Was This A Hate Crime Too?
By Keith Boykin, in sexuality
Friday, September 21 2007, 10:04AM
When I first heard about the murders of three college students in Newark, New Jersey last month, I was immediately suspicious. The crime itself seemed so senseless. On August 4, four young adults were hanging out in a school playground when a group of males came up to them, lined them up against a wall and shot them execution-style. Three of the young people were killed on the spot, while the fourth was seriously wounded.
After reviewing the myspace pages of several of the victims, I wondered if they might be gay and wondered if police were pursuing that angle. But that never came up in the public discussion. The police immediately ruled out the possibility of a hate crime, and the media never brought it up either. Until yesterday. That's when black gay activist James Credle released a letter he sent to Newark Mayor Cory Booker asking the city to investigate the murders as a possible anti-gay hate crime.
Evidence of A Hate Crime
Writing on behalf of Representatives of the LGBTIQ & Two-Spirited Concerns Group, Credle asked the city to look into the possibility of whether the taking of their lives was driven by some type of bias or hate. "It has come to our attention that the attackers selected the victims because of a perceived bias against the race and sexual orientation of the victims," he wrote. "We are aware the victims were African American and at least one or more of the victims were gay," he said in his letter.
Credle's letter, which was also sent to the US Attorney General for New Jersey Chris Christie, urged Booker not to overlook the sexual orientation of the victims. "To date, in public statements by you, Mayor Booker, Police Director Garry McCarthy, including all newspaper articles, radio and television reports and/or statements from the parents of the victims, there has been no mention of the sexual orientation of the victims or that there was the possibility of a bias/hate crime based on race and/or sexual orientation. Further, we want to know why, although the murders were committed more than a month ago, the fact of the sexual orientation of the youth has never been a part of the media or public discourse or media regarding the murders?"
According to Credle, "several sources including friends, boyfriends/lovers of at least one of the victims and perhaps one of the parents knew that one or more of the murdered students were gay. At the same time, failure to fully expose and examine this issue will mean that the clarity that comes with the truth is clouded with distortion and rhetoric."
Credle said the group decided to go public with the information so that the crime would be thoroughly investigated and "full disclosure" was made. "We believe that if we keep silent, we will surely be an accessory to future tragedies like these in our community. Our silence would send the wrong message: 'You can attack and even murder lgbtiq & two-spirited residents of Newark and you will not be prosecuted and convicted under hate/bias crime laws.'"
If the information the group provides is accurate, will the black community, the gay community, the media, and the pontificating Republican presidential candidates still care about this case if one or more of the victims turns out to be gay? So far, it doesn't seem likely. An Associated Press story about the murder ran today with no mention of Credle's letter, despite the fact that it was sent out to the media by a New Jersey gay rights group, Garden State Equality. But even some of the top gay news blogs have buried the story today, although other blogs like Rod 2.0 have highlighted it.
That's another real tragedy here. If we really care about hate crimes, we can't sweep them under the rug just because the victims don't fit into our ideal character types to garner public sympathy. This is a case that still demands answers, and the time is ripe for the city to investigate the questions that remain unanswered.
The Looks Of A Hate Crime
From the beginning, the crime was particularly suspicious. Even after police arrested suspects, questions still lingered. I wrote about them last month. "These were good kids, getting an education and not bothering anyone, I wrote. "Why would anyone want to kill them? The police said it was not gang-related or drug-related. Robbery was supposed to be the motive. But why rob a group of young kids who didn't have much of value on them? And then why kill them? When some of the suspects were identified as Hispanic immigrants, some speculated that it might have been a hate crime against the four black kids. But police seemed to rule out that option too. So what was this murder all about?"
Without any hard evidence about the victims' sexual orientation, all I could do was to recall a previous anti-gay hate crime in Newark. "In the summer of 2003, I went to Newark to meet with the family of Sakia Gunn, a 15-year-old high school student who had been murdered on one of the main streets of the New Jersey community. I interviewed Sakia's mother and felt the pain she was going through after losing her daughter," I wrote.
Then I introduced the victims. Eighteen-year-old Terrance Aeriel missed his spring semester at Delaware State University but had re-enrolled for the fall. A musician, Aeriel played the baritone saxophone and participated in his college's band camp last summer. Aeriel was also known as a gifted orator, who had preached at Higher Dimensions Ministry in Bloomfield.
