He was 14 yrs. 6mos. and 5 days old --- and the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th Century

He was 14 yrs. 6mos. and 5 days old --- and the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th Century

 

George Junius Stinney, Jr.,
[b. 1929 - d. 1944]
In a South Carolina prison sixty-six years ago, guards walked a 14-year-old boy, bible tucked under his arm, to the electric chair. At 5' 1" and 95 pounds, the straps didn’t fit, and an electrode was too big for his leg.
The switch was pulled and the adult sized death mask fell from George Stinney’s face. Tears streamed from his eyes. Witnesses recoiled in horror as they watched the youngest person executed in the United States in the past century die.
Now, a community activist is fighting to clear Stinney’s name, saying the young boy couldn’t have killed two girls. George Frierson, a school board member and textile inspector, believes Stinney’s confession was coerced, and that his execution was just another injustice blacks suffered in Southern courtrooms in the first half of the 1900s.
In a couple of cases like Stinney’s, petitions are being made before parole boards and courts are being asked to overturn decisions made when society’s thumb was weighing the scales of justice against blacks. These requests are buoyed for the first time in generations by money, college degrees and sometimes clout.
“I hope we see more cases like this because it help brings a sense of closure. It’s symbolic,” said Howard University law professor Frank Wu. “It’s not just important for the individuals and their families. It’s important for the entire community. Not just for African Americans, but for whites and for our democracy as a whole. What these cases show is that it is possible to achieve justice.”
Some have already achieved justice. Earlier this year, syndicated radio host Tom Joyner successfully won a posthumous pardon for two great uncles who were executed in South Carolina.
A few years ago Lena Baker, a black Georgia maid sent to the electric chair for killing a white man, received a pardon after her family pointed out she likely killed the man because he was holding her against her will.
In the Stinney case, supporters want the state to admit that officials executed the wrong person in June 1944.
Stinney was accused of killing two white girls, 11 year old Betty June Binnicker and 8 year old 
Mary Emma Thames, by beating them with a railroad spike then dragging their bodies to a ditch near Acolu, about five miles from Manning in central South Carolina. The girls were found a day after they disappeared following a massive manhunt. Stinney was arrested a few hours later, white men in suits taking him away. Because of the risk of a lynching, Stinney was kept at a jail 50 miles away in Columbia.
Stinney’s father, who had helped look for the girls, was fired immediately and ordered to leave his home and the sawmill where he worked. His family was told to leave town prior to the trial to avoid further retribution. An atmosphere of lynch mob hysteria hung over the courthouse. Without family visits, the 14 year old had to endure the trial and death alone.
Frierson hasn’t been able to get the case out of his head since, carrying around a thick binder of old newspaper stories and documents, including an account from an execution witness.
The sheriff at the time said Stinney admitted to the killings, but there is only his word — no written record of the confession has been found. A lawyer helping Frierson with the case figures threats of mob violence and not being able to see his parents rattled the seventh- grader.
Attorney Steve McKenzie said he has even heard one account that says detectives offered the boy ice cream once they were done.
“You’ve got to know he was going to say whatever they wanted him to say,” McKenzie said.
The court appointed Stinney an attorney — a tax commissioner preparing for a Statehouse run. In all, the trial — from jury selection to a sentence of death — lasted one day. Records indicate 1,000 people crammed the courthouse. Blacks weren’t allowed inside.
The defense called no witnesses and never filed an appeal. No one challenged the sheriff’s recollection of the confession.
“As an attorney, it just kind of haunted me, just the way the judicial system worked to this boy’s disadvantage or disfavor. It did not protect him,” said McKenzie, who is preparing court papers to ask a judge to reopen the case.
Stinney’s official court record contains less than two dozen pages, several of them arrest warrants. There is no transcript of the trial.
The lack of records, while not unusual, makes it harder for people trying to get these old convictions overturned, Wu said.
But these old cases also can have a common thread.
“Some of these cases are so egregious, so extreme that when you look at it, the prosecution really has no case either,” Wu said. “It’s apparent from what you can see that someone was railroaded.”
And sometimes, police under pressure by frightened citizens jumped to conclusions rather than conducting a thorough investigation, Wu said.

