Rapper and business icon, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has been advocating for social justice for a while now. However, following recent acts of police brutality, Carter is doing what he can to ensure that social justice warriors on the frontlines are supported.
According to Revolt, Carter has recently posted bail and covered legal fees for demonstrators in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
The protests took place after it was revealed that no charges were brought against Joseph Mensah, the Black officer who shot Alvin Cole, a Black teenager who was shot and killed outside a Wauwatosa mall. Cole was the third person Mensah had killed in the line of duty.
“Our hearts break for the family of Alvin Cole and the Wauwatosa community. Not only did the District Attorney’s Office fail to hold Officer Joseph Mensah accountable for killing Alvin, but the local police also arrested and injured Alvin’s mother Tracy and his sisters as they peacefully protested alongside Jacob Blake’s father,” the executive director for Team Roc, Dania Diaz, said in a statement.
According to a report from Revolt, Jay-Z and Team Roc are asking Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers to appoint a special prosecutor in the case. The Grammy winner and Team Roc sent a letter to Chisholm demanding he prosecute Mensah and planned to support the call to action with a billboard.
However, according to The Source, their effort was blocked by the Lamar Advertising Company, which claimed that the message, “Officer Mensah Must Be Held Accountable” could have an effect on a future action” or be an “issue with criminal implications.”
Alvin Cole was only 17-years-old when he was killed while running away from Officer Mensah. We originally covered this tragedy here.
