The Death Penalty

A black man, strapped to the electric chair, c1935.
I (J) am currently working on a capital murder appeal for a man incarcerated on Alabama’s death row. My client is a young, black man who has a history of mental illness and brutal, sadistic child abuse. I came into this case through the [...]

Poor Brandy

The family of the California woman killed last month in a freeway accident triggered by the singer Brandy has filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the 28-year-old entertainer. California Highway Patrol officials have recommended the filing of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges against the R&B singer (full name: Brandy Norwood) in connection with the [...]

"The Negroes’ Relaxed Tongue: Language and The African Diaspora"–Guest Commentary From "KP"

Langston Hughes, pictured.
I was telling a friend about Cornel West’s “santa clausification” of Dr. MLK Jr. (which should be a topic of a future post) and she said West was her “main man”, meaning one of her favorite intellectuals of our time. She has a good close white riend of hers who doesn’t understand how [...]