theroot--2020-06-16--The FBI Will Monitor the Investigations Into the Deaths of Two Black Men Found Hanged in California

The FBI and California Attorney General ’ s Office will be involved in the investigations of the deaths of 24-year-old Robert L. Fuller and 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch—two black men who were recently found hanging from trees in California .
On Monday , The Root reported that Fuller ’ s body was found hanged from a tree across from City Hall in Palmdale last Wednesday , and Harch was found in San Bernardino 10 days earlier on May 31 .
In both cases , medical examiners say they found no real signs of foul play .
Fuller ’ s death was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Medical Examiner-Coroner Dr. Jonathan Lucas said officials “ felt it prudent to roll that back and continue to look deeper , ” ABC News reports .
Harch ’ s autopsy was done on June 12 and , while no evidence of homicide was found , medical examiners are waiting for toxicology results before they can determine the official cause of death .
The FBI announced its involvement in the investigations Monday , saying in a statement : “ The FBI , U.S. Attorney ’ s office for the Central District of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Division are actively reviewing the investigations into the hanging deaths of two African American men in the cities of Palmdale and Victorville to determine whether there are violations of federal law.
” The announcement comes after family members of both men had been seeking further investigations into their deaths and better transparency from the investigators .
Both families also doubt , or outright reject , the idea that suicide was the cause of death .
“ We really want to find out the truth of what really happened , ” Diamond Alexander , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Saturday protest in Palmdale calling for further investigations into Fuller ’ s death .
“ Everything that they ’ ve been telling us has not been right .
My brother was not suicidal .
He wasn ’ t. ” According to the New York Times , Harsch ’ s sister , Harmonie Harsch , said in a Sunday interview that their family is “ really just trying to get more answers as to what happened.
” “ My brother was so loving , not only to his family but even strangers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
Jamon R. Hicks , the attorney representing Fuller ’ s family said in a statement Tuesday that the family and community members are “ enraged ” that “ the Sheriff ’ s Department immediately declared his death a suicide , ” according to ABC .
“ For African-Americans in America , hanging from a tree is a lynching .
Why was this cavalierly dismissed as a suicide and not investigated as a murder ?
” Hicks said .
“ We want complete transparency .
To that end , the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent autopsy.
” On Sunday , Hicks told BuzzFeed News that the area where Fuller was found “ is known for its skinheads and for having racial conflict , and I would suspect that police would look into that as a potential narrative.
” “ The manner by which the body was found , not too far from City Hall in an area where there had been protests about Black Lives Matter and George Floyd , you can ’ t ignore that .
That ’ s why you see such an outrage from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The FBI and California Attorney General’s Office will be involved in the investigations of the deaths of 24-year-old Robert L. Fuller and 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch—two black men who were recently found hanging from trees in California.
On Monday, The Root reported that Fuller’s body was found hanged from a tree across from City Hall in Palmdale last Wednesday, and Harch was found in San Bernardino 10 days earlier on May 31. In both cases, medical examiners say they found no real signs of foul play. Fuller’s death was initially ruled a suicide before Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner Dr. Jonathan Lucas said officials “felt it prudent to roll that back and continue to look deeper,” ABC News reports. Harch’s autopsy was done on June 12 and, while no evidence of homicide was found, medical examiners are waiting for toxicology results before they can determine the official cause of death.
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The FBI announced its involvement in the investigations Monday, saying in a statement: “The FBI, U.S. Attorney’s office for the Central District of California and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are actively reviewing the investigations into the hanging deaths of two African American men in the cities of Palmdale and Victorville to determine whether there are violations of federal law.”
The announcement comes after family members of both men had been seeking further investigations into their deaths and better transparency from the investigators. Both families also doubt, or outright reject, the idea that suicide was the cause of death.
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“We really want to find out the truth of what really happened,” Diamond Alexander, Fuller’s sister, said during a Saturday protest in Palmdale calling for further investigations into Fuller’s death. “Everything that they’ve been telling us has not been right. My brother was not suicidal. He wasn’t.”
According to the New York Times, Harsch’s sister, Harmonie Harsch, said in a Sunday interview that their family is “really just trying to get more answers as to what happened.”
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“My brother was so loving, not only to his family but even strangers. It is not like him,” she said.
Jamon R. Hicks, the attorney representing Fuller’s family said in a statement Tuesday that the family and community members are “enraged” that “the Sheriff’s Department immediately declared his death a suicide,” according to ABC.
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“For African-Americans in America, hanging from a tree is a lynching. Why was this cavalierly dismissed as a suicide and not investigated as a murder?” Hicks said. “We want complete transparency. To that end, the family should choose the pathologist to conduct the independent autopsy.”
On Sunday, Hicks told BuzzFeed News that the area where Fuller was found “is known for its skinheads and for having racial conflict, and I would suspect that police would look into that as a potential narrative.”
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“The manner by which the body was found, not too far from City Hall in an area where there had been protests about Black Lives Matter and George Floyd, you can’t ignore that. That’s why you see such an outrage from the Black community,” he said.


