Shaun King (activist)

Shaun King

Shaun King (right) with Crowdrise founder Robert Wolfe, in 2013
Born Jeffery Shaun King
(1979-09-17) September 17, 1979
Franklin County, Kentucky, U.S.
Nationality American
Alma mater Morehouse College
Occupation
  • Writer
  • activist
  • entrepreneur
  • pastor
Movement Black Lives Matter
Spouse(s) Rai King
Children 5
Parent(s) Naomi Fleming[1]

Jeffery Shaun King (born September 17, 1979) is an American writer and civil rights activist. He is noted for his use of social media to promote religious, charitable, and social causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement. He is the senior justice writer for the New York Daily News. Previously, he was a contributing writer for Daily Kos.

Early life

King grew up in Versailles, Kentucky.[2] He was raised by his white mother, with the knowledge that his biological father was a light-skinned black man.[1][3] According to a local police detective, those who knew him were aware of his biracial heritage.[4] King attended Huntertown Elementary School[5] and Woodford County High School.[6]

King attended Morehouse College, a private, historically black men's college in Atlanta, Georgia, where he majored in history.[7] Midway through his education, he had to take a medical leave.[8] Upon his return, he was named an Oprah Winfrey Scholar by Morehouse. Oprah scholars are given financial support and are required to maintain their grade point average and do community service.[9] King fulfilled his community service requirement by tutoring and mentoring students at Franklin Lebby Stanton Elementary School in Atlanta.[7] After graduation in 2002, King was a research assistant for Morehouse history professor Alton Hornsby Jr.[10]

Career

After graduation, King was a high school civics teacher for about a year and then became a motivational speaker for Atlanta's juvenile justice system.[3] He was then a pastor at Total Grace Christian Center in DeKalb County, Georgia.[11] In 2008, King founded a church in Atlanta called "Courageous Church". He made use of social media to recruit new members and was known as the "Facebook Pastor".[3][12]

In March 2010, while still a pastor, he founded aHomeinHaiti.org as a subsidiary of Courageous Church and used eBay and Twitter to raise $1.5 million to send tents to Haiti after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria was a spokesperson for the campaign.[13] This inspired him to launch TwitChange.com, a charity auction site. TwitChange held Twitter charity auctions on eBay where celebrities offered to retweet winning bidders' tweets in exchange for support of a particular charity. One campaign raised funds to build an orphanage in Bonneau, Haiti.[14][15][16][17] In 2010, TwitChange won the Mashable Award for "Most Creative Social Good Campaign".[18][19]

In 2012, King resigned from the Courageous Church, citing personal stress and disillusionment.[20] That same year he and web designer Chad Kellough founded HopeMob.org,[21] a charity site that used voting to select a particular person's story and then raise money for that story until its goal was met. The money went to the organization that provided what the person's needs, not to the person individually. After one goal was met, the next story in line would then get funds raised.[22] HopeMob initially raised funds to build their platform in January 2012 on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. Their campaign raised about $125,000[23]

In 2014, he and two co-inventors, Ray Lee and Vincent Tuscano, were awarded U.S. patent 8,667,075, "System and method for implementing a subscription-based social media platform". This patent was filed by the startup he founded @Upfront.[24][25][26]

In 2015, he wrote the self-help book The Power of 100.[27]

On October 2, 2015, the New York Daily News announced that it was hiring King to the new position of senior justice writer, where he will focus on reporting and commentary on social justice, police brutality and race relations.[28]

Activism

King has written extensively about incidents in the Black Lives Matter movement, gaining prominence during the events following the shooting of Michael Brown. King wrote an article analyzing the Brown crime scene, and argued that the evidence suggested that officer Darren Wilson's life was not in danger during the shooting.[29]

King became a contributing blogger for the politically liberal website the Daily Kos in September 2014.[30] His contributions to the website have centered around civil rights issues and violence in Ferguson, Missouri, and Charleston, South Carolina, as well as allegations of police brutality toward the black community.[31] In August 2015, he launched Justice Together, an organization to identify police brutality and lobby local politicians for change.[32]

King announced that he would leave the Democratic Party after the 2016 election due to allegations of corruption and lack of neutrality in the party during the primaries.[33]

In September 2016, King proposed an Injustice Boycott for later that year in December.[34][35]

