which suggest the republican candidates don't care about black issues.

[btw, nothing's up at americablog either, to be fair. my guest blogging stint is by and large up.] what is the explanation? oh, i could think of several, but overt racism isn't one of them. i have a couple of theories.

her theories are not kind (not that they should be), but worthy of thought. we suggest you go read her rant en toto (and dorothy, too), and the comments left thereon. more HERE

Asking Questions about Black Disenfranchment - can get you arrested

Don't Tase Me Bro!

Maybe there is a reason why some whites are scared to ask questions of Democrats regarding the failure of government to address issues of concern of black folks. Take for an example the Florida student, Andrew Meyer, 21, who recently asked questions of John Kerry a former Anti-War activist regarding Black Voter Disenfranchising. Check out how John Kerry continues to talk as the student gets tassed for asking questions regarding black voter suppression and his membership in skull and bones. Major media like MSNBC covered the issue of how police officers pulled Meyer away from the microphone after he asked Kerry about impeaching President Bush and whether he and Bush were both members of the secret society Skull and Bones at Yale University - failing to comment about the black voter issue. Citizen reporters with cell phone and video cameras were able to get pictures of the incident from every angle.

MSNBC reports Meyer was arrested on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace, according to Alachua County jail records, but the State Attorney’s Office had yet to make the formal charging decision. Police recommended charges of resisting arrest with violence, a felony, and disturbing the peace and interfering with school administrative functions, a misdemeanor.

Kerry speaks out

MSNBC also reports Kerry said Tuesday he regretted that a healthy discussion was interrupted and that he never had a dialogue end that way in 37 years of public appearances. He also said he hoped neither the student nor police were injured.

“Whatever happened, the police had a reason, had made their decision that there was something they needed to do. Then it’s a law enforcement issue, not mine,” he told The Associated Press in Washington.

WTF, I gave a significant (maximum allowable) contribution to the Kerry Campaign. His failure to answer the questions of this college student, his failure to get elected, his poor campaigning style, and his failure to show integrity in this situation makes me want to say: "John Kerry, Give me my 2004 Presidential Campaign Contribution back."

Hell, maybe back in the day, when John Kerry went before Congress, as a Anti War Veteran, maybe he should have been tasered (although the technology was not available at that time) by Capitol Police.



Then, maybe, just maybe, he would think differently when a student like Myers get his Freedom of Speech Rights taken away, John Kerry would have the guts to speak up. And ask the officers to stop!



But why should John Kerry ask police to stop, and let the student continue with his questions? He would have to talk about the critical question asked by Myers, the issue black folks right to vote, to a group of white Florida students.




Chilling Impact

I guess this incident will have a chilling impact on liberal whites speaking out against the violation of the rights of blacks in this country. What do you think?

watch this videos HERE







HERE



HERE





and HERE







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