Dashon Harvey, 20, was also a junior at Delaware State University. He was a psychology major who had worked in the admissions office on campus. On his myspace page, he described himself as a "sometime runway model" and he is seen sitting in a photo studio holding up a fashion magazine. Harvey also seemed to proud of being elected "Mr. Junior" in Delaware State's homecoming court. He even recorded a video for his campaign on YouTube.
At 20 years old, Iofemi Hightower was the oldest in the group that was shot. She had attended Essex Community College, but was in the process of enrolling at Delaware State University for the fall. She had close ties to the Aeriels since elementary school and even attended the prom with Terrance Aeriel. Her myspace page featured a "Before and After" photo comparison of herself with Aeriel in 2006 and 2007. In the before picture, the couple are dressed up in formal wear with matching blue and white colors. In the after picture, Hightower sports a baseball cap and a sweatshirt.
Natasha Aeriel was the only survivor of the shooting. A 19 year-old junior at Delaware State University, she is a biology major who plays the alto saxophone in the school's marching band. Natasha Aeriel has also helped the police to identify and arrest the suspects involved in the case.
The families of the three young people who were killed and the young woman who was shot deserve to know the truth about what happened the night of August 4. And the public also deserves the truth. It's time to break the taboo and investigate this crime for all the possibilities.
Comments conceal
Derrick from Philly
September 21 2007, 10:30AM
Keith, it's crazy. When this incident happened and the father of Dashon Harvey put his son's photo up to the TV news cameras, I thought to myself, "the young man was gay and this was gay-bashing at it's worst." I felt this, but I didn't dare mention it on your blog, nor Rods', nor Jasmynes'. There are black sgl (I'll call them that because they don't like being called "gay")folks who go into a frenzy when you mention that some YOUNG victim of crime was killed because he/she was gay. "How do you know he/she was gay at such a young age?" "Why must every violent crime be gay-bashing?" "You're too influenced by the white gay agenda!"--those are the comments they make, and so I punked out AGAIN.
I believe those savages killed those young folks because they were gay--the fact that they were also black just made the savages' savagery easier.
Nathan James
September 21 2007, 10:32AM
The executions of these young people in Newark may very well have been a hate crime. But let's consider the possibility that, if one or more of the victims was gay or lesbian, perhaps this is part of the DA's "hold-back" from the media. Or, maybe the victims' families, given the societal taboo homosexuality still is, do not want this information about their departed loved ones made public. Having a gay family member is still a source of deep shame for many families in America (and around the world), and social conditioning goes a long way toward reinforcing these beliefs.
Keith's post on this subject is the first I've heard that one or more of these victims might have been gay. If it is, in fact, borne out that these kids were gay, that highlights the depth and seriousness of homophobia in our society. The other tragedy, however, is how few of us attend protest marches on this when they do occur...
Cincinnati NAMjA
September 21 2007, 1:38PM
Keith- Thanks for bringing this spin to the nation's attention. When I heard of this, i too thought it was suspicious, but I did not even think that this could have been spurred on by the victim’s sexual orientation. Also, placing more of an identity to the victims is a welcomed added touch.
ALLEGRO
September 21 2007, 1:53PM
With all do respect, Keith...while I do appreciate your sharing of this much needed story for everyone to read and think about...I have to say bruh you need to learn how to take YOU out of some of your posts and just report the facts. Yeah I know...it's your site....and I can't tell you how to write.
However, when you all of a sudden now want to jump on the bandwagon publicly with this "I had suspected some of the victims might have been gay" now that someone else publicly has challenged others to think about it is a little suspect to me. James Credle's name and what he did should have been all this story was about or should ahve at least led the story. Maybe you did think about it, as I am sure many of us might have suspected, but I find no evidence in your initial post to credibly support that this was an angle that should have been considered. As you said there were no hard facts....but are they needed to ask the question? All I'm saying is next time...JUST THE FACTS PLEASE.
Derrick from PHilly
September 21 2007, 2:42PM
The main ideas in the above article are whether these young people were killed because they were(or perceived to be) gay, the valiant effort of James Credle to find out "more truth" to this tragedy, and bring it to people's attention; and, of course, should these murders have an even more tragic interest for black gay people. I had never heard of Mr. Credle before reading this article. I admire and appreciate what James Credle trying to do. I would never have known what this concerned black gay activist up in Newark is trying to do had Keith not made Mr. James Credle the center of the above article.
Mel Smith
September 21 2007, 3:16PM
Thanks for sharing this story. Wow, I am truly shock by this news. I will continue to do my research on the matter.