theroot--2020-06-16--‘It’s Time We Elevate This’: Gov. Northam Declares Juneteenth a Paid Holiday in the State of Virgini

‘It’s Time We Elevate This’: Gov. Northam Declares Juneteenth a Paid Holiday in the State of Virginia

Well , good people , it ’ s finally happening : Virginia , the state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy , is set to make Juneteenth a paid holiday .
Gov .
Ralph Northam announced his proposal to make the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. an official state holiday Tuesday .
“ Every year we celebrate July 4th , Independence Day , ” Northam said during a press conference .
“ But that freedom we celebrate did not include everyone.
” Though Abraham Lincoln ’ s Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slaves across the South didn ’ t know they were free until much later .
In remote Galveston , Texas , slaves didn ’ t learn about their freedom until June 19 , 1865 , when Union troops arrived , more than two months after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered in Appomattox , Virginia , in April of 1865 .
“ It finally shut the door on enslavement of African American people .
And while it did not end racism , black oppression or violence , it is an important symbol , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes Virginia is only the second state in the nation to celebrate Juneteenth , after Texas .
He says Virginia has recognized Juneteenth before , but not as an official holiday .
“ It ’ s time we elevate this [ Juneteenth ] , not just a celebration by and for some Virginians , but one acknowledged and celebrated by all of us because that ’ s how important this event is , ” Northam said .
Hip-h op icon Pharrell Williams—who is a Virginia Beach native—stood by Northam as he made his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talk about just how epic this is .
“ This year , Juneteenth will look like no Juneteenth before , ” Williams said .
“ People of all ages and races , our advocates and allies as well , will stand together in solidarity for b lack people like never before … It ’ s already happening in the streets .
And we love you for that .
I ’ m grateful for those that are standing with us .
By the way , those are Americans in the streets , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those are Americans , of all types.
” It ’ s a great look for Virginia—especially coming less than two weeks after it was announced that monuments celebrating Robert E. Lee and four other leaders of the Confederacy will be removed from Richmond ’ s Monument Avenue—but it ’ s also an inspiring thing for black people all over the nation to see .
Hopefully , this will start a trend that other states will follow and , one day , Juneteenth will be a nationally recognized paid holiday .
The next Juneteenth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 .

Well, good people, it’s finally happening: Virginia, the state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy, is set to make Juneteenth a paid holiday. Gov. Ralph Northam announced his proposal to make the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. an official state holiday Tuesday.
“Every year we celebrate July 4th, Independence Day,” Northam said during a press conference. “But that freedom we celebrate did not include everyone.”
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From WAVY.com:
Though Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery on paper in 1863, thousands of slaves across the South didn’t know they were free until much later. In remote Galveston, Texas, slaves didn’t learn about their freedom until June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived, more than two months after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered in Appomattox, Virginia, in April of 1865. “It finally shut the door on enslavement of African American people. And while it did not end racism, black oppression or violence, it is an important symbol,” Northam said. Northam says he believes Virginia is only the second state in the nation to celebrate Juneteenth, after Texas. He says Virginia has recognized Juneteenth before, but not as an official holiday.
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“It’s time we elevate this [Juneteenth], not just a celebration by and for some Virginians, but one acknowledged and celebrated by all of us because that’s how important this event is,” Northam said.
Hip-hop icon Pharrell Williams—who is a Virginia Beach native—stood by Northam as he made his announcement and took the stage after him to talk about just how epic this is.
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“This year, Juneteenth will look like no Juneteenth before,” Williams said. “People of all ages and races, our advocates and allies as well, will stand together in solidarity for black people like never before … It’s already happening in the streets. And we love you for that. I’m grateful for those that are standing with us. By the way, those are Americans in the streets, not just people who look like me, those are Americans, of all types.”
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It’s a great look for Virginia—especially coming less than two weeks after it was announced that monuments celebrating Robert E. Lee and four other leaders of the Confederacy will be removed from Richmond’s Monument Avenue—but it’s also an inspiring thing for black people all over the nation to see. Hopefully, this will start a trend that other states will follow and, one day, Juneteenth will be a nationally recognized paid holiday.
The next Juneteenth is coming up this Friday, June 19.


