JUSTICE FOR JAVION MAGEE NOW

Racism is Still Very Much Alive in America

“Between 1882 and 1968, more than 3, 400 African Americans were lynched in the United States, according to statistics from the Tuskegee Institute Archives. Most of those lynchings – 539 took place in Mississippi, followed by Georgia with 472. In North Carolina, there were at least 86 lynchings of African Americans during that period.”
~an excerpt from the Strange Death of Lennon Lacy: Another Lynching
Mistaken for Suicide?

On or around September 11, 2024 in Henderson, North Carolina (Vance County), the body of a Black man named Javion Magee was found tied to a tree with a rope around his neck. Javion was a 21-year-old over-the-road truck driver from Chicago, Illinois. For some “strange” reason, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office prematurely announced that Javion’s death was a suicide. Javion’s father and mother rejected the explanation given to them by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and sought help from an outside source.

Help came from two accomplished Black attorneys: Mr. Lee Merritt from Texas and Mr. Harry Daniels from Georgia. On September 18, 2024, Lee Merritt and Harry Daniels along with the family of Javion Magee held a press conference. The intent of the press conference was to provide the public and members of the media with accurate information regarding the current investigation into Javion’s death.

Press Conference – September 18, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLewilseSec

I learned that Javion had delivered a loaded trailer to the Walmart Supercenter in Henderson, North Carolina on or around September 11, 2024. I also learned that Javion attempted to obtain a hotel room at the local Hampton Inn but there were no vacancies. Javion allegedly went to the local Walmart to purchase some rope (NOTE: I worked as an over-the-road truck driver for 10 years. Truck drivers by rope for various reasons. Sometimes it’s to secure an unstable load and sometimes to secure trailer doors for safety reasons.) The point was made during the press conference that just because Javion purchased a rope, didn’t mean that he used it to hang himself.

When a sheriff’s department in North Carolina or any jurisdiction for that matter, jumps to conclusions about a young man’s death without conducting a thorough fact-finding investigation, that in and of itself does a dis-service to the community, it devalues the life of a young man, and it perverts the course of justice.

This leads me to reflect on the words of Oscar Grant’s mother, Wanda Johnson, when she said, “What is the value of an African American young man’s life?” As a journalist, I lean heavily toward investigative journalism. I decided to conduct my own research into lynchings. I discovered a case 10 years prior in North Carolina. A young Black man by the name of Lennon Lacy, 17, was found hanging from a swing set at the Bladenboro mobile home park. Like the Javion case, law enforcement immediately ruled that Lennon’s death was a suicide. The NAACP of North Carolina is very familiar with what they call “quick call suicide.” This term describes “suspicious hanging deaths of Black men, most of them in the South, that were immediately classified as suicides without extensive investigations despite the evidence that foul play may have been involved.” Ibid. Sue Sturgis.

I urge all attorneys, activists, and citizens of conscience to read and study the article written by Sue Sturgis, The strange death of Lennon Lacy: Another lynching mistaken for suicide?
https://www.facingsouth.org/2014/12/the-strange-death-of-lennon-lacy-another-lynching-.html

At the time of Lennon’s death, outspoken community activists and preacher, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, the president of the North Carolina NAACP. Rev. Barber said this, “The images of a Black boy or Black man hanging from a rope are etched in the souls of all of us who know the history of this country. For those interested in digging deeper into this unnatural phenomenon of modern-day lynchings in America, I suggest you watch a film produced by Keith Beauchamp entitled, The Injustice Files: At the end of a Rope. The show ‘examines four suspicious hanging deaths of Black men that were all were ruled suicide but that many believe were in fact murders.’”

It is noteworthy that I mention Lennon Lacy was dating a White woman at the time of his death. She believed that Lennon was murdered because of their relationship. It is extremely hurtful and quite sobering to recognize that the “ghosts” of the past which used to terrorize and torment our ancestors are still very much alive today.

Finally, we found this 2021 article updating the findings by the FBI on the death of Lennon Lacy, seven years after his death: https://www.wect.com/2021/01/20/lennon-lacy-fbi-file-how-authorities-determined-suicide-not-lynching/

The FBI determined that Lennon Lacy died by suicide. It appears he was suffering from depression and thoughts of suicide. Lennon confided in one of his closest friends that he wanted to die. His depression appears to come from a culmination of events: the death of his great uncle who Lennon considered him a father figure and relationship issues, including his girlfriend breaking up with him a week before his suicide.

Turning to the music world. Just think about how a beautiful and gifted sister in struggle, Beyoncé, felt when she was snubbed by the Country Music Awards this year. Few have had the courage to call out the institutionalized racism which still exists within the music industry. My partner and colleague, Gale Washington, is a country music lover. She pointed out to me that Dolly Parton spoke out about Beyoncé being snubbed (Today article). Dolly Parton has never shied away from controversy. The civil rights’ group, Color of Change also called out the CMAs (Hollywood Reporter article), and Beyoncé’s fans have their own beliefs why she was snubbed by the CMAs (Billboard article).
https://www.today.com/popculture/awards/beyonce-snub-cowboy-carter-country-music-awards-nominations-rcna170215
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/color-of-change-cma-awards-beyonce-snub-1235996656/
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/beyonce-cmas-cowboy-carter-1235636304/

It is also imperative that Destination Freedom calls out the racist lies of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. They have spread a vicious rumor that Haitian immigrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Most recently, neo-Nazis have marched in the streets of Springfield and MAGA reps are saying “Thug Haitian immigrants need to get their ass out.” We are fielding reports that White Supremacists are mixing their message with Christian Nationalists. Once again, we stand by our motto, “The best antiseptic for injustice is sunlight.” Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are not propagating these types of hateful lies. On November 5, 2024, we must make our choice.

