Florida Sentinel Bulletin

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Legislature has officially apologized to an elderly Black woman who was raped nearly seven decades ago by a gang of white men as she walked home from church.

The Senate gave final approval Thursday on a voice vote to a resolution that expresses “deepest sympathy and deepest regrets” to Recy Taylor, now 91 and living in Florida. She told The Associated Press last year that she believes the men who attacked her in 1944 are dead, but that she still wanted an apology from the state of Alabama.

The House approved the resolution last month. It now goes to Gov. Robert Bentley, who said Thursday he’s not personally familiar with details of the case, but sees no reason why he wouldn’t sign it.

Taylor was 24 when she was confronted by seven men who forced her into their car at knife- and gun- point and drove her to a deserted grove of trees where six of the men raped her in Abbeville in southeastern Alabama. She was then left on the side of the road in an isolated area.

Two all-white, all-male grand juries refused to indict the suspects after the attack. Recy Taylor’s brother, 74-year-old Robert Corbitt, said law enforcement authorities tried to blame the attack on his sister. He said his family was threatened after the attack, his sister’s house was firebombed and his father had to guard the house.

Taylor’s story, along with those of other Black women attacked by white men during the civil rights era, is told in “At the Dark End of the Street,” a book by Danielle McGuire, a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. Activists including Rosa Parks took up the causes of Taylor and others, but their efforts were later overshadowed by other civil rights battles.

Pictured: In this Oct. 7, 2010 file photo, Recy Taylor is seen her home in Winter Haven, Fla. The Alabama Legislature has officially apologized to an Taylor, who was raped nearly seven decades ago by a gang of white men as she walked home from church.

TENNESSEE —A Springfield High School teacher claims she is a victim of a hate crime after the letters KKK were spray painted on her mailbox.

Gerlonda Hardin, who teaches business at Springfield High School, bought the house in the mostly white neighborhood a year ago. She said she has never experienced racial hatred before.

Now she feels frightened and hurt.

“There are still some cruel people, cruel things in the world. Living in the 21st century, it’s funny that things like that still float around,” said Hardin.

The parents of the student athlete killed by a police officer in October are suing the officer who killed their son.

In the complaint filed on Wednesday, Danroy Henry, Sr. and Angella Henry, say the officer violated the civil and constitutional rights of their son, Danroy Henry Jr., a Pace University football player, calling the shooting an “unconscionable use of force.”

The couple is seeking compensation for their son’s death and their suffering.

Officer, Aaron Hess, who was responsible for the shooting, was cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury in February.

Hess was named Officer of the Year by the Pleasantville Police Department for his “dignity and professionalism” since the shooting and throughout his career.

Hess shot Henry through the windshield of Henry’s car Oct. 17 as the 20-year-old drove away from a disturbance that spilled out of a bar in Thornwood, N.Y., after the Pace University homecoming game.

Hess has said he was hit by the car, thrown onto the hood and had no choice but to fire to stop the driver.

A racist e-mail depicting President Obama and his parents as monkeys that was circulating to some Tea party members was made public last Friday.

Marilyn Davenport, a Southern California Tea Party activist and member of the central committee of the Orange County Republican Party distributed the email many are deeming as racist and inappropriate.

The email, which contains a picture of Obama’s face plastered on a family picture of chimpanzees, also has the quote: “Now you know why — No birth certificate!”

In response to public outcry, after her email was leaked to the public, Davenport said, “Oh, come on! Everybody who knows me knows that I am not a racist. It was a joke. I have friends who are Black. Besides, I only sent it to a few people–mostly people I didn’t think would be upset by it.”

Former Chairman of the California Republican Party Michael Schroder says this is no isolated incident by Davenport, sighting prior incidents of racist support, and is calling for the Tea party member’s resignation.

In February 2009, Davenport defended a colleague who sent an image of a watermelon to the White House. When another city council member voted against installing grass turf near the beach, citing that it would “attract Mexicans,” Schroder alleges that she defended him as well.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill late Monday that would have required President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove they were American citizens, born in the United States, before their names could have been placed on the state ballot.

The so-called “birther bill” got final approval in the state House last week. Now that Brewer, a Republican, has vetoed it, the bill will not become law unless legislators vote to override her veto.

Under the measure, if there were any dispute about whether a candidate had proved he or she had been born in the United States, Arizona’s secretary of state would have the final say.

“This measure creates significant new problems while failing to do anything constructive for Arizona,” she added.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported income of $1.728 million for last year, much of it from the sale of the president’s pre-presidency books. They paid federal taxes totaling $453,770 after receiving a $12,334 refund.

Joining the flocks of Americans filing their taxes near the end of the federal filing period, the Obamas made withholding and other payments to the Internal Revenue Service last year totaling $466,104. That was an overpayment, so they got their refund. The president and first lady reported donating $245,075 — about 14.2 percent of their adjusted gross income — to 36 different charities.

The largest single gift was a contribution of $131,075 to the Fisher House Foundation, a charity that offers a scholarship fund for children of soldiers who die or are disabled.

Police in Wilmington, Delaware are trying to identify a woman and a boy who allegedly stole a purse containing $300.

Cops were called to the store Saturday night around 8:35 after receiving a theft complaint. When they arrived they were told by the store owner that his mother’s purse was stolen out of the back of the store.

The owner has a surveillance video of the woman telling the boy to go into the back room and swipe the purse.

In an amazing twist, once the women has the stolen cash she can be seen on tape turning back into the store to get her eyebrows done.

Police are searching for a 24-year-old woman who was kidnapped from her home in Simi Valley. Investigators are hoping to find her as soon as possible because they believe her life is in danger.

“Keisha Marshall was dragged from her home bleeding heavily,” said Simi Valley Police Lt. Joseph May. “She is a previous victim of domestic violence, and we believe she was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, 28-year-old Rashaun Bailey.”

A relative of the victim was home and heard the victim scream out during the kidnapping, said Lt. May. The suspect is from Texas, and police believe he might try to return there with Marshall.

She is described as five feet eight inches tall, weighing 138 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a purple dress, said police.

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. addressed the House last week expressing that Apple iPads were “probably responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs.”

With Borders Book Store going out of business, Jackson spoke on the threat of a paperless society as he ranted, “What becomes of publishing companies and publishing company jobs? What becomes of bookstores and libraries, and all of the jobs associated with paper? Well, in the not-too-distant future, such jobs simply won’t exist.”

As true as his comments may be, Jackson owns an iPad and not too long ago he felt differently about the touch screen phenomenon.

“How many people would be put to work building roofs and designing classrooms and providing every student with an iPod and a laptop?”

Jackson said during a March 2nd House floor speech.

Now he points out that the device is made in China and that it doesn’t produce jobs for Americans through manufacturing.

Well something changed the Congressman’s mind but will that slow down the demise of books, bookstores, newspapers and magazines? Or will new jobs be created by the advance in technology?