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We at Historianspeaks are starting a new feature where we highlight stories of interest occuring in contemporary Black America. We will elaborate on some of these stories in the coming weeks. Click on the hyperlinks for more information about the story.
August 21, 1791 marked the start of the Haitian Revolution. The revolution initiated the process by which Haitian enslaved people rose up against their enslavers, defeated armies from England, Spain and France and secured their indepedence in 1804. This year, 2024 marks the 220th anniversary of these events. The success of the Haitian Revolution reverberated around the world. It caused much of the world to shun the country, especially the West and restrict immigration from the island. It also set in motion a dehabilitating series of events for the Haitian people.
Marsha Johnson (1945-1992) was a pioneering African American transgender woman who paved the way for future generations. August 24th marks what would have been her 79th birthday. Johnson is best known for her participation in the Stonewall Riots in 1965. She has become an international symbol of the determination and resilence of Black transwomen. Her lifework is a reminder of the ways in which Black transwomen refused to be erased from the long history of gay rights activism in the United States
The officer who shot and killed US Senior airman Roger Forstson was charged with manslaugther. Deputy Eddie Duran shot Fortson mutiple times after being called to the his apartment on a domestic distrubance call. Duran was charged with one count of manslaugther. The manslaugther charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Duran was fired from his job with the Okaloosa Police department because its internal investigation determined the force used was not " objectively reasonable."
A federal judge has determined that Breonna Taylor's death was caused by her boyfriend rather than a falsified warrant. This determination was the pretext for throwing out charges against two former Louisville officers accused of falsifying a warrant that led to police to Breonna Taylor's apartment. U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson ruled that the warning shot fired by Kenneth Walker was the legal cause of Taylor's death.