This false statement by JD Vance (https://www.npr.org/2024/09/15/nx-s1-5113140/vance-false-claims-haitian-migrants-pets) that a woman who ate her cat in Springfield is not true. There was an allegation of a woman who killed and ate her cat, but that was in Canton, Ohio…172 miles from Springfield. Here’s the article about the Canton, Ohio woman: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/canton/ohio-woman-eat-cat-canton-police-bodycam-footage-arrest-springfield/95-204df879-5de1-4a07-9aab-10d19aca3ba4

There’s also the vile words of Representative Clay Higgins regarding Haitians which you can read in this article:
Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins walks back racist comments about Haitians after backlash
https://www.npr.org/2024/09/26/nx-s1-5129844/clay-higgins-racist-comments-haitians-backlash

Haitian group in Springfield, Ohio, files citizen criminal charges against Trump and Vance
https://apnews.com/article/haitian-immigrants-springfield-charges-trump-vance-012af00a8677da5caed55d03e8779774

‘It just exploded’: Springfield woman claims she never meant to spark false rumors about Haitians
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/-just-exploded-springfield-woman-says-never-meant-spark-rumors-haitian-rcna171099

Continuing down this vein, I mention Miami Dolphins’ star player, Tyreek Hill. Tyreek got snatched out of his vehicle and thrown to the ground from what should have been a “routine traffic stop.”

Are we supposed to pretend that everything is fine and that Tyreek had that coming? It’s not okay, he didn’t have that coming, and he shouldn’t have been handled in the way that he was handled.

Sonya Massey was the victim of a modern-day execution at the hands of a rogue law enforcement officer in Illinois. Black journalists…in fact, all journalists will not let that go. If you think they will, you’re wrong.

We don’t know if Javion Magee’s death was a hate crime. But I can promise you this, if civil rights attorney Lee Merritt stays involved in this case, we will discover all of the facts. There won’t be a cover up. Here, in San Francisco there have been many racist attacks against Mayor London Breed. If these acts of bigotry and racial hatred can happen in San Francisco, they can happen anywhere. These disturbing patterns and trends must not be ignored. I am a strong supporter of multi-racial unity. Collectively as a people, we can confront this hatred and defeat it with solidarity and love. We will prevail.

I end this piece with a quote from Michele Naar Obed, a non-violent peace activist and author of Maternal Convictions: A Mother Beats a Missile Into a Plowshare, “People live in a growing state of fear of neighbor, both domestic and abroad. Fear and isolation seem to work in a sick symbiosis. The more one fears, the more one isolates, and the more one isolates, the more one fears. This twisted psychological development makes it very easy for the government (or politicians) to demonize and dehumanize people. Every young Black male becomes suspect, foreigners become likely terrorists, poor people become lazy welfare trash, and on and on.” (emphasis added)

Without the spotlight of media attention and national public outcry, I don’t believe there will be a proper investigation into the death of Javion Magee. Please share this piece far and wide.

The media has a duty to report the truth; the public in sharing information should embrace the role of a factfinder and not a gossiper.

As you’ve seen and heard in the news and on social media, there are many hurtful lies being spread across this country. Lisa Miller, retired Chief of Investigations for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office made this statement, “You need to remember motives. Some people want to be first. Some people want to be out here just to get more clicks,” she said, adding that a lot of people will share without fact-checking. “If you’re not sure it’s true, don’t share it.” From: 30-year law enforcement veteran weighs in on Javion Magee case; https://abc11.com/post/vance-county-death-investigation-30-year-law-enforcement-veteran-weighs-javion-magee-case/15323010/

All of us need to follow this rule of journalism and common courtesy.

One last note, this month is National Suicide Prevention Month.
Mental health is a taboo issue in the Black community; Black men do not like to discuss suicidal ideation or chronic depression. It’s an issue we must not ignore and to ALWAYS look out for our loved ones and anyone else who you may believe may be affected by this horrible illness.

Are you in a crisis? Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741
¿Estás en una crisis?Llama o envía un mensaje de texto al 988 o envía un mensaje de texto con AYUDA al 741741

This song and video bolsters our message
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DGY9HvChXk

Billie Holiday – “Strange Fruit” Live 1959 [Reelin’ In The Years Archives]

Here’s a little bit of history about Billie Holiday’s song and the poem it was based on:

“In the late 1930s, Pellison says, Meeropol ‘was very disturbed at the continuation of racism in America, and seeing a photograph of a lynching sort of put him over the edge.’
Meeropol once said the photograph ‘haunted’ him ‘for days.’ So he wrote a poem about it, which was then printed in a teachers union publication. An amateur composer, Meeropol also set his words to music. He played it for a New York club owner — who ultimately gave it to Billie Holiday.”
NPR article: https://www.npr.org/2012/09/05/158933012/the-strange-story-of-the-man-behind-strange-fruit

Poem, Strange Fruit
Southern trees bear strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.

Pastoral scene of the gallant south,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.

Here is fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.