By Edmond Davis Let me be clear from the start: what follows is not an attempt to defend Charlie Kirk, nor to sanitize the asinine theatrics that have surrounded his campus appearances. This is a critique of a false narrative—one orchestrated not only by Kirk’s team but also by traditional media outlets, AI-altered news feeds, […]
Tag: Charlie Kirk
Posted inBlack History
Lynching by suicide: The rebranded face of America’s racial violence
The death of 21-year-old Delta State University student Demartravion “Trey” Reed, ruled a suicide, is being challenged by his family and activists who cite evidence of foul play and a long history of racial violence in the South. Advocates say Reed’s case reflects a broader pattern of suspicious deaths of Black Americans being dismissed as suicides, echoing the legacy of lynching in America.
Posted inMedia
In Black columnist’s firing, advocates fear decreasing diversity, vital perspectives in news media
The Washington Post’s firing of columnist Karen Attiah over social media posts has raised concerns among advocates and journalists about shrinking newsroom diversity and the silencing of Black voices.
Posted inOpinion
What were they thinking: A betrayal of leadership?
Black Americans across the nation are questioning why Black leaders such as Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08) voted for a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator who often made disparaging comments about the Black community. This week, AFRO News Publisher and CEO Dr. Frances Murphy Draper speaks on the legislators who voted to honor Kirk, and praises those like Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07) (center) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) (right), who stood against the resolution put before them.
Posted inU.S. Government
No. 47 says he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ben Carson
The 47th president announced Sept. 20 that he will award former HUD secretary and neurosurgeon Ben Carson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Carson is a former GOP presidential candidate and close ally of the current White House.
Posted inEditorial
Silencing dissent: The high price of criticizing hate in America
Alexis Taylor is managing editor of the AFRO American Newspapers. This week, she discusses the economic lynching of those who are chose to speak on the late Charlie Kirk’s history of White supremacy.
Posted inPolitics
Reality check: How Black ministers took on Charlie Kirk’s killing
Charlie Kirk, 31, an avowed Christian, White nationalist, and White House insider, had a history of bigoted, racist remarks. Since his assassination, conservatives have compared him to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., but Black ministers pushed back on that comparison in sermons the Sunday after the murder.
Posted inOpinion
It’s hard to admit it, but I was wrong about democracy
AFRO Publisher and CEO, Dr. Frances Murphy Draper, speaks on how democracy’s promise of protecting every voice has fallen short in her latest reflection and call to action. This week, she urges unity among the Black Press, the Black Church and the community to defend free speech and fight for a democracy that truly values every voice.
Posted inHBCU
Multiple historically Black institutions targeted with threats of violence
Multiple Black institutions, including Virginia State University, Clark Atlanta University and others went into lockdown on Sept. 11 after receiving campus threats. Though the lockdowns have been lifted, officials warn students, faculty and staff that if they “see something, say something.”
Posted inOpinion
What Charlie Kirk’s death reveals about America
Dr. Frances Murphy Draper serves the AFRO as CEO and publisher and is a fourth-generation member of the publication’s founding family. This week, in her call to conscience, she speaks on the brutal death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, his record and the culture of contempt that has become the norm in America.
Posted inEditorial
The endgame behind the MLK Files — erase the man, then erase the holiday
The sudden release of FBI files on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a calculated attempt to tarnish his legacy and silence the symbols that inspire progress, and is part of a broader reactionary wave aimed at rewriting history.
Posted inAfro Briefs
Hate and chaos rise in 47th president’s America
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s 2024 report identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups embedding themselves in U.S. politics and targeting marginalized communities through disinformation, intimidation, and violence, while exposing the far right’s escalating influence and coordinated attacks on democratic institutions.