Is Paris,Texas a Racist Community?

Paris,Texas, may soon join Bensonhurst, Howard Beach and Jena on the list of communities that are less than cool for black folks.

The U.S. Justice Department held a meeting with local civil rights groups Thursday in the community located 100 miles north of Dallas to quell rising racial tensions since the death of a local man named Brandon McClelland.

This young man's death has called back memories of hate crimes just like the infamous 1998 lynching of James Byrd Jr., in Jasper, Texas.

Others, including law enforcement, say the case is more complicated, and race was not a factor in his dragging death, characterizing the killing as a broken friendship gone horribly wrong. ...

In September, motorists found McClelland's body on a two-lane county road. According to news reports McClelland was walking in front of the pickup driven by Charles Ryan Crostley, 27, and a friend. Both were later arrested for allegedly running McClelland down and then dragged him 40 feet along the road until his mutilated body popped out from beneath the vehicle. It's a sad case.

Hundreds of protesters assembled at the Lamar County Courthouse, just around the corner from the 20-foot Confederate monument dedicated to "Our Heroes."

Some have called it a hate crime just like the infamous 1998 lynching of James Byrd Jr., in Jasper, Texas, 250 miles south of Paris. Others say it was a broken friendship gone horribly wrong and race was not a factor.

The Paris, Texas, situation comes amid reports of an increase in racist activity since the election of President Barack Obama. A Staten Island man, Brian Carranza, 21, admitted attacking three innocent black teens in a racism-fueled Election Day rampage.

Carranza faces 10 years in prison and is free on $200,000 bail, pending his April sentencing.

This month's Justice Department meetings are not the first time a harsh racial light has shined on Paris, Texas.

Two years ago, the Paris school district was investigated over allegations of retaliatory behavior and disparities in discipline against African American students, particularly against those whose parents lodged complaints with the Paris school district.

The matter gained national attention after 14-year-old freshman Shaquanda Cotton was convicted of "assault on a public servant" and sentenced to serve up to seven years at Texas Youth Commission prison.

At a Justice Department meeting earlier this month, community leaders discussed cases involving harsher sentencing for African Americans in the local judicial system, harsher disciplining of African American students by the school district, and inadequate investigations and retaliatory