theroot--2020-06-16--Once Teammates, Now Kyrie Irving and LeBron James Represent Opposing Factions Fighting for the NBA's

Once Teammates, Now Kyrie Irving and LeBron James Represent Opposing Factions Fighting for the NBA's Future

After the final buzzer sounded in the 2016 NBA Finals , LeBron James had finally delivered on his promise to bring the Cleveland Cavaliers its first NBA title against the defending champs , the Golden State Warriors .
Consumed with emotions , the magnitude of the moment was difficult to express , but he tried his best .
“ I gave everything that I had , ” James told ESPN reporter Dorris Burke , fighting back tears .
“ I put my heart and my blood and my sweat and my tears to this game .
Against all odds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to take the hardest road .
I don ’ t know why the man above gives me the hardest road , but [ … ] the man above don ’ t put you in situations that you can ’ t handle.
” Four years removed from that moment , those words hit a bit differently .
As the NBA prepares to salvage what ’ s left of its season after the death of Kobe Bryant and an unprecedented global pandemic , there are those who believe the timing couldn ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pivotal time in our country ’ s history , as the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has shifted the status quo .
Rampant protests and unrest have engulfed the country , leading to long-overdue advancements in police reform , Black Lives Matter murals sprouting up all over the country , billion-dollar corporations imploding due to racist ideologies and public figures using their platforms to demand change and address systemic inequality—with mixed results .
To that end , some of the biggest names in sports have followed suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver in NASCAR ’ s Cup Series , played a pivotal role in the sport ’ s decision to ban the Confederate flag , while NFL stars Patrick Mahomes , Ezekiel Elliot and others forced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to condemn racism and admit that the league was wrong for punishing players who peacefully protested during the national anthem .
In a similar vein , LeBron has every intention of continuing to advocate for change while contending for his fourth NBA championship when the NBA resumes play in July .
But former teammate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tearfully hugged after winning an NBA title in 2016—is leading a growing number of players who feel otherwise .
“ I don ’ t support [ resuming the NBA season in ] Orlando , ” Irving reportedly said during a conference call on Friday .
“ I ’ m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit .
[ … ] Something smells a little fishy .
Whether we want to admit it or not , we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.
” Yes , the coronavirus factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dwight Howard , who shares Kyrie ’ s apprehension , explained their reasoning in a statement to CNN : “ I agree with Kyrie ( Irving ) .
Basketball , or entertainment period , isn ’ t needed at this moment , and will only be a distraction .
Sure it might not distract us the players , but we have resources at hand majority of our community don ’ t have .
And the smallest distraction for them , can start a trickle down effect that may never stop .
Especially with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would love nothing more than to win my very first NBA Championship .
But the unity of My People would be an even bigger Championship , that ’ s just to ( sic ) beautiful to pass up .
What better time than now for us to be focusing on our families .
This is a rare opportunity that , I believe , we as a community should be taking full advantage of .
When have we ever had this amount of time to sit and be with our families .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home !
With Family !
!
European Colonization stripped us of our rich history , and we have yet to sit down and figure us out .
The less distractions , the more we can put into action into rediscovering ourselves .
Nations come out of families .
Black/African American is not a Nation or Nationality .
It ’ s time Our Families became their own Nations .
No Basketball till we get things resolved.
” This sentiment isn ’ t isolated either , as ESPN reports that this “ growing faction ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the league will invest resources into social justice reform and ensure the safety of any players to choose to play when the season resumes .
There ’ s also former NBA player Stephen Jackson , who took to Instagram to declare that resuming the NBA season would impede the progress being made by the Black Lives Matter movement .
As we reported here at The Root , Jackson was a life-long friend of George Floyd .
“ I love the NBA , man .
But now ain ’ t the time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now ain ’ t the time , ” he said in a video .
“ Playing basketball is going to do one thing : take all the attention off the task at hand right now and what we fighting for .
Nobody ’ s going to be talking about getting justice for all these senseless murders by the police .
Nobody ’ s going to be focusing on the task at hand , bro.
” On the flip side , count Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers as someone who believes there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBA players from continuing to contribute to the progress being made .
“ Us coming back would be putting money in all our ( NBA players ) pockets , ” Rivers wrote on Instagram .
“ With this money you could help out even more people and continue to give more importantly your time and energy to the [ Black Lives Matter ] movement .
Which I ’ m 100 percent on board with .
Because change needs to happen and injustice has been going on too long.
” There ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point succinctly : I guess we ’ ll see how this will all play out , but the NBA has the real potential to look even more unrecognizable when it returns in July .

