Charmayne Brown, Black Reporter, Attacked On Camera By White Family In SC

From the AP:

Three people upset that a news crew was reporting on the arrest of a relative attacked the television reporter and yelled racial slurs at her and a photographer, authorities said Tuesday.

The family members, all white, began yelling and charged at black WSPA-TV reporter Charmayne Brown while she was standing in the street near the family's home in Union, said news director Alex Bongiorno.

Brown was punched in the head, and black cameraman Ti Barnes was also struck as he tried to pull family members off Brown, Bongiorno said. A video of the attack shows Brown, who wasn't seriously injured, defending herself.

"I think she's more affected by the verbal abuse than the physical abuse. She's really shaken up," Bongiorno said.

The fight was taped by a white crew from a second television station. They were not attacked.

Tousha Smith, 31, Billie Joe Taylor, 31, and Trina Vinson, 48, were being held at a Union jail Tuesday evening on assault and battery charges, authorities said. South Carolina has no law allowing a hate crime charge.

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Attempts to contact the family were unsuccessful; messages left at several numbers were not immediately returned, and authorities said they weren't sure whether the three had attorneys.

Charges are pending against a fourth person, authorities said. The reporter and photographer were not charged.

Brown was reporting on the death of 73-year-old Tommy Howell, who was killed by a blow to the head after an argument, authorities said. His body was found Tuesday in his home. Police arrested his grandson, Shane Howell, and charged him with murder, Union Police Chief Sam White said.

Shane Howell remains in jail, and it is unclear whether he has an attorney.

"These people were very upset," White said. "I guess they just took it out the wrong way."

Comments

[GlassMask]

Okay, I'm a fat, middle-aged, bald white guy living in a tiny town in South Carolina. Please don't generalize the actions of these stupid rednecks to apply to all people who live in the south; that's pretty racist in itself. The family was understandably upset, with both a death and an accused murderer among them, but they were just idiots. The same thing could have happened in any state, and racism is gradually going away, but it isn't gone yet.

Let's despise the idea and those who continue it, not the 90% of the world who've gotten over it.

[Tyrione]

Didn't you get the memo. Only whites can be racist. It's the new vogue thing.

[fullkelly]

Only whites can be racist? Isn't that discrimination ; ). good I like being the only one allowed to discriminate. LOL! YEAH

[quetzalfan]

Nice!

I rarely watch a cops show, but did while working out today. A cop went up to a young black man and told him "the reason I'm stopping you is you were walking on the wrong side of the street at night." The black guy then started punching the police officer, a horrible idea.

But do you have any idea how many times I've walked on the wrong side of the road on the country road I live on? (Yes, this was a country road in the video.) Don't tell me that didn't happen because the cop wanted to give a black guy a hard time. In the end, he was charged with assaulting a police officer.

Racism is alive and well in the good old USA

[qdog112]

Bullshit, whites are not the only ones who can be racists. Whoever said that is WRONG. But don't get it twisted my friend, this is a case of white racism by the attackers and racist sentiment by some that made post attack statements. To them it's just the natural order of things. Don't defend the indefensible!

[kimbari]

Only whites CAN be racist. *Racist* implies "being on top," there for there's no way POC can be racist because *they* are not on top.

Now, POC can be *prejudiced* and many are. But not racist.

[cowman]

It must be new because last time I checked the dictionary racist meant judging someone based solely on their race. What's the new definition? When was this changed?

Does this mean Louis Farrakhan isn't racist anymore?

[ashen]

Yeah, it's pretty awful all the way around. But I think when you are a journalist covering what is probably the worst day in people's lives, you have to be mindful of how upset people can be. I am not saying that they were justified in attacking her, nor that they aren't racist (the use of language isn't necessarily a giveaway given the context), nor am I saying she did anything obvious to provoke them. I guess I am saying that the whole situation has tragedy stamped all over it going in, why pile on.

[phansen]

90% of the world maaaaybe..­. but what percentage of South Carolina is the question in this context. Or Mississippi for that matter, and a number of other states. Racism is clearly alive and well, but fortunately, in this case it's being shown how absolutely backwards and anachronistic it really is.

[AurigaRa]

nice to know there is one person with a brain living there

[DoAsISay]

I agree with GlassMask. It is unfair to generalize based on this one incident that all whites in SC are racist. And it is also unfair to assume that they are republicans, as some have pointed out. There are plenty of racist democrats. Ferraro raises money for them.

[cowman]

Indeed. To assume all whites in SC are racist is, in fact, racist.

[wijg]

This is disgusting­...

Betcha this thread gets closed down.