Tamir Rice fundraising

King has raised money for multiple causes including the Tamir Rice shooting, and various incidents where the Black Lives Matter movement has been involved. Through the fund-raising website, YouCaring.com, King raised $60,000 for Rice's family. Rice, a 12-year-old resident of Cleveland, Ohio, was killed in 2014 by two Cleveland city policemen after they responded to a complaint "of a male black sitting on a swing and pointing a gun at people."[36][37][38]

After learning the child had not been buried as of five months after the shooting, and the child's mother had moved into a homeless shelter,[39] he started the fund to assist the Rice family; however, family attorney Timothy Kucharski stated in May 2015 that neither he nor the Rice family had heard of King or the fundraiser, nor had they received any money.[40][41] The money raised was then seized by the court and placed into Tamir Rice's estate instead of being freely available to the family. King and the Rice family's new legal counsel, Benjamin Crump, then started a second charity drive with the proceeds going directly to the family. An additional $25,000 was raised.[41][42]

Personal life

He is married with five children.[20] Three of his children are biological with his wife and two are by custody and adoption. He has had foster children, nieces and nephews stay with him.[32][43] He has written extensively about his experiences as a biracial person.

High school assault

One of his experiences in high school was what he considered a hate crime assault.[15] King stated a "dozen rednecks" had beaten him and the injuries caused him to miss a portion of two years of high school due to multiple spinal surgeries.[3] A band teacher, two fellow students from King's high school, as well as King's wife, posted their recollection of the event to Facebook, backing King's account.[44][45][46]

The detective who investigated the case in 1995 described King's injuries as "minor". The associated police report noted that the incident revolved around a fight involving only one other student who defended his girlfriend after being allegedly threatened by King. The report did not indicate the incident was racially motivated. There is no mention of a "hate crime" either with local police or with the FBI.[44][47] Keith Broughton, the investigating detective, said he interviewed six witnesses put forth by the school's principal, including a teacher who broke up the fight. All of them described it as a one-on-one altercation.[44]

An unnamed family member told CNN's Don Lemon that the fight was because King was a white guy dating a black girl.[48] A number of other eyewitnesses have described the assault as clearly being motivated by King being perceived as black, describing how he was routinely attacked with racial slurs because of his curly black hair.[45]