After the final buzzer sounded in the 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron James had finally delivered on his promise to bring the Cleveland Cavaliers its first NBA title against the defending champs, the Golden State Warriors. Consumed with emotions, the magnitude of the moment was difficult to express, but he tried his best.
“I gave everything that I had,” James told ESPN reporter Dorris Burke, fighting back tears. “I put my heart and my blood and my sweat and my tears to this game. Against all odds. I don’t know why we want to take the hardest road. I don’t know why the man above gives me the hardest road, but […] the man above don’t put you in situations that you can’t handle.”
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Four years removed from that moment, those words hit a bit differently. As the NBA prepares to salvage what’s left of its season after the death of Kobe Bryant and an unprecedented global pandemic, there are those who believe the timing couldn’t be any worse.
It’s a pivotal time in our country’s history, as the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has shifted the status quo. Rampant protests and unrest have engulfed the country, leading to long-overdue advancements in police reform, Black Lives Matter murals sprouting up all over the country, billion-dollar corporations imploding due to racist ideologies and public figures using their platforms to demand change and address systemic inequality—with mixed results.
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To that end, some of the biggest names in sports have followed suit. Bubba Wallace, the only black driver in NASCAR’s Cup Series, played a pivotal role in the sport’s decision to ban the Confederate flag, while NFL stars Patrick Mahomes, Ezekiel Elliot and others forced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to condemn racism and admit that the league was wrong for punishing players who peacefully protested during the national anthem.
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In a similar vein, LeBron has every intention of continuing to advocate for change while contending for his fourth NBA championship when the NBA resumes play in July. But former teammate Kyrie Irving—the same Kyrie Irving that LeBron tearfully hugged after winning an NBA title in 2016—is leading a growing number of players who feel otherwise.
“I don’t support [resuming the NBA season in] Orlando,” Irving reportedly said during a conference call on Friday. “I’m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. […] Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.”
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Yes, the coronavirus factors into that decision, but Lakers center Dwight Howard, who shares Kyrie’s apprehension, explained their reasoning in a statement to CNN:
“I agree with Kyrie (Irving). Basketball, or entertainment period, isn’t needed at this moment, and will only be a distraction. Sure it might not distract us the players, but we have resources at hand majority of our community don’t have. And the smallest distraction for them, can start a trickle down effect that may never stop. Especially with the way the climate is now. I would love nothing more than to win my very first NBA Championship. But the unity of My People would be an even bigger Championship, that’s just to (sic) beautiful to pass up. What better time than now for us to be focusing on our families. This is a rare opportunity that, I believe, we as a community should be taking full advantage of. When have we ever had this amount of time to sit and be with our families. This is where our Unity starts. At home! With Family!! European Colonization stripped us of our rich history, and we have yet to sit down and figure us out. The less distractions, the more we can put into action into rediscovering ourselves. Nations come out of families. Black/African American is not a Nation or Nationality. It’s time Our Families became their own Nations. No Basketball till we get things resolved.”
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This sentiment isn’t isolated either, as ESPN reports that this “growing faction” of NBA players is demanding answers about how the league will invest resources into social justice reform and ensure the safety of any players to choose to play when the season resumes.
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There’s also former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who took to Instagram to declare that resuming the NBA season would impede the progress being made by the Black Lives Matter movement. As we reported here at The Root, Jackson was a life-long friend of George Floyd.
“I love the NBA, man. But now ain’t the time to be playing basketball, y’all. Now ain’t the time,” he said in a video. “Playing basketball is going to do one thing: take all the attention off the task at hand right now and what we fighting for. Nobody’s going to be talking about getting justice for all these senseless murders by the police. Nobody’s going to be focusing on the task at hand, bro.”
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On the flip side, count Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers as someone who believes there’s no reason that playing should preclude NBA players from continuing to contribute to the progress being made.
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“Us coming back would be putting money in all our (NBA players) pockets,” Rivers wrote on Instagram. “With this money you could help out even more people and continue to give more importantly your time and energy to the [Black Lives Matter] movement. Which I’m 100 percent on board with. Because change needs to happen and injustice has been going on too long.”
There’s also Clippers guard Patrick Beverly, who made this point succinctly:
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I guess we’ll see how this will all play out, but the NBA has the real potential to look even more unrecognizable when it returns in July.