PhillyPhile
September 21 2007, 3:47PM
What's more sad is that there was just a shooting today at DSU. Two were injured. I wonder if the crimes are related. Either way its tragic. The way many of us (urban youth) get out of their current situations is by getting an education. Its a shame that our culture of violence has entered our Universities.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-delaware0921,0,2924993.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
jazzi
September 21 2007, 8:07PM
If this was a hate crime, I'm more inclined to believe it was racial rather than homophobic. Unless the guys were extremely feminine & the girls super butch, how would the shooters have known about their sexual orientation? After the fact we can all draw conclusions but I personally don't see anything that shouts gay about these kids. A love for fashion? Baseball caps & sweat shirts? Are you serious? Could mean a lot of things or maybe nothing at all. OR maybe my gaydar needs a new battery. I'm not saying they weren't gay. They may have been. I just don't see how their sexual orientation could have been obvious to the killers. Their ethnicity, however, was.
Hate crime or not, I just hope & pray that these murderers get what they deserve. I live in Newark & we still feel the pain of what happened to those babies & we want justice for them.
Robert
September 21 2007, 9:19PM
This is typical for anti-gay hate crimes. Brutally kill the victim(s) and then take whatever is on them. Robbery is an afterthought. The killers are illegal immigrants. Like the typical hate crime perpetrator they were on the fringe of society. Someone mentioned that it might be a gang initiation. Could be. In anti-gay hate crimes the perpetrator is trying to prove something (usually his masculinity or straightness).
Read this article about anti-gay hate crimes.
http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:qDGxkFhnWrsJ:www.chronline.org/PDFs/Express%252010-2005%2520Article.pdf+gay+inequality+police&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=41&gl=us
brucito
September 21 2007, 10:29PM
Well I think it is time for those of us who have access to all of these celebrities who have TV shows to start calling them up and explaining that here in the NYC area the murder rate of gay black men and women has reached an alarming rate and since they do have a very large gay audience could they please help bring this to the public's attention. What happened to Michael Sandy will happen again to anyone else dumb enough to go online and believe what a complete stranger is telling them. What happened to these kids is the sickest of all. Just because you are hanging out does not give people the right to take your life. This is not Mexico or someother godforsaken place in central or south america. We are black gay americans and it is time to speak out. Someone needs to start getting this out to the rest of the nation. Does anyone know what happened to the investigation on Chicago on that shooting back in the winter of 6 black gay men at that party? Or is that too DOA. DEAD ON ARRIVAL
Nathan James
September 21 2007, 10:52PM
I should point out here that Rashawn Brazell, a young gay man of color, has been dead for more than two years now. He was killed and dismembered, and his killer still walks the streets. Whether Rashawn was gay or not, the fact remains that as of today, someone is getting away with murder. People fail to grasp that just because Rashawn was gay, and therefore the media and public take little interest in his death, no one knows who the next victim of this uncaught murderer might be...
I grieve over thses senseless killings, of all the members of the LGBT community who die because hatred is still a societal norm.
Keith Boykin
September 22 2007, 12:04AM
Newark Mayor: No Evidence of Anti-Gay Bias in Murders
Mel Smith
September 22 2007, 12:50AM
It does not make any damn sense that you got a lot of family members ashamed that their own kids are gay. All of this is due to the brainwashing that they receive from the media and society. As black gay people, we got to tell people that we here and we ain't going nowhere. I notice how quick we join heterosexual blacks in protest marches such as the Jena 6 march. Where they at for us? But, where is the unity amongst each other? This summer, I attended my first march against music that advertise killing us. Well, there was less than 25 people in attendance and there were THOUSANDS of people who attended that concert. We avoid issues relating to prejudice against us. As soon as an issue about LL Cool J. or someone like that comes up, everybody got a whole lot of sh!t to type. As I said before, we got to do more than just type our comments on this site. We got to become social activists and demand to be respected in society.