Questions regarding race

In August 2015, conservative websites questioned King's biracial identity based on information from King's birth certificate which lists Naomi Fleming and Jeffrey Wayne King as Shaun King's parents, both of whom are white.[1] King said that the man listed on his birth certificate is not his biological father, and that his mother has told him his biological father is a light-skinned black man.[44][49] King and his supporters expressed concern that such questions were an attempt to distract from the Black Lives Matter movement.[48][50]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lowery, Wesley; Miller, Michael (August 20, 2015). "Activist Shaun King says man on his birth certificate isn't his biological father". The Washington Post.
  2. ↑ "Versailles leaders discuss Shaun King's critical comments", WKYT.com, August 31, 2015
  3. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Troy (March 2012). "Innovative entrepreneur Shaun King has mastered the art of using social media for social good". rebelmagazine.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014.
  4. ↑ Vazquez, Maegan (August 21, 2015). "Was Shaun King a Victim of a Hate-Crime in High School? Eyewitness and Police Reports Are at Odds". Independent Journal Review. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  5. ↑ Gorman, Michele (August 20, 2015). "Black Lives Matter Leader Shaun King Denies He Lied About Race and Assault". Newsweek. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Woodford native Shaun King responds to questions about his race". WKYT. August 21, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Scott, Jeffry (November 8, 2010). "Pastor harnesses online giving". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  8. ↑ "Ripple Effect of One Act of Kindness – Oprah Scholarship". Oprah.com.
  9. ↑ Seraine Page,"Local Oprah Scholar on final show", coastalcourier.com, June 1, 2011.
  10. ↑ Hornsby, Alton (2004). Southerners, Too?: Essays on the Black South, 1733–1990. University Press of America. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7618-2872-3.
  11. ↑ "Bishop Johnathan Alvarado Focus of Prosecutors". 11 Alive Atlanta.
  12. ↑ Scott Marshall, "Shaun King: Courageous Church, Atlanta", outreachmagazine.com, June 7, 2011.
  13. ↑ Marcia Wade Talbert, "Tweets for Good: Atlanta pastor transforms microphilanthropy with celebrity Twitter auctions", BlackEnterprise.com, June 1, 2011.
  14. ↑ "TheGrio's 100: Shaun King, leveraging social media for greater good". theGrio.
  15. 1 2 Thorpe, Devin. "Shaun King Brings Hope(Mob) to Crowdfunding". Forbes.
  16. ↑ Gross, David (September 16, 2010). "Pay for celebs to tweet for you (and charity)". CNN.
  17. ↑ Audi, Tamara (September 23, 2010). "Celebrities Auction Tweets to Raise Money for Haitian Orphans". The Wall Street Journal.
  18. ↑ "Mashable Awards 2010: Announcing The Winners", 6 January 2011
  19. ↑ Marcia Wade Talbert, "TwitChange wins Mashable Award for Social Good at CES", Black Enterprise, 7 January 2011
  20. 1 2 Menzie, Nicola (August 20, 2013). "HopeMob CEO and Retired Pastor Shaun King Talks Churches, Technology, New Startup". The Christian Post.
  21. ↑ Ong, Josh (December 8, 2012). "HopeMob, the 'Kickstarter for causes', relaunches as a no-fee fundraising platform open to all". The Next Web.
  22. ↑ Neumann, Amy (August 13, 2012). "Social Good Stars:HopeMob's Shaun King". The Huffington Post.
  23. ↑ Kent Bernhard Jr., "Preach and testify! HopeMob combines charity, crowdfunding", Upstart Business Journal, 1 May 2013
  24. ↑ "Shaun King". Angel.co.
  25. ↑ "Upfront Awarded Far-Reaching Patent for Premium Mobile Content". Reuters. March 6, 2014.
  26. ↑ US 8667075, King, Jeffrey Shaun; Ray Lee & Vincent Tuscano, "System and method for implementing a subscription-based social media platform", published September 12, 2013
  27. ↑ "The Power of 100", marilushow.com, January 7, 2015.
  28. ↑ NY Daily News hires columnist and activist Shaun King. CNNMoney, October 2, 2015
  29. ↑ Thomas, Dexter (July 22, 2015). "Suspicion over 'glitches' in Sandra Bland arrest video shouldn't surprise us". Los Angeles Times.
  30. ↑ "Meet our newest writer, Shaun King". Daily Kos. October 1, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Search results from Daily Kos". Daily Kos. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  32. 1 2 Sujay Kumar, Fusion Magazine, August 31, 2013
  33. ↑ King, Shaun (May 20, 2016). "Here's why I'm leaving the Democratic Party after this presidential election and you should too". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  34. ↑ Puglise, Nicole (September 30, 2016). "Could a boycott by black Americans end police brutality and injustice in the US?". The Guardian. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  35. ↑ King, Shaun (September 30, 2016). "Here is how we will boycott injustice and police brutality in America". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Tamir Rice Shooting – Cleveland Police Dispatch Radio". YouTube. November 24, 2014.
  37. ↑ Izadi, Elahe; Holley, Peter (November 26, 2014). "Video shows Cleveland officer shooting 12-year-old Tamir Rice within seconds". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  38. ↑ Tom McCarthy in New York, Tamir Rice: video shows boy, 12, shot 'seconds' after police confronted child, The Guardian; retrieved November 26, 2014.
  39. ↑ Lowery, Wesley (May 4, 2015). "As investigation enters fifth month, Tamir Rice's mother has moved into a homeless shelter". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Funds Raised for Rice Family Get Caught in Legal Morass; New Fundraising Effort Under Way". Cleveland Scene.
  41. 1 2 Wesley Lowery (May 5, 2015). "Online activists raised $60K for Tamir Rice's family – so where did all that money go?". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  42. ↑ A complete accounting of every dollar raised by Shaun King throughout the Black Lives Matter Movement, Shaun King, Medium, December 26, 2015
  43. ↑ Stevens, Alexis (August 20, 2015). "Activist Shaun King, a Morehouse grad, denies lying about race". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  44. 1 2 3 4 Southall, Ashley (August 19, 2015). "Activist Shaun King Denies Claims He Lied About Race and Assault". The New York Times.
  45. 1 2 German Lopez (August 21, 2015). "The Shaun King controversy, explained". Vox.com.
  46. ↑ "Black Lives Matter activist, Shaun King, might be white". NY Daily News.
  47. ↑ Ross, Chuck (July 21, 2015). "Ferguson Activist's Hate Crime Claim Disputed By Police". The Daily Caller.
  48. 1 2 Cris, Doug (August 20, 2015). "Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King addresses race reports". CNN.
  49. ↑ King, Shaun (August 20, 2015). "Race, love, hate, and me: A distinctly American story". DailyKos.
  50. ↑ Rogers, Katie (August 21, 2015). "In Questions Over Shaun King's Race, Activists See Challenge to Black Lives Matter Movement". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.