Vol. 64/No.18 May 8, 2000
Protesters demand justice in nightclub killing
BY EDWIN FRUIT
DES MOINES, Iowa — A march and rally at the Polk County courthouse here drew more than 100 people April 16 to protest a grand jury ruling in the death of Charles Lovelady.
Lovelady, a young Black man, was suffocated to death in February by bouncers at Graffiti's, a local nightclub, after being denied entry because of the clothes he was wearing. Rather than prosecute the case, the Polk County district attorney sent it to a grand jury. Even though the coroner's office ruled it a homicide, not one of the two men has spent any time in jail for Lovelady's death. A coalition called Citizens for Justice has been formed to demand justice in the case. A couple of days before the protest, the grand jury indicted the two men on involuntary manslaughter charges, punishable with up to two years in prison if convicted.
Cory Williams, a longtime friend of Lovelady, said at the rally, "You go to jail for not wearing a seat belt but not for murdering a young Black man." In a news conference held the previous day, Lamont Lovelady, Charles's father, said that recently a person in Des Moines convicted of abusing a dog was sentenced to more than two years in jail.
From the beginning people have been outraged that no charges were filed in the case. On March 4, some 200 people marched six miles from Creative Visions, a community center in the Black community, to the night club where the incident occurred. The day before, the Polk County coroner declared that Lovelady's death was a homicide.
In a column in the Des Moines Register, Rob Borsellino raised questions that activists asked at a news conference. "What would have happened if a white man--a former Dowling student and Valley football captain--was choked to death by a couple of Black bouncers at a black-owned club. Would the club have remained open with the license intact? Would the county attorney suggest that we go slow? Would the bouncers be out walking around as if nothing happened?"
Protesters continue to publicize the case. A speakout March 9 at the Maple Street Baptist Church included Cory Williams, a longtime friend of Lovelady; Keith Ratliff, head of the Des Moines chapter of the NAACP; and Bob Wright, Jr., the attorney for the Lovelady family. A prayer vigil was held at Graffiti's March 18 along with a breakfast news conference. A similar gathering occurred at the Wilkie House March 25. All the events were covered by local media. This pressure forced authorities to move up the timetable for the grand jury, which began to meet March 27.
At one of the organizing meetings of the Citizens for Justice, Cory Williams pointed out that nightclubs are targeting Black designer clothes to keep African-Americans out. "We want the bouncers charged but we also want to address the discriminatory practices that are occurring in Des Moines to make sure that this doesn't happen again," he said.
On April 16 it was announced that two African-American professionals have filed a race discrimination complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission against six local clubs. The complaint alleges that the clubs' dress codes are discriminatory and used to exclude minorities.
An article in the Des Moines Register confirmed that a number of clubs specifically exclude people wearing clothing labels such as FUBU, MeccaUSA, Phat Farm, and a number of others. Black designer labels are prominent on the list.
Citizens for Justice has organized meetings of more than 20 people each week and is planning more public protests, including Sunday vigils outside the courthouse and a presence at the opening of the trial, which is scheduled to begin in June.
Edwin Fruit is a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1149.
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