Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons on Tuesday for seven Black men, known as the “Martinsville Seven,” who were executed decades ago after all-white juries convicted them of raping a white woman.
The Democratic governor said the young men, most of whom were between 18 and 21 years old, weren’t given fair due process and their executions were racially biased due to how the death sentence was used in cases involving white defendants, a statement from his office said. “This is about righting wrongs,” Mr. Northam said. “We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it right—no matter who you are or what you look like.”
Mr. Northam’s office said the pardons don’t have to do with the mens’ guilt but rather their “unjust, racial-biased sentences” and “disturbing lack of due process.” The seven men were convicted and sentenced in eight days in 1951, the governor’s office said, with some defendants “impaired” when they were arrested, unable to read their signed confessions or without attorneys present.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
White Chicago cop placed on desk duty after recorded struggle with Black woman'If violations did occur, COPA will hold the officer accountable,' said the chief of Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability Andrea Kersten.
Source: Newsweek - 🏆 468. / 52 Read more »
White Realtors Make Three Times More Than Black Counterparts'White realtors made nearly three times as much in 2020 as Black agents, according to an annual survey from the National Association of Realtors. The median gross personal income for the former hit $49,400 last year. For the latter, it was just $16,700.'
Source: Women 2.0 - 🏆 149. / 63 Read more »
Black Bear Steals Amazon Package from Connecticut Porch in Hilarious Surveillance Video'It was hysterical,' said Kristin Levine after posting surveillance footage of a black bear stealing an Amazon package off the porch of her Connecticut home Could you imagine calling Amazon saying yeah my package was stolen by a bear The Snuggle bear looking good. The bear is adorable, but lavender scented toilet tissue? I’ve been messing with Scott’s too damn long.
Source: people - 🏆 712. / 51 Read more »
'Candyman' Is the First No.1 Film Directed by a Black WomanIt beat projected earnings by nearly 50 percent. oh heck yeah .SarnieHarper seen this? Sounds like horror flick up your alley.
Source: papermagazine - 🏆 409. / 53 Read more »
DC FanDome 2021 Will Bring ‘The Batman,’ ‘Aquaman 2,’ ‘The Flash’ and ‘Black Adam’Break out the Batman and Wonder Woman cosplay because DC FanDome, a virtual event catered to comic book enthusiasts, is returning this fall. DC FanDome will take place virtually on Oct. 16 at 10 a.… LETS GOOOO🔥🔥 Still no Superman 🦹♂️🦹🏼
Source: Variety - 🏆 108. / 63 Read more »
Black men executed in 1951 rape granted posthumous pardonsRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons Tuesday to seven Black men who were executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman, in a case that attracted pleas for mercy from around the world and in recent years has been denounced as an example of racial disparity in the use of the death penalty. Meanwhile, white men who ACTUALLY rape white women may get probation, or they may end up on the Supreme Court! That doesn’t mean shit. Pardon the thousands of black men in jail for weed possession 70 years. Really?
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »