Using his platform to once again help those in the Black community, Jay-Z has covered the legal fees for Alvin Cole’s mother and other protesters who are arrested during demonstrations in Wisconsin. The protests began after Milwaukee’s district attorney decided against charging police officer Joseph Mensah in the shooting death of 17-year-old Alvin Cole. Back in February, Cole was shot after officers began to pursue the teen through a car park in Wauwatosa. Alvin’s mother, Tracy, and her three daughters, Taleavia, Tristiana and Tahudah, were among the dozens of protesters who were arrested during demonstrations in Wisconsin on October 8.
According CBS News Jay-Z and Team Roc, the social justice branch of Roc Nation, paid an undisclosed amount in fees for Tracy Cole and others arrested at the protests. The protesters were reportedly arrested for violating the city’s 7pm curfew. A spokesperson for Team Roc said Tracy was injured after officers used “excessive force” during the protests. Dania Diaz, the executive director for Team Roc, shared a statement about Tracy’s injuries and the district attorney’s failure “to hold Officer Joseph Mensah accountable”:
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.
(CBS News)