Teens Run Over, Kill Black Man In Racially Motivated Attack

Post-racial society my ass. In Mississippi, a group of white teens decided it when be fun to drive down to Jackson and assault a black person, or as Deryl Demond Jr., the ringleader of this band of thugs put it, "let's go fuck with some niggers." Unfortunately 49-year-old auto plant worker James Craig Anderson was at the wrong place at the wrong time. According to CNN.com:

On a recent Sunday morning just before dawn, two carloads of white teenagers drove to Jackson, Mississippi, on what the county district attorney says was a mission of hate: to find and hurt a black person.

Deryl Dedmon Jr. (Right), John Aaron Rice (Left)

In a parking lot on the western side of town they found their victim.

James Craig Anderson, a 49-year-old auto plant worker, was standing in a parking lot, near his car. The teens allegedly beat Anderson repeatedly, yelled racial epithets, including "White Power!" according to witnesses.


Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith says a group of the teens then climbed into their large Ford F250 green pickup truck, floored the gas, and drove the truck right over Anderson, killing him instantly.


"This was a crime of hate. Dedmon murdered this man because he was black," said Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith. "The evidence will show that."


Asked if there could be any doubt whether the intent was to actually hurt and kill a black person, Smith responded: "No doubt about it. They were going out to look for a black victim to assault, and in this case, even kill."

This sounds like it could've happened in 1960 instead of 2011. I hope Dedmon and John Aaron Rice, the driver who ran this man down like a piece of roadkill, get the book thrown at them in court. That the other teens who helped in the attack have not been charged is even more outrageous.This man was simply minding his business and these cretins killed him for no reason, other than pure hatred.

In my opinion, we will never be a post-racial society, just like we will never be a post-gay or post-sexist society. Because people will always fear the other, the foreign, the different. And as often happens, this fear turns to hate, which will often manifest through acts of aggression,  creating a system of oppression to make oneselfs superior to the other, or making the other the scapegoat to blame for problems and an object of hate to be defecated on. It's a horrible fact of humanity, but it is true. The best we can do is make racism, homophobia, sexism, misogny, misandry (hatred of men--look it up!), xenophobia and other forms of bigotry unnacceptable, and shame, ridcule, criticize and/or punish those who promote said attitudes and committ violent acts because of those beliefs. Another way is to get over our irrational fears and embrace diversity instead of trying to stomp it out.

The prosecution better bring its A-game. Otherwise Mississippi may go up in flames like L.A. in '92. Watch CNN's report, including the surveillance video of the attack, below. Warning: the images are graphic.