brucito
September 22 2007, 6:50AM
It is unfortunate that Rev. Al Sharpton can't find a few words to say about these NYC murders but they weren't committed by the police either. However it is fortunate that mayor Bloomburg found $25,000 to offer as a reward to anyone who came forward with information about Rashawn Brazell's killer. I also admire gay white men who back in the 80's did not sit around the bars and keep talking about AIDS but sacrificed a few Friday and Saturday (party nights)to get organized. Blacks were calling it a white boy disease all the up to about 1991. Us Helping Us eventually got off the ground. Two years ago at the gay and lesbian center in NYC a gay white male held a free seminar for black men on internet dating. A gay WHITE MALE. He give advice on how to protect yourself and so forth. There is just no other way to say this. It is a GODDAMN SHAME THAT THE BLACK GAY MEN WHO HAVE TV MEDIA ACCESS WON'T DO WHAT THEY KNOW IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. I HOPE KEITH BOYKIN IS NOT THE ONLY BLACK GAY MALE OUT THERE IN THE SPOTLIGH
brucito
September 22 2007, 7:36AM
It is heavily rumored that the main black hangout in the village in NYC, Chi chi's bar, will be closing next year. Within the black gay community I am expecting an explosion in these internet dating murders when or if this happens. These kids who are too young to get into bars and just need a place to hang out are going to be sitting ducks for every fag hater who will see a green light here that they will not be severly prosecuted because the black gay community does not care about themselves. To be honest with you all rests on the girl who survived the attack to come forward with the truth about why they were attacked. Did these hispanic boys scream the word PUTO before and during the shots and the machete was being swung? Hopefully her family is not so wrapped up in GOD that they can not see reality for what it is and supports her. They were blessed with a daughter who happens to be gay. Supposedly GOD created and loves everyone.
Mel Smith
September 22 2007, 8:58AM
Brucito, don't let them fool you into thinking God got anything to do with people who are ashamed of their own children because they don't have a heterosexual orientation. People will called their own son a fag and that ugliness does not come from God. I have read comments in internet chatrooms, in which people have stated how much they disliked gays and then typed that they had a gay brother. Throughout history, the smaller group or the weaker group is always persecuted by the group who holds the most power in society. Dr. King made a statement like similar to mine. See, bad people can get their hands on the Bible too. And those bad people can influence good people to hate or be ashamed of their own children.
brucito
September 22 2007, 10:48AM
Mel I personally think it a shame that people don't look at the fact that the bible, regardless of whose version or what religious denomination it is, WAS WRITTEN BY MAN. People blowing themselves up in the name of God. Invading countries in the name of god. Acquiring atomic weapons in the name of God. Threatening to retaliate with such weapons in the name of God. I think when blacks can't see where this is NOT getting them but they still shout it out anyway speaks of the scary mindset of the community as an overall whole. If Cory Booker pursues this any further he is in deep political trouble with the black clergy. The last thing they need is for a group that is no doubt larger than they are come forward and start to demand that they too be treated with respect. A lot is riding on that girl who survived that attack. No gold chains,fancy jewelry, or new vehicle blaring rap music was there, but this was robbery?? I say BULLSHIT TO THAT THEORY.
Mel Smith
September 22 2007, 11:55AM
Brucita, slowly but surely, we are gaining more power than a lot of prejudice clergy members. That would be straight evil for them to have an issue with Mayor Booker investigating to see if the murders were gay related. I can't possibly see anyone being that homophobic to threaten Booker's political career, just because he wanted to find out why were the young folks murdered. See, with religion, I just let people have something to believe in. Now, from a Bible perspective, I always argue that the Bible was falsified and incorrectly misinterpreted throughout the ages. Remember, a lot of bad people go to mosques, Christian churches, and temples. These bad people can influence good people to hate. The good people then hate their own gay children. You have a few Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars, who do not preach that homosexuality is bad. Bad people who use religion to persecute people, get more attention than the good people who don't preach intolerance. Bad news sells.
MLee
September 22 2007, 6:28PM
Jazzi, you said “I just don't see how their sexual orientation could have been obvious to the killers.” These kids may have been holding hands or sneaking a kiss without being aware someone was watching them.
Eric
September 23 2007, 5:36AM
Great blog! I added you to my blogroll. I'd appreciate it if you'd consider linking back.
Most blogs allow you to enter your blog url in a special field in the comment section. If the blog doesn't have that feature, then you will also need to put my url in the comment.
B-Boy
September 23 2007, 5:33PM
I agree with many of the posts here calling the author out on shady "reporting" methods. Keith Boykin, having an education in law, should know better than to veil his own opinions by jumping leaps and bounds to conclusions not based even remotely in fact and without evidence to substantiate his claims. Cruising Myspace? Come on! This is yellow journalism, and is an incredibly irresponsible way to fan the flames of discord.
As Allegro said, Keith - stop putting so much of YOU into these pseudo-journalist pieces of yours, and just report facts.
Our Constitution was based on protecting the innocent and providing anyone charged with a crime with appropriate due process. No one is guilty until the jury decides. And Keith Boykin needs to stop promoting his own agenda by putting his opinions in the form of questions, while he pushes his own very myopic, narrow-minded view of the world as being confirmed fact.
