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’

By | Published on February 1, 2018
CommentsComments (0) Add ABS as a preferred source on Google i

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.”

The ABS Newsletter — Stories that matter, in your inbox.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. 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, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up 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

Latest from Atlanta Black Star

Back to top