Family of Black EMT Worker Who was Killed at Home by Louisville Cops Hires Ahmaud Arbery Attorney

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is the latest addition to the legal team representing the family of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black EMT worker who was shot eight times by Louisville Metro Police officers in her own apartment, according to USA Today.

The Taylor family hired Crump, a Tallahassee, Florida-based attorney who is known for his involvement in high-profile cases of black Americans who were killed in controversial shootings, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice. Crump has also taken on the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old black man who was shot and killed by two white men in Georgia in late February.

Taylor was shot by Louisville Metro Police officers who had entered her apartment around 1 AM on March 13. Police claim the officers were there to serve a search warrant as part of a narcotics investigation, but there were no drugs found at the EMT’s home.

“We stand with the family of this young woman in demanding answers from the Louisville Police Department,” Crump said. “Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, the department has not provided any answers regarding the facts and circumstances of how this tragedy occurred, nor have they taken responsibility for her senseless killing.”

Crump joins local attorneys Sam Aguiar and Lonita Baker in representing the family. Crump, who called Taylor’s death “inexcusable” said no one from Louisville police has been held accountable for her death.

#BreonnaTaylor should be alive right now. Yet here we are, the loss of another innocent, young Black woman. Another beautiful life lost! Louisville Police, your officers need to be held accountable. #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #JusticeForBre #SayHerName pic.twitter.com/IX7iyeRXbK

— Benjamin Crump, Esq. (@AttorneyCrump) May 13, 2020

Taylor’s family filed a lawsuit alleging that police fired more than 20 rounds into her home, striking objects in the living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, both bedrooms, and into an adjacent residence where a 5-year-old child and pregnant mother were present.

The lawsuit alleges wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence on the part of the police officers. They are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as legal fees through a jury trial.

“Breonna had committed no crime, posed no immediate threat to the safety of the defendants, and did not actively resist or attempt to evade arrest prior to being repeatedly shot and killed by the defendants,” the suit says.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3dDAbzY

Meet The 25-Year Old South African Lawyer Who Runs Her Own Law Firm

Becoming a lawyer is no easy feat and thousands of dedicated students around the world work tirelessly to gain entrance into a promising law program. For one South African woman, not only did she obtain her law school degree, she proceeded to use her education to open her own law firm all before the age of 30.

At the age of 25, Sne Mthembu became the founder and director of her own law firm, Passcara and Partners Inc., based out of Durban, South Africa. Her focus is on handling cases dealing with family and personal injury law among others.

“I took it as a challenge upon myself to do it. I then decided that no matter what people say I’m going to do this,” she told Power FM. “It was difficult from the point where I started my degree to where I am now. I don’t regret anything.”

Mthembu says she’s confident with her new venture despite the challenges that lie ahead of her. “What is hard in our field is marketing yourself. There is a thin line between marketing and touting. Touting is like when you are asking or begging for clients,” she said. “It makes it hard to market because you don’t want to cross that thin line that the [legal] council has put for us.”

She recently celebrated the huge achievement on her Twitter where she introduced herself as the founder and director. She wrote, “I am to Inspire. If I did it then so can you!!!”

Allow me to Introduce myself. My name is Sinenhlanhla Passcara Mthembu and I am the Founder and Director of Passcara and Partners Incorporated. I am a 25 year old and the owner of this Law Firm.
I am to Inspire. If I did it then so can you!!! #GirlsTalkZA pic.twitter.com/fIypgaqTKe

— Sne Mthembu (@Sne_Mthembu_) February 3, 2020

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2yNUnR8

Family of Black EMT Worker Who was Killed at Home by Louisville Cops Hires Ahmaud Arbery Attorney

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is the latest addition to the legal team representing the family of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black EMT worker who was shot eight times by Louisville Metro Police officers in her own apartment, according to USA Today.

The Taylor family hired Crump, a Tallahassee, Florida-based attorney who is known for his involvement in high-profile cases of black Americans who were killed in controversial shootings, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice. Crump has also taken on the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old black man who was shot and killed by two white men in Georgia in late February.

Taylor was shot by Louisville Metro Police officers who had entered her apartment around 1 AM on March 13. Police claim the officers were there to serve a search warrant as part of a narcotics investigation, but there were no drugs found at the EMT’s home.

“We stand with the family of this young woman in demanding answers from the Louisville Police Department,” Crump said. “Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, the department has not provided any answers regarding the facts and circumstances of how this tragedy occurred, nor have they taken responsibility for her senseless killing.”

Crump joins local attorneys Sam Aguiar and Lonita Baker in representing the family. Crump, who called Taylor’s death “inexcusable” said no one from Louisville police has been held accountable for her death.

