Thomas Thorpe, 51, appeared before a judge and refused to have a lawyer represent him. “Do you understand what an attorney is and what they do?” asked the judge. “Yes, they screwed us,” Thorpe responded. Thorpe seemed in a hurry as the short hearing progressed, telling the judge he wanted to enter a plea without the assistance of the African-American attorney standing next to him. “I said not guilty — I pleaded not guilty and I don’t want this negro standing next to me,” Thorpe told the judge. “I don’t want a negro standing next to me.” Read more.
Mom To Send Adopted Daughter To College 18 Years After Finding Her On A Doorstep
18 year ago, Janessa Gibbs was abandoned on the doorstep of a doctor’s office. She was later adopted by a nurse by the name of Sara Gibbs, who was working at the clinic next door. Sara says that she was there when first responders arrived on the scene. After seeking help from her pastor and coworkers, Sara found the courage to adopt the abandoned infant. This fall, Sara will be sending Janessa off to college. Read more.
O.J. Simpson Almost Played The Terminator in the 1984 Sci-Fi Classic (Did You Know?)
Reading Entertainment Weekly’s “oral history” of the 1984 sci-fi classic, “The Terminator,” in celebration of its 30th year since its release, I came across this section from the lengthy piece that I thought was well-worth sharing. It’s part of the conversation between director James Cameron, then Orion Pictures chief Mike Medavoy (the company that backed the film), and star Arnold Schwarzenegger, as they recall when Orion Pictures proposed that the production should star then retired NFL star O.J. Simpson as the lethal killing machine from the future. Read more.
NBA Player’s Transgender Sister Found Dead in Baltimore Alley
Another transgender woman has been found dead in Baltimore. This time the victim has been identified as the sister of NBA player Reggie Bullock, Reuters reports. Mia Henderson, 26, was discovered Wednesday in an alley, having suffered “severe trauma,” a police representative told the news site. Read more.
Black-Owned Businesses Are Quietly Powering Detroit’s Resurgence, But No One’s Talking About It
The largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history has also stirred up interest in success stories. Though no one person will fix Detroit, some people have received well-deserved attention for their work to improve the city. A New York Times article last month highlighted hot spots in the Corktown neighborhood, and a story in the same paper earlier this year heralded small businesses. But something’s missing from those pieces, and from many other articles that examine the city’s resurgence: black Detroiters, who make up 83 percent of the population. Read more.
Students Who Created Unique Duct Tape Prom Outfits Win Grand Prize
Kechantra Ward and Jeffery Patton just won the grand prize for their prom design at StuckAtProm.com. Kechantra Ward, who will be attending Kent State University in Ohio in the fall, and her date Jeffery Patton, made their attire and accessories completely out of duct tape for the Stuck at Prom scholarship contest. What did they win? $10,000 each and $5,000 for their school. Read more.
