Thursday, August 20, 2015

Shaun King's Family Member Explains the Hate Crime

vicki pate
Jeffery Shaun King - discussing how hiring a Publicist helped his image
In an effort to explain the use of the term "hate crime" when referring to the altercation that happened to him in 1995, Shaun King's family member told Don Lemôn yesterday that it was "racially motivated", in that the fight was over a girl Shaun was dating at the time, a black girl who is now his wife.


Don Lemon: "The family member also say the high school fight, though not a hate crime, was racially motivated because King was dating a black girl at the time who is now his wife."


Knowing how Shaun operates, I'm almost positive this is what he has most likely explained to family members in the past who have asked about the hate crime described on social media and his book, The Power of 100.  There are a couple of problems with this explanation:

1.  King was not dating Rai Tonica Adams in the 10th grade
"Anybody who knows me offline will tell you that I am an immensely private person – bordering a hermit actually. I’ve been with my wife since I was a senior in High School. She’s the only woman I’ve ever been with my entire life. I love her tremendously and am glad in this day and age where fidelity is rare to still have that." (Bold emphasis mine)
The altercation between Shaun and the other young man was in March of '95, when Shaun was a Sophomore in High School.

2. The boy who assaulted Shaun King was white and had dated the girl they were fighting over in the past.
"The reason I hit Shawn [sic] is because he pushed my X-girlfriend up against the wall yesterday and threatened to break her neck over $8 she owed him and I care for her and she was scared yesterday because she thought he was going to hurt her.  I didn't want to see her get hurt.  I know it was wrong but I couldn't stand him threatening a girl like that.
Name redacted
3/2/95"
I know the young man was white because I have been in communication with his cousin and I've seen his facebook page with photos of the man who assaulted King.  Because he was a minor at the time, I will not name him.  Not long ago Shaun got in touch with the cousin and threatened him in private messages on Facebook:
This was in no way a racially motivated crime.  Shaun King simply had his ass handed to him for being a bully to a girl.  After the way he has treated me and others on twitter, I don't find that hard to believe at all.