Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNewsNews Video

Father of Teen Killed By MS-13 Gang Rips Black Democrats for SOTU Protest: ‘That Was Very Disrespectful’

Posted byBy Tanasia Kenney | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

The parents of a New York teen brutally slain by the notorious gang MS-13 said they were shocked and disappointed at the behavior displayed by Democratic lawmakers at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Robert Mickens and Elizabeth Alvarado, whose daughter Nisa Mickens was killed by gang members in September 2016, were invited, along with other families of victims murdered by undocumented immigrants, to attend the event in Washington, D.C.

Democrats visibly lacked the enthusiasm of their fellow lawmakers across the aisle, refusing to stand when the families were recognized and offering little to no applause. That didn’t sit well with Micken’s father.

“I thought it was very disrespectful,” he said during an appearance on Fox News. “For the simple fact that the Democrats who were there and did not stand up, they were African-Americans. So that hurt me a lot … Regardless of how they feel about the president, they should show the respect, because I’d show them the respect if that was their loved one.”

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top