CO2

This what CO2 stands for





































some bubbles, candles, and an ipod. perfection



We real cool (poem) by Gwendolyn Brooks


We Real Cool

 
THE POOL PLAYERS. 
SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.


We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon

Lupe Fiasco at EMU (Eastern Michigan University)

A Day w/ Common & Nas (Video)


Los Angeles-based photographer Steven Taylor shares with us some insights backstage during his recent work sessions with Common and Nas. Having already worked with the likes by John Mayer, Snoop Dogg, Incubus, Pharrell Williams, Bruno Mars and John Legend, amongst others, the 25-year-old photographer intends to further cement his status within the industry by offering some rare behind-the-scenes impressions from the current works of Common and Nas. Taylor takes us to some of his favorite spots in Los Angeles while giving a personal recount of his profession and highlighting the timeless value of certain moments.

T-Pain – 5 O’Clock f. Wiz Khalifa



Whatever the time is, T-Pain clocks in with his latest single featuring Wiz Khalifa and a Lily Allen-sample. RevolveR is on the way.

Pusha T – Fear Of God II: Let Us Pray (Artwork x Tracklist)




























September 27th is the date.


01 Changing Of The Guards f. Diddy
02 Amen f. Kanye West & Young Jeezy
03 Trouble On My Mind f. Tyler, the Creator
04 What Dreams Are Made Of
05 O There It Is
06 Feeling Myself f. Kevin Cossom
07 Raid f. 50 Cent & Pharrell
08 My God
09 I Still Wanna f. Rick Ross & Ab Liva

Mind Blowing



















Artist: stephen wiltshire

* World Premiere * Nziza Desire - UN ( Music Video )

Production (kilulu9) producer Patrick Sly , record Music Kilulu9, Sponsor Desire Nsengiyumva , sale, kone, julien New York. mureke dallas, Jonas S. Daka , director Keith Mathis , Alain Nihobantegeye , toussaint nkurunziza... Thanks to Eric Uwimana

Wale To Embark On “Ambition Tour”

Wale To Embark On “Ambition Tour”




Maybach Music/Warner Bros. Records rapper Wale will hit the road beginning September 8th to promote his highly anticipated sophomore album Ambition in stores November 1st. The paid tour is being promoted in conjunction with tour partner Live Nation. Pre-sale packages will be available on September 7th at 11:01 AM and tickets will go on sale September 9th at 11:01 AM. Wale will tour along side a stellar line-up including fellow rappers Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco, Meek Mill, Big Sean, Savoy, Miami Horror, Kendrick Lamar, Dom Kennedy and a host of local talent on select dates and Virginia artist Black Cobain, who will be featured on all tour dates. For a full list of all artists accompanying Wale, visit www.ralphfolarin.com.
In celebration, Wale is giving fans a chance to design an official commemorative tour poster for the final stop of the “Ambition Tour” on December 8th in Atlanta. First prize will have their poster honored at the show, made into a commemorative poster plus win $500 and two tickets to the show. The contest will run until Oct 18th. Click here for more details.
Last week, Wale premiered his video for the single “That Way” featuring Rick Ross and Jeremih on BET’s “106 and Park” and can also be seen on MTV2 and MTVU. In addition to this, Wale will take part in BET’s highly coveted hip-hop cypher as part of the BET Hip Hop Awards which airs October 11th. The single has proven to be a tour-de-force at radio, being the #1 most added record at Urban Mainstream and climbing up the Top 15.
“AMBITION TOUR” DATES:
THU 9/15: Clemson, SC – Little Johns Coliseum
FRI 9/16: Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post
SAT 9/17: Kent, OH – Kent State University
THU 9/22: Binghamton, NY – Binghamton University
THU 9/29: Indiana, PA – Indiana Univ. of PA
SUN 10/2: Minneapolis, MN – Epic Concert Venue + Meet & Greet @ Phenom Sneakers & Streetwear
MON 10/3: Madison, WI – The Orpheum
THU 10/6: Baltimore, MD – Morgan State Univ.
SAT 10/8: Lincoln University, PA – Lincoln University
SUN 10/9: Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock
MON 10/10: Philadelphia, PA – TLA
THU 10/13: Charlotte, NC – John C. Smith Univ.
FRI 10/14: Knoxville, TN – The Valarium
SAT 10/15: Greensboro, NC – North Carolina A&T
SUN 10/16: Nashville, TN – Limelight
TUE 10/18: Chicago, IL – House of Blues
THU 10/20: Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
TUES 10/25: Norfolk, VA – Joe Echols Hall
FRI 10/28: New York, NY – Terminal 5
SAT 10/29: Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights
SUN 10/30: Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall
MON 10/31: Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
WED 11/9: Dallas, TX – House of Blues
THU 11/10: Houston, TX – House of Blues
FRI 11/11: New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
SAT 11/12: Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa
TUE 11/15: Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues
THU 11/17: San Diego, CA – Fluxx
FRI 11/18: Tempe, AZ – The Clubhouse
SUN 11/20: Santa Ana, CA – Yost Theater
TUE 11/22: San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine
WED 11/23: Sacramento, CA – The Crest Theatre
FRI 11/25: Seattle, WA – Neumos
SAT 11/26: Portland, OR – Roseland
WED 11/30: Miami, FL – LIV
THU 12/1: Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
FRI 12/2: Orlando, FL – The Beacham
SAT 12/3: Tallahassee, FL – 20/20
SUN 12/4: Tampa, FL – The Ritz
TUE 12/6: Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
THU 12/8: Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle

