Ben Crump is a person of the folks. Every time Black folks face authorized injustice, lawyer Crump is rarely far-off. In the present day, Dec. 23, Crump and Buddies hosted a toy drive, giving a whole lot of items to youth round Atlanta. Youngsters acquired items together with bikes, dolls, basketballs, footballs and different toys and electronics.
Why was this toy drive necessary to you?
You already know, when my fraternity [brothers] Chris McCreery and C BlaQue and us began speaking about this and so they mentioned, we’re gonna do that Ben Crump and Buddies Christmas extravaganza, I mentioned, it’s not solely my obligation, however it’s my pleasure to do it. As a result of I grew up within the tasks with a single mom and my two little brothers. And I do know Christmas wasn’t all the time the happiest occasions. And so now that we’ve been blessed and may return and ensure youngsters in our group know that they’re cherished and valued and revered, then that’s what Christmas means to me. And it was so particular seeing all that Black pleasure right now with all these little Black girls and boys saying, man, Santa Claus didn’t miss us.
What made you wish to turn out to be a civil rights advocate?
It was once I was within the fourth grade after we had the varsity bus and I noticed every little thing that they had on the white aspect of city versus what we had on the Black aspect of city. And my mom informed me the explanation we acquired to go to the brand new faculties with the brand new books and new know-how was due to the NAACP Brown v. Board of Training case and a lawyer named Thurgood Marshall. And I decided proper then as a nine-year-old fourth grader that once I grew up, I used to be going to be like Thurgood Marshall and battle to make our group and individuals who seem like me have a greater alternative at reaching the American dream. And for every single day once I get up, I nonetheless acquired the identical goal as that little nine-year-old boy. Attempting to verify us Black folks have an equal alternative. And The American promise.
Are you able to give us a 12 months in evaluation?
Now, this 12 months was a really pivotal 12 months for the Ben Crump Regulation Agency. We acquired main landmark justices in Tyre Nichols case. The younger man who was crushed to loss of life by the 5 law enforcement officials, all of them have been convicted in state court docket. After which Sonya Massey … The sister who the police informed to get the pot of water off the range, after which he shot her in her face in her own residence. So we’re preventing for justice for her. And we have been in a position to get a conviction for Breonna Taylor this 12 months with the Justice Division. The primary time in historical past {that a} Black girl has gotten a federal conviction of a police officer for killing her. And in order that was landmark. Botham Jean, simply in November, we have been in a position to settle after 5 years. Keep in mind, Botham Jean was the brother in his residence minding his personal enterprise when the white policewoman got here into allegedly the mistaken residence and shot and killed him, pondering that it was her residence. Allegedly. After which she mentioned self-defense. Effectively, after 5 years, we lastly had the trial on that case, and we acquired $100 million verdict for Botham’s life. After which simply this month in December for Tyre Sampson, the younger Black child who was 14 years outdated along with his soccer group visiting the Central Florida theme park, Icon Park, fell to his loss of life from the free fall experience. And we acquired a historic verdict, the biggest ever in historical past for a Black youngster when the jury got here again and returned the decision of $310 million. And so we began the 12 months with a bang, and we ended the 12 months with a bang. And we all know in 2025, we’re gonna have quite a lot of hurdles, quite a lot of obstacles, however Black folks, we gonna be all proper.