Page 37 - Florida Sentinel 6-12-20

National
Sean Reed’s Father Hopes His Son’s Death Isn’t Forgotten Amid Nationwide Protests
Sean Reed’s father has spoken to a news outlet about his son’s death at the hands of Indianapolis police last month, hoping that his case won’t be lost among the na- tionwide protests demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and oth- ers.
According to TMZ, Jamie Reed says he’s supportive of the protests over Floyd’s tragic passing, he just wants to make sure his son can also get the justice he deserves.
Jamie Reed says his son’s case was among those that helped kick-start the coun- try’s renewed focus on police
SEAN REED
brutality, and along with the numerous other cases, people have been inspired once again to demand accountabil- ity among police stations across America.
Bonnie Pointer, Founding Member Of R&B Group Pointer Sisters, Dies At 69
Bonnie Pointer and her sisters grew up in Oakland, Calif., where they sang gospel in their father’s church. She was the founding member of the group, convincing sister June to go pro after high school.
Bonnie and June began singing professionally to- gether in 1969, and eventu- ally they convinced their two older sisters Anita and Ruth to join them.
“The Pointer Sisters would never have happened had it not been for Bonnie,” Anita Pointer said in her statement.
The sisters sang backup for the likes of Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs and Elvin Bishop before releasing their self-ti- tled debut album in 1973 and
American R&B group, The Pointer Sisters, on Jan. 16,1974. They are June Pointer, Bonnie Pointer, Anita Pointer and Ruth Pointer. Bonnie Pointer (insert)
scoring with their breakout hit “Yes We Can Can.”
Bonnie often sang lead, but she left the group in 1977 and signed as a solo artist with Motown while her sis-
ters went on to mainstream success in the 1980s with such hits as “He’s So Shy,” “Slow Hand,” “Jump (For My Love)” and “I’m So Ex- cited."
Atlanta Cop Who Tasered Two College Students Was Previously Involved In 3 Fatal
Texas Southern University Giving Full Scholarship To George Floyd's Daughter
Texas Southern University (TSU), a historically black college in Houston, is giving a full scholarship to George Floyd's daughter, Gianna.
The university’s an- nouncement on Tuesday came the same day as George Floyd's funeral in Houston, his hometown. George Floyd died in Min- neapolis police custody on May 25, sparking massive unrest in dozens of U. S. cities.
Gianna Floyd shown with her mother and father George Floyd.
TSU said in a Facebook post giving Gianna the scholarship “honors the
memory of George Floyd on the day that he is laid to eternal rest."
Police-Involved Shootings
Willie T. Sauls, one of the six Atlanta Police officers disciplined and facing charges tasering two college students who were in their car in downtown ATL, is re- vealed to have a record of in- volvement with police-involved shootings.
The episode, which oc- curred on Saturday night (May 30), was caught on video and put Atlanta’s re- sponse to the protests sparked by George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police into the national spotlight. This, however, was not the first or even the second time Sauls — who is Black — was involved in a violent incident during his 27-year tenure as a police officer.
On three different occa- sions Sauls used lethal force against the public. The first on a shop customer who was shot and killed by he and other plainclothes police offi- cers in a bungled raid at an Atlanta motorcycle store. The second time he shot a men- tally ill man numerous times inside his girlfriend’s apart- ment; and the third, when he and other cops shot a wanted, but unarmed, fugitive lying
WILLIE T. SAULS
on a bed 40 times. The inci- dents all happened over a 21- year period.
Sauls has also been in- volved in previous incidents in which questions of exces- sive force have been raised, including one case that rocked the police department in 1995.
“My husband loves his job - really, really loves his job,” Sauls’ wife told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1996. “After all this has gone on, he still wants to be a po- lice officer. You have to have a love to continue at this point.”
BET Invites Donald Trump And Joe Biden To Appear In Juneteenth Special
BET wants Donald Trump and Joe Biden to participate in an upcoming forum set to air on June- teenth, the network an- nounced on Tuesday (June 2). The POTUS and presi- dential hopeful are invited to appear on an episode of, Justice Now: A BET News Special, where they will “di- rectly address the concerns of Black America” and share their plans to move the country forward.
Trump and Biden would be interviewed sepa- rately for the “Presidential
DONALD TRUMP AND JOE BIDEN
Forum.” They will be asked to “address a range of criti- cal issues, including the in- stitutional racism that has led to disparities” in hous- ing, health, income, law en- forcement, and the criminal justice system.
“We stand in steadfast solidarity with George Floyd’s family, the many victims of racist brutality, and those who are using their voices and platforms to challenge it,” said Presi- dent of BET, Scott Mills. “There are no easy solutions for these systemic issues of racism, injustice, and trauma. BET is leveraging every platform and resource at our disposal to support and inform our community and help identify strategies and viable solutions in this time of crisis.”
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