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racial violence
Racial violence has been a distinct part of American history since 1660. While that violence has impacted almost every ethnic and racial groups in the United States, it has had a particularly horrific effect on African American life.
August 12, 2017, DeAndre Harris was assaulted by six men in an attack in a parking garage next to the police headquarters during the Unite the Right rally Charlottesville, VirginiaHarris suffered a head laceration requiring eight staples, a concussion, a knee injury, a fractured forearm, a chipped tooth, internal injuries, and a spinal injury. Harris suffered a head laceration requiring eight staples, a concussion, a knee injury, a fractured forearm, a chipped tooth, internal injuries, and a spinal injury.
Mr. Merritt then teamed up with Shaun King who launched an Internet campaign to identify the men involved in the beating, calling on members of the public to examine photos and videos on social media, such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. This helped identify at least one of the attackers.
- August 24, 18 year old Daniel P. Borden from Mason, Ohio was charged
- August 28, 33 year old Alex Michael Ramos of Marietta, Georgia a member of the Fraternal Order of the Alt-Knights (FOAK) a military branch of the Proud Boys, was arrested on charges of malicious wounding.
Merritt said, “In an atmosphere where it is now clear law enforcement was instructed to stand down and allow violent supremacists to attack civilians, it seems only appropriate the city of Charlottesville reduce the demonstratively unjust charges against Mr. Harris, and we encourage the city to go even further with a total dismissal.