Stunt Poetry (Watch it in HD)


Stunt Poetry from Rishi Kaneria on Vimeo. Directed by Rishi Kaneria.

Tokyo Rising | Palladium Boots


Tokyo faces a new reality after the tragedy of 3/11. While persistent challenges still lay ahead, the city’s creative class is hell-bent on making sure that their hometown thrives. Innovative and resilient, they are defining the future of Tokyo on their own terms. We put our boots on and went exploring. For more click >  Tokyo Rising | Palladium Boots

Lighting Chair


Moving Art : #003



Kevin Hart: BANK HEIST

So funny

J. Cole – Any Given Sunday 5: Neverland x Heavy




























For this week’s Any Given Sunday, J Cole blesses his fans with not one, but two new joints that will not be featured on the album. Neverland is produced by Chase N. Cashe and J. Cole, while Heavy is produced by Cole himself.
 
Neverland (prod. Chase N. Cashe and J. Cole)
produced by Chase N. Cashe and J. Cole. Some shit we did out in LA! Not on the album, but something you should have. Ride to it. Shout to my nigga Chase!


Heavy (prod. J. Cole) 

      Did a lot of records in LA some months back. This is another one. Not album material, but its    HEAVY. Produced by J. Cole.

Lyrics : Lupe Fiasco - What it do


















 I saw it on TV, I was told to buy a CD / The CD told me buy a TV /The TV that I bought came with a CD that said go and buy the DVD/ The DVD that I bought came with a CD which was the DVD of the makin' of the TV, that I saw Which told me to go and buy the CD in the first place, wait nah / I put the DVD in the TV so you can see what I saw But wait, it's a CD so you can't see me, odd 
   ~ What It Do by Lupe Fiasco ~

Bad Meets Evil Meets Europe Part 2

Kendrick Lamar x SOB's x NYC

Its Cloudy



Video: Lupe Fiasco says that he's the Best



Towards the end of his set Lupe freestyled for the crowd in his hometown of Chicago yesterday letting everyone know that he's back up on his grind:

"When you're done Watching The Throne, turn around and watch me, when you're done with the Carter 4 come back to me for more, when you're done with that Drake, no, I ain't trying to hate but I'm back up on my grind and I'm about to skaaaaate on these ni**as!"
"Put it on your blog and your tumblrs on your twitters that Lupe said that he’s the best, NI**A."

Realistic Tire Sculptures by Yong Ho Ji

Amazing art sculptures made from tires. Incredible! He made dozens of them. Be sure to check it out!

Moving Art : #002

Gorgeous

Nαturε and I : #004

#004

The Next 48 Hours With Game Part 1 of 2

Innocent victims





















Innocent victims: Relatives mourn two children killed by snipers in Tripoli