Georgia state Rep. Tyrone Brooks has been indicted by a grand jury for misappropriating $1 million in charitable funds. However, some believe that Brooks is being targeted because of his willingness to confront Georgia’s racist past.
At a time Georgia’s state flag featured the Confederate battle symbol, Brooks, 67, fought for years to have the symbol removed.
The Confederate symbol was a slap in the face of black residents who were forced to live under a flag that represented and backed the idea of slavery. In 2001, Governor Roy Barnes finally removed the symbol on the flag.
Furthermore, Brooks, who also marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, has supported the re-enactments of two black couples who were lynched in 1946 by whites. The re-enactments take place in Monroe, Georgia and serves as a reminder of how blacks were brutalized in the South.
There are some individuals who don’t want to be reminded of that vicious past. Brooks and others believe that they are making him pay for his stance.
On the other hand, the FBI and U.S. Attorney Sally Yates have suggested that Brooks used his charity organizations to steal money for his own use. Brooks received funding from Coca-Cola, Georgia Power and other major corporations. Yates says that Brooks used the money to pay for entertainment and other personal expenses. He has been indicted on 30-counts that includes charges of mail, wire and tax fraud.
Share your thoughts. Do you believe Tyrone Brooks is a thief, or is he being targeted because of his stance on racism?
