JUNE 29, 1941

Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, was born. Inspired by the sit-ins in the South, he joined the civil rights movement and became a Freedom Rider. Arrested in Jackson,

He became a leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, replacing John Lewis, and popularized the term “black power.” The phrase became a movement, and he became known as “honorary prime minister” of the Black Panther Party. He died of prostate cancer in 1998.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

With completion of the state's autopsy of Belhaven Heights resident Dau Mabil, showing death by drowning of unknown cause, his brother can move forward with getting a second independent  autopsy he fought to obtain. 

Bailey Martin, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety, said in an email the autopsy can be conducted without delay, impairment or interference now that Capitol Police's investigation is closed. 

“The family is awaiting results of an independent autopsy and they will move forward from there,” said Lisa Ross, a Jackson attorney representing Mabil's brother, Bul. 

She said the goal is to have the autopsy completed so that Mabil can have a proper burial. 

A May court order set the terms for a second autopsy, including that Dau Mabil's body would be stored by the State Medical Examiner's Office until investigations are complete. 

Ross said the names of two forensic pathologists have been shared with Dau Mabil's widow, Karissa Bowley. In court, she asked for guardrails for the independent autopsy, including a requirement that the examiner be qualified. 

Bowley was not immediately available for comment Friday. 

Dau Mabil, along with his brother, came to Jackson in 2000 as one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” boys who had fled war and genocide in their country. Bul Mabil said his brother was born in 1990, but the autopsy report states his age as 37.

Dau Mabil was last seen March 25 in the Belhaven area after going on a walk without his phone, according to his wife. Video footage showed him near Jefferson Street and Fortification and High streets, and Bowley said he went to check on corn he planted near the Museum Trail. 

Bowley and community members began search efforts. Bul Mabil traveled from out of state and joined Bowley and others at an early April press conference to call for answers about Dau's whereabouts.

Three weeks later, a fisherman reported a body floating in the Pearl River near Lawrence County, and a preliminary autopsy revealed that it was the body of Mabil. The Lawrence County sheriff said there was no evidence of foul play. 

Bul Mabil and other family members have questioned if that is true. The day his brother's body was recovered, he sought an emergency restraining order against Bowley, Capitol Police and the state Crime Lab to preserve Dau's body for a state autopsy and an independent one. 

Several weeks later in May, Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas removed Bul Mabil from the lawsuit, but Bowley said in court and in filings that she would allow a second autopsy. In his order, Thomas stipulated that a second autopsy would be done at Bul Mabil's “direction and expense.” 

Last week, Bowley released the state's five-page autopsy report that listed Mabil's cause of death as drowning and the manner of death as undetermined. The report notes that there were no internal or external signs of trauma or injury that could account for his death. 

Postmortem toxicology analysis of liver tissue and decomposition fluid found the presence of ethanol. 

An accompanying toxicology report noted that ethanol – also known as ethyl alcohol or drinking alcohol – can be a central nervous system depressant that can cause impaired judgment, reduced alertness and impaired coordination. Ethanol also can be a product of decomposition, the report notes. 

A week before the autopsy results were released, the Bowley family and Mabil family and supporters spoke in separate press conferences. 

The Bowleys dismissed allegations and implications that his widow or family had anything to do with Mabil's disappearance, which Ross had implied during her questioning of Karissa Bowley during an April court hearing on the restraining order. 

Bul Mabil was joined by his and Dau's mother, who had traveled from Africa, along with Sudanese family, friends and community members. Bul Mabil still believes someone killed his brother, and he criticsized Capitol Police for how it handled his case, local media reported. 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor on Friday stood by Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president after party officials around the nation were left reckoning with Biden's shaky performance in the first presidential debate.

“Biden is tried and tested,” Taylor said during a recording of Mississippi Today's “The Other Side” political podcast. “If we're looking at the priorities he's put forward, I don't think most Democrats have heartburn about that.”

Taylor's complete response to the debate, and thoughts on numerous other Mississippi political topics can be heard on “The Other Side,” which will air Monday morning. 

Biden, 81, faced off in a Thursday debate with former President Donald Trump, 78, moderated by CNN that covered topics including abortion, the economy and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Several times during the debate, Biden stumbled over his words, paused to correct phrases and sometimes trailed off, leaving an unclear end to sentences.  

Trump had far more energy than the incumbent president, but often spouted false information, such as continuing to repeat the debunked claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and was rife with voter fraud. 

Several national Democratic operatives and media pundits have said the president should step aside and allow a new candidate to take his place atop the presidential ticket. If that were to happen, it would create a historic scenario at the Democratic National Convention later this year that would give the party's delegates power to select a new candidate. 

Taylor did say that if the first-term Democratic president does withdraw his nomination from consideration, then Vice President Kamala Harris should take his place as the head of the ticket. 

Mississippi public officials from both sides of the aisle reacted on social media to Thursday night's debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Here are some responses:

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves: “If Joe Biden was in your family, you'd take his car keys and keep him safe in your home. But he's our President, and he needs to rest comfortably somewhere other than the White House.”

Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith: “What we saw tonight were two very different visions for America. Joe Biden was solely focused on division and backwards policies, while President Trump provided a platform for reversing record inflation, closing our Southern border, and keeping our country safe in an increasingly dangerous world. We need a leader who has a record of accomplishment and Making America Great! I couldn't be more proud of how my friend, Donald J. Trump performed tonight. Vote RED November 5!”

Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson: “I wish Trump would answer the questions he is asked.”

Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Ty Pinkins: “President Biden demonstrated a clear commitment to addressing the needs and concerns of everyday Americans. It's this dedication to working for all Americans that I support and look forward to building upon in the Senate.”

Republican state Auditor Shad White: “President Trump was on message and the obvious winner tonight. I honestly struggled to even understand what President Biden was saying most of the time.”

Republican Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson: “‘The idea!' The idea that this man is President of the United States is a very scary idea for our country. The idea that he wants to continue another 4 years is even scarier. I cannot wait to attend the RNC in July and cast a vote for our candidate Donald J. Trump.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.