FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 25, 2025
Contact: press@blmgrassroots.org
April 25, 2025
TOWN HALL FOR ESKIN JENKINS LOCATION
April 28th at 6PM
Southwest Digest Building
902 E. 28th Street
Lubbock, TX 79404
Black Lives Matter Grassroots, NAACP – Lubbock Branch, and the Jenkins family will host a Community Town Hall in the Name of #ErskinJenkins at the Southwest Digest Building – 902 E. 28th Street on Monday, April 28th at 6PM. Jenkins was a psychology major at Texas Tech whose life was stolen by a sheriff’s deputy when attendees at a Friendsgiving called the police on him. After being stonewalled by the Lubbock Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Rangers, Erskin’s family launched their own investigation funded and spearheaded by Erskin’s mother, Sharon Jenkins.
Mrs. Jenkins has called for the brutal smear campaign against her beloved son by both law enforcement and the local press to stop immediately. “We call it a double murder” said Dr. Melina Abdullah, Director of Black Lives Matter Grassroots, “First cops steal Black lives, then they steal their dignity through character assassination.” Despite salacious reports, Erskin Jenkins was an “A” student and a long time martial artist who was dedicated to community service through his work to help feed the houseless. He had never been in trouble with the law or even at school.
The Lubbock branch of the NAACP, local organizers, student activists, justice families, and BLM chapters have mobilized and are making demands as they view Erskin Jenkins murder as part of a terrifying trend of attacks on Black students at PWI’s particularly universities in the deep south. Organizers from BLM Florida, BLM Detroit, BLM Houston, and BLM-Los Angeles are all joining local NAACP leaders and Erskin’s family to host a town hall that tells the truth about Erskin and demands justice in his name.
Demands include: 1. The release of the name of the deputy who killed Erskin Jenkins, 2. The release of the unedited bodycam footage, 3. the firing and prosecution of the cop who stole Erskin’s life. In addition, organizers are demanding a federal investigation into the killing of Erskin Jenkins.
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Black Lives Matter Grassroots
The mission of Black Lives Matter Grassroots (BLMGR) is to support, sustain, and uplift the necessary agitations, mobilizations, community organizing, and initiatives of Black Lives Matter chapters to fulfill our sacred duty to advance Black liberation. #BlackLivesMatter was birthed to end state-sanctioned violence against Black people. Black Lives Matter Grassroots is a collective of 26 chartered chapters globally working on the ground since 2013.
Black Lives Matter Grassroots stands unwaveringly with the Palestinian people, and students around the world who dare to put their bodies and futures on the line to demand a U.S. arms embargo against Israel and a #FreePalestine.
Wilson’s family along with BLM Los Angeles, BLM California, and BLM Grassroots have been fighting and lobbying for policy changes and laws that would help prevent families in the future from suffering as they did when officials failed to notify them of their loved ones death for 4 days.
Black Lives Matter Grassroots is proud to announce the launch of the “Black Women Are Divine” (BWAD) campaign for March 2025, a month-long celebration dedicated to honoring the divinity, strength, and resilience of Black women. This year’s campaign will spotlight 31 remarkable Black women from around the globe, each recognized for their invaluable contributions to their communities and beyond.
