Tag: Racial Justice

In 2013, Monique Rodriguez was eight months pregnant when she knew something was wrong. The labor and delivery nurse understood the warning signs well. When she suffered a uterine rupture, she repeatedly tried to tell the doctors caring for her that something did not feel right. Still, Rodriguez says, she wasn't heard in time. Her son, Milan, died. More than a decade later, Rodriguez, who went on to found the successful hair care company Mielle Organics, is turning one of the most painful experiences of her life into a $2 million commitment to BirthFUND, the maternal-health organization founded by journalist and author Elaine Welteroth that supports midwifery.

Seventy-one years ago, 14-year-old Emmett Till was kidnapped, brutally tortured, shot and thrown into the Tallahatchie River by two white men who walked free. As the 71st Emmett Till Anniversary Commemoration Weekend kicks off in Mississippi, his legacy continues to confront the undeniable reality that systemic injustice is still alive and well today. Generations have passed since 1955, but the horror hasn't stopped. It has only evolved. Black families are still burying sons found hanging from trees, while police labeled their deaths suicides.

The Legal Defense Fund is asking Congress to investigate a troubling pattern of deaths of Black people whose families and communities say deserve more scrutiny. In an August 24 letter to congressional leaders, the LDF called for creation of a congressional commission to investigate suspicious deaths across the country, improve federal data collection and make findings available to the public. The request comes as several recent cases have raised questions about whether local authorities are adequately investigating deaths quickly classified as suicides, accidents or undetermined causes.

The NAACP is stepping into the fight for answers surrounding Nolan Wells' death, joining his family's legal team as questions remain about what happened to the young Black man. The organization will bring additional investigative resources to the case, press authorities for transparency and support efforts to ensure Wells' family receives answers they've been seeking.

When the names of Black victims fade from the headlines, the questions of accountability often linger. Some suspects are acquitted or never charged; others are convicted. And sometimes, families win millions of dollars in civil court. No settlement can undo a death or make a family whole. But these legal victories can still matter, especially when they force cities to acknowledge the harm caused.

As questions continue to swirl around the mysterious death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, another story has taken on a life of its own online. Across social media, users have been claiming that Wells was a descendant of legendary journalist and anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells. The theory spread quickly, with many suggesting the connection made the case even more symbolic, given Mississippi's long history of racial violence. There's just one problem: No evidence suggests the two are actually related.