Jennifer Schulte, a.k.a. Barbecue Becky, didn’t like the fact that a jovial group of Black people were enjoying a sunny day at Oakland’s Lake Merritt. So she called 911.
“I'm really scared! You gotta come quick!” she said in her notorious 911 call.
Amy Cooper didn’t like that a Black man wanted to watch birds in Central Park. So she called 911 to say “an African-American man is threatening my life.”
Katie Sorensen didn’t like that a Latino couple had the audacity to be in a Michaels craft store at the same time as she and her children. So she called 911 and claimed the couple was trying to kidnap her kids.
The important difference is that Sorensen was led away in handcuffs last week. She was found guilty of one misdemeanor count of filing a false police report after vilifying an innocent couple who simply went shopping for Christmas decorations.
Sorensen’s guilty verdict was a welcomed relief, especially to communities of color, who have spent generations being patrolled by overzealous white people who feel deputized to tell others how to behave.
This trial was an important reminder that these false claims cause real harm, and should be treated as a crime.
The story Sorensen wove was so sensational, it immediately raised questions. Especially after she doubled down with a now-infamous viral video, her big blue eyes filled with crocodile tears, as she concocted a story for her audience. That story was in direct conflict with some of her testimony to police.
Which shows the...
When a company promises to save the planet by 2050, it sounds reassuring. But what if that promise comes with no real plan, no credible evidence, and no accountability? A sweeping new study reveal...