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A Spelman graduate is breathing a sigh of relief now that
she’s earned her college diploma and has been cleared from a years-long legal
battle over a pair of AirPods she was falsely accused of stealing when she was
in high school back in 2019.
Amara Harris now has an ongoing federal lawsuit against the
city of Naperville, Illinois, which pursued criminal prosecution for allegedly
stealing a classmate’s AirPods.
Harris says she mistakenly picked up the classmate’s AirPods
which were identical to her own. Once she discovered she made a mistake, she
immediately turned the AirPods over to the school dean.
However, the school’s resource officer attempted to ticket Harris,
ordering her to pay a $100 fine for alleged theft. Harris refused to pay the
fine because she knew she was innocent.
Despite the circumstances, the City of Naperville still
pursued criminal charges against Harris.
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“It was a horrible experience…The emotional turmoil we went
through trying to encourage her,” Harris’ mother, Myla Baker, told ABC News in Chicago.
Harris sat through dozens of court appearances over the
years amid her long fight for her innocence.
“It was a mistake. She owned AirPods that looked just like
the ones she picked up,” Harris’ attorney Juan Thomas told ABC News.
Harris sat through dozens of court appearances over the
years amid her long fight for her innocence.
“It was a mistake. She owned AirPods that looked just like
the ones she picked up,” Harris’ attorney Juan Thomas told ABC News.
Harris was recently exonerated of the alleged theft.
Harris’ federal lawsuit alleges civil rights violations
against the City of Naperville, Officer Juan Leon, and Sergeant Jonathan W.
Pope. She hopes her experience will cause the city to rethink its policies in
similar situations in the future.
The City of Naperville told CBS News in a statement, “The City of Naperville is aware of the lawsuit filed
against the City and two employees of the Naperville Police Department, and we
believe the allegations are without merit. The police officers involved in this
matter relied upon independent eyewitness statements from school officials and
students in issuing the theft citation to Ms. Harris.”
“These actions reflect a broader pattern of
unconstitutional, biased policing, an illegal system of alternative discipline
and, in this case, abuse of process and malicious prosecution,” Attorney S.
Todd Yeary said in a press release.
In an effort to track his family history the author has skillfully layered the foundation of his roots. Julius Faucette searches for a workable meaning to his life through his ancestor's choices of color. Faucette takes the reader back to the 1700's through research and intimate conversations with one of the oldest members in the family. Eugene Pinnix, who lived to be 104, speaks to the readers through Julius Faucette. 
Fluidly, calmly, insightfully, Faucette guides his readers straight to the intersection of the most serious questions of identity, class and race. The Saga of Madison Brown "A Choice of Color" is a story of race, inheritance and color choices. Not often does one hear of someone of German ancestry passing for black. Through his research, Faucette reveals how individuals in the Madison Brown family were able to make color choices, which ultimately resulted in life changes.
Faucette cleverly shifts between information obtained through general research and his on-going interviews with Eugene Pinnix. By combining both, he is able to educate and entertain his readers. The author deciphers a historic unknown by matching it with known facts obtained through his cousin Eugene. And the contrast between those born in slavery and those born to freedmen is powerful. This historical pictorial will draw readers in.
As the Madison Brown history unfolds, each generation passes down to the next that thirst to make color choices. The struggles of each play out in this candid historical review. In this irresistible story, Faucette resists the urge to paint with a broad brush that will stereotype the races. He utilizes the information obtained from not only his dear cousin, but also documents from local courthouses, state records, etc., to present a complete family picture.
This first edition will take the reader back several generations and the result is that
most will yearn to know their family origins.
We are very excited to share our archive issue newsstand section. Click on the desired thumbnail to view the entire issue. Archived issues are organized on the newsstand by year. At the bottom of the newsstand click on the year to view additional issues.
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