“When we found out he had a bond, I started crying instantly,” Lewis said. “If it was a Black guy, they wouldn’t have had a bond or anything.”
Stewart’s death is the latest to involve a particular race element in Minnesota. The high-profile deaths of Philando Castillo, George Floyd and Daunte Wright also took place in the state. Stewart’s cousin, poet and activist Tongo Eisen-Martin remarked to rolling out Malcolm X’s quote that everywhere below Canada is “the South.”
“There is no geographic sanctuary for Black people in the United States,” Eisen-Martin said. “Wherever you have a White power structure and its various derivatives, you have a war against Black people. This is the true psyche of the United States.”
The family demands higher prosecution for Kjellberg, including first-degree murder and the death being charged as a hate crime. Stewart’s family also demands the release of the 911 call, as they believe Kjellberg used the n-word on the call as well. For people who want to help, the family asks citizens to call Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and demand justice.
Kjellberg has a hearing set for Jan. 3, Armstrong said. A “Justice for AJ” group on Facebook will also have updates.