[jbeach]

Guess again. :) Which is a good thing. Still waiting for my orig comment to be posted...m­aybe it was just now...

[DoAsISay]

Wait a few hours, by then Ferraro will be on Fox again, wearing a hood. Is this really a blog?

[quiddler]

I guess everybody grieves in her own way....

[Tejano1]

lol

[cowman]

I don't recall lynching as any part of the grieving process I've ever heard of.

[nieddu]

South Carolina, I lived there for 6 years, and always wondered how this state, infested with so may white-trash people, became part of the USA. Geraldine Ferraro would feel at home and enjoy to live in SC

[DoAsISay]

No she would not!!! You think these people would come to her hoity-toity fund raisers?

[fullkelly]

That is why I live in a whites only area. I like my rights.

[sheraz]

This has nothing to do with Ferraro

[jeffd]

One more data point for the thesis that the greatest tragedy in American history was the Union *winning* the Civil War. Think about how many completely effed-up politicians and 'leading opinion-makers' we've had in the last century-plus, and where most of them have hailed from. Abe should have let the Confederate economy implode under its own weight and reunited the country after the 'white trash' *knew* they couldn't hack it on their own. I think it would have been all over and done with by 1890 or so, and there would have been less hatred and violence (and, incidentally, less pain to the black community) as a result. Slavery could never survive in an industrializing economy that was competing against another (the Union) which had more and better-educated skilled workers.

[GoodbyeKitty]

What makes me nervous is that if there is ever a breakdown of society, even for a very short peoriod of time, these are the people that will be running amok

[kappa08]

How about...RE­PORTER attacked by grieving white family she hassled for a story. A very weak attempt to create a racial issue here.

[rinpochet]

The Clintons won't be happy until we have race riots again in this country. That's exactly where they're pushing this. Someone should sweep this trash out of the race.

Talk about advantage! She has the Clinton name and is white. Couldn't get much easier than that. Problem is she came up against someone with talent!

[Libsrule]

Racism is alive and well in the South. VERY ALIVE.

As for the part about SC not having any laws for hate crimes (which this obviously was going by the targer and the racial slurs being thrown) you all might be interested in knowing WHY they don't have any hate crime laws.

Religion!

The religion freaks are all terrified that by speaking out against gay people and denouncing them regularly from the pulpit they well be the target of lawsuits claiming hate crimes WHICH no legislation has ever said would be allowed.

But hey, fear mongering and hate are alive and well in the churches of the south as well.


http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7235393/the_crusaders/

[Ginzaman]

Looks like the days of under-the-radar Reagan racism are all over. Now, it's f**k you. I don't give a s**t what you think. Perfect example: senile racist Ferraro.

[LGrace]

How was what she said racist?

[conservicide]

sue those m.f.ing rednecks

say hello to your murderer son

[dogstar7]

This isn't half the story!

The town of Larens, SC. where this took place is reeling over a controversy involving a prominent black church attempting to close a racist shop in a downtown building that they own.

Read more here: http://www.wyff4.com/news/15553420/detail.html

"A predominantly black Baptist church owns a building that houses the "Redneck Shop," and the pastor says the church wants to be sure the business is abiding by its lease agreement.

The store sells KKK robes, racist T-shirts and other items. The church bought the building in 1997."

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

That article was in our paper here in the Atl. yesterday. I was amazed, but I know of at least one shop in Kennesaw, Ga. where not only is there an abundance of Klan memorabilia (sp?), but I did a graduate research paper on "Women of the Modern Day Klan" and the man that owned the shop set me up with in interview with the Grand Dragon of Ga. That was the scariest interview I ever did. The man was only about 26 or so, but he had eyes like a rattlesnake. Scarey. And the saddest thing of all is that he had a young son (2 yo) that he was already teaching how to hate.

[Meggie]

This is the same town??? Geez - I bet that mayor has problems bring new businesses into the city limits. I probably wouldn't have noticed - thanks & I'll keep on driving!

[faust2001]

America--bringing democracy to the world!

[jeffd]

...while eliminating civil society at home....

[sunmoonstar0903]

one word: DISGUSTING

[rivrgrrl]

Actually, three words:

disgusting white trash

[kingfishstew]

This is why race baiting is so irresponsible. Anyone who thinks inflaming racial passions is cute, or just a legitimate political tactic, is really ignoring how hard a lot of people have worked to civilize this country and the world on these issues.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

I guess all this hate mongering emboldens the actual hillbillies as well as the HRC ones. The self righteousness of Gerraldine Ferraro apparently has trickled down into the beer swilling class.

[VictorLudorum]

Until the black president is in the white house ,its alright IF they refrain from attacking please....­.

[kimbari]

That's not funny.