Mel Smith
September 23 2007, 8:44PM
Oh, stop hating!
J
September 24 2007, 12:09AM
Let this be a lesson to young SGLs. Get your a** on the low low and watch your back. Rock those masks and burkas MJ wraps around his adopted white children. Don't spend all night there either. Bangbangbang and be gone. Walk with a tool too.
They're just another example of the larger community failing young people. They needed guidance and support. Whether from family and friends or from SGLs. They shouldn't have been there that night. Just thinking about that nightmare makes me ill. They were fed to animals.
Robert
September 24 2007, 12:53AM
What is Keith's agenda B-Boy? You don't say anything specific.
As I said earlier, this IS an anti-gay hate crime. It has all the halmarks of one.
Gregg
September 24 2007, 12:56AM
This comment is for Allegro. It dosen't matter who brings this story to the forefront fisrt. What matters is that we are informed and must support those that are trying to make a difference. Let's not divide. Let's concur!!
jazzi
September 24 2007, 7:11AM
MLee, according to the one survivor, they were aware that other people were watching them & they sensed that something wasn't right. They even texted each other on their cell phones that they should leave but by then it was too late.
I fear this is unintentionally becoming a diversion. It doesn't matter whether these kids were gay or not. They were brutally slain. If ever there were a crime that didn't make sense, this is it! I want the bastards who are responsible to pay. I personally couldn't care less about who was gay. It really doesn't matter. Three young lives were lost & their sexuality doesn't make that fact any more or less poignant. We all have our opinions & should feel free to express them but lets not lose sight of what really matters. I hope they rot in jail for what they did to these kids.
yeahisaidit
September 24 2007, 10:47AM
...i think it is important to know if they were gay or not...not to be in their business, but so we can see what amount of worth the loss of these "such" lives has in the eyes of the greater communities and the legal system at large...so far the situation has been very sad and quite telling IMHO...fucking typical...
MLee
September 24 2007, 5:51PM
Jazzi, thanks for correcting me. My feelings on this matter is similar to yours.
AIDS in Africa was one
September 24 2007, 7:40PM
Like California is bad for blacks so is Louisiana, the clue sent with this ruling.
THEY ARE SENDING YOU A CLUE!!!!! Like California, the gods consider Louisiana favored land and fuck the disfavored when they settle there.
AIDS in Africa was one of the Italian's swan songs of their 20th century.
In the 20th century the gods used the Italians to abuse Africans and their descendants, telepathically selling the Moorish invasion of Italy (among other things) to ignorant disfavoreds to achieve their behavior. AIDS in Africa was one of their "parting shots".
Despite the perceived progress they could just put a newbie in, bring a 20th century monster back, likely legacy along these lines, to achieve this behavior EVEN as late as the 90s.
HUNT HUNT HUNT DIE
Like Italians did to so many black men.
edwin greene
September 26 2007, 7:30AM
MLee, your original position on this senseless crime is correct in my opinion. I've met James Credle a number of times over the years and he is measured in his responses, very smart and out-spoken when he needs to be. If he is publicly calling for the crime to be investigated as a possible anti-gay hate crime, then it cannot be dismissed.
Credle is not an ambulance chaser. It goes without saying that the perpetrators should be punished to the fullest extent but if the victims were murdered because they were gay or perceived to be gay, it needs to be revealed to the world.
Miss Thang
September 26 2007, 10:37AM
I kinda knew that Dashon was gay.
We he was killed, New York Rap Radio Station HOT 97 had a talk show (Street Soldiers) segment about the murders. Dashon's roomate from Delaware State University called in to talk about what kind of person Dashon was. He roomate sounded like flamer. Honey sounded out there.
Th3iR My ANg3LsZ
September 30 2007, 2:33PM
some of them were gay, im not saying thats why they were killed but it is true and was evident. Iofemi dressed like a guy all the time, the pics they showed of her looking feminine were old. Dashon from what i know didn't hide it at all, and Tj overcame his homosexual urges. Let them rest in peace now, its over. They are all with God and no matter what the motive six people acted to attempt and kill four, theres no excuse for such hatred they all deserve the death penalty
M
September 30 2007, 5:05PM
Would it matter if the un-armed and innocent young people were green with a red nose and wore pointy shoes? They were innocent, minding their own business and were violated. No one, NO ONE should have that happen to them in this life. Being gay or possibly gay makes them just as undeserving of what happened to them. They deserved FAR better, but as TMA has written, they are in a much better realm now.
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