#BreonnaTaylor should be alive right now. Yet here we are, the loss of another innocent, young Black woman. Another beautiful life lost! Louisville Police, your officers need to be held accountable. #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #JusticeForBre #SayHerName pic.twitter.com/IX7iyeRXbK

— Benjamin Crump, Esq. (@AttorneyCrump) May 13, 2020

Taylor’s family filed a lawsuit alleging that police fired more than 20 rounds into her home, striking objects in the living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, both bedrooms, and into an adjacent residence where a 5-year-old child and pregnant mother were present.

The lawsuit alleges wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence on the part of the police officers. They are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as legal fees through a jury trial.

“Breonna had committed no crime, posed no immediate threat to the safety of the defendants, and did not actively resist or attempt to evade arrest prior to being repeatedly shot and killed by the defendants,” the suit says.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3dDAbzY

Meet The 25-Year Old South African Lawyer Who Runs Her Own Law Firm

Becoming a lawyer is no easy feat and thousands of dedicated students around the world work tirelessly to gain entrance into a promising law program. For one South African woman, not only did she obtain her law school degree, she proceeded to use her education to open her own law firm all before the age of 30.

At the age of 25, Sne Mthembu became the founder and director of her own law firm, Passcara and Partners Inc., based out of Durban, South Africa. Her focus is on handling cases dealing with family and personal injury law among others.

“I took it as a challenge upon myself to do it. I then decided that no matter what people say I’m going to do this,” she told Power FM. “It was difficult from the point where I started my degree to where I am now. I don’t regret anything.”

Mthembu says she’s confident with her new venture despite the challenges that lie ahead of her. “What is hard in our field is marketing yourself. There is a thin line between marketing and touting. Touting is like when you are asking or begging for clients,” she said. “It makes it hard to market because you don’t want to cross that thin line that the [legal] council has put for us.”

She recently celebrated the huge achievement on her Twitter where she introduced herself as the founder and director. She wrote, “I am to Inspire. If I did it then so can you!!!”

Allow me to Introduce myself. My name is Sinenhlanhla Passcara Mthembu and I am the Founder and Director of Passcara and Partners Incorporated. I am a 25 year old and the owner of this Law Firm.
I am to Inspire. If I did it then so can you!!! #GirlsTalkZA pic.twitter.com/fIypgaqTKe

— Sne Mthembu (@Sne_Mthembu_) February 3, 2020

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2yNUnR8

Prince concert to stream on YouTube for COVID-19 charity

It’s something the man himself would likely have approved of as the Prince estate announced today that Prince’s 1985 concert from the Syracuse stop on his iconic “Purple Rain” tour will be part of a COVID-19 charity effort, reports Variety.

READ MORE: Prince gets dedicated YouTube channel 

The three-day streaming event Prince and the Revolution: Live will be posted to Prince’s official YouTube page from Friday, May 14 through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 17.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The concert video will benefit the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization which is supported by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation.

According to the Variety report, for every dollar donated, Google will match it with $2 up to $5M.

A Thursday night watch party is planned with Revolution drummer Bobby Z on hand for a pre-watch chat moderated by public radio host Andrea Swensson, who does most of the Prince coverage for Minnesota public radio’s The Current.

The concert was one of the last stops on the “Purple Rain” tour and took place on March 30th, 1985. The concert was included as a DVD on the “1999 Super Deluxe” album release. You can see the concert setlist HERE.

During his lifetime, Prince contributed to a number of charitable causes, many of them that were specific to African-Americans from Black Lives Matter to Harlem Children’s Zone. He also donated to #YesWeCode an initiative that teaches coding to underprivileged young people of color.

Prince performs at the Conga Room L.A. Live on March 29, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

In 2015, during the Baltimore uprising after the death of Freddy Gray, Jr. Prince performed a ‘Rally 4 Peace” benefit concert at the city’s Royal Farms Arena with a portion of the proceeds earmarked for youth charities. He also recorded the song “Baltimore” which is on his “Hit and Run Phase 2” release, which would be his last.

According to the Baltimore Sun, at the show, Prince told the crowd: “The system is broken. It’s going to take the young people to fix it this time. We need new ideas, new life. … The next time I come to Baltimore I want to stay in a hotel owned by you.”

READ MORE: H.E.R., Misty Copeland, Gary Clark, Jr. highlight the Prince Grammy special, ‘Let’s Go Crazy’

Prince died at his Paisley Park complex on April 21, 2016, of an accidental overdose of the opioid Fentanyl. He was 57.

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