African American girl, 11, is hospitalized after being attacked and knocked unconscious by 12-year-old white boy who 'hurled racist insults at her before hitting her in the head with a metal pole'
An 11-year-old black girl was hospitalized in Kansas late last month after a 12-year-old white boy allegedly hurled racist insults at her and struck her with a metal pole.
Nevaeh Thomas says she was playing with friends at the Park 67 Apartments in Shawnee on August 28 when the boy, who lives in the complex, allegedly began yelling out racial slurs at the girls, all of whom were black.
Nevaeh, who says she had never met the boy before, allegedly responded to his sickening taunts by saying, ‘my black is beautiful’, which angered him further.
The boy then left the scene and returned moments later with a knife and began threatening Nevaeh and her friends, her family say.
He then left once again and returned with a steel pole, swinging it at Nevaeh and striking her in the head. The blow knocked her unconscious for three minutes and left her bleeding from deep lacerations on her face.
Nevaeh Thomas was hospitalized in Kansas late last month after she was reportedly attacked and knocked unconscious by a 12-year-old white boy who hurled racist insults at her before striking her with a metal pole
Nevaeh Thomas says she was playing with friends at the Park 67 Apartments in Shawnee on August 28 when the boy, who lives in the complex, allegedly began yelling out racial slurs
The Thomas family say it took two hours and numerous pleas to get the Shawnee police department to take the boy into custody.
The boy, who has not been named in police reports because he’s a minor, has since been charged with one felony count of aggravated battery and has been placed on house arrest.
Nevaeh, meanwhile, spent the night in the hospital and received eight stitches to her cheek. She also lost a tooth and was still recovering from a concussion as of late last week.
Just days after the purported racially motivated attack, the brave girl held a press conference calling for society to bring a stop to ‘hate racism’.
‘It’s wrong and it’s wrong to hurt people with words and weapons,’ Nevaeh said Thursday at the Empowerment Temple in Kansas City. ‘It’s OK to be different or have a difference of opinions but it’s not OK to hate and judge each other on their color and their skin.
‘I think we should start talking about these things before another kid gets hurt because they have they have the wrong skin color,' she said.
Nevaeh’s family’s lawyer, LaRonna Lassiter Saunders, added that the Thomas family not only wants to see justice for Nevaeh but wants to bring about change in society.
‘It’s time to start talking about racism,’ she said. ‘Our kids should be able to play, play in a park without being attacked because of the color of their skin.’
Nevaeh spent the night in the hospital and received eight stitches to her cheek. She also lost a tooth and was still recovering from a concussion as of late last week.
Just days after the purported racially motivated attack, the brave girl held a press conference calling for society to bring a stop to ‘hate racism’
In addition to calling for justice for her daughter, Brandi Stewart (seen with Nevaeh left and right) said she hopes the system does all it can to rehabilitate the boy so he learns that hate and violence is not healthy
Nevaeh’s mother, Brandi Stewart, and grandparents Kendra Dean and Malcom X Martin, said they wanted the boy to receive the same treatment as an adult.
The family also demands that the boy’s father be held accountable for what happened.
Stewart said that finding out her daughter was injured in an assault was hard enough to confront, but when she learned of her attacker yelling racial slurs she was left even more devastated.
‘As a mom, my biggest worry had been that Nevaeh might be kidnapped when she went an played outside,’ Stewart said. ‘I don’t think I ever would have imagined that I ever would have had to worry about her being a victim of a racially motivated attack.’
In addition to calling for justice for her daughter, Stewart said she hopes the system does all it can to rehabilitate the boy so he learns that hate and violence is not healthy.
‘He’s only 12 years old. I want to believe that there is hope and that if he does get good help that he can learn from this incident,’ Stewart said.
‘We need to tell [our children] how expressions of hate can make others feel and how they can leave scars that last a lifetime,’ she continued. ‘We need to make sure our children have healthy ways to resolve conflict, and we need to model these behaviors for them as best we can.’
‘It’s wrong and it’s wrong to hurt people with words and weapons,’ Nevaeh said Thursday at the Empowerment Temple in Kansas City. ‘It’s OK to be different or have a difference of opinions but it’s not OK to hate and judge each other on their color and their skin'
Navaeh says she is now organizing a walk for children to demonstrate love, anti-racism and community. The date and location of which will be announced at a later date
Nevaeh's grandfather, Malcom X Martin, also voiced his sadness that ‘there’s still 12-year-old racists’.
‘When you think it’s over, it ain’t over,’ he said. ‘And if they’re 12-year-old racists, they’re learning it from somewhere.
‘You’re not born with it, you’re taught it. I feel like as adults, we should be able to control our anger, control our hate, in front of our children so that we can save our children so that they can save the fight for when they get older.’
The family’s pastor, Rev. Terry Bradshaw, also spoke during the conference. He said he has been ‘heartbroken’ ever since receiving word of the ‘heinous’ attack against Nevaeh.
When asked what Nevaeh did to cause the boy to attack her, Bradshaw responded: ‘She stood up and refused to be bullied because of the color of her skin. The only thing Nevaeh is guilty of is being black and beautiful.’
A police investigation into the matter continues. So far, they don’t share the family’s view that it was racially motivated, KFVS reported.
Navaeh, meanwhile, says she is now organizing a walk for children to demonstrate love, anti-racism and community. The date and location of which will be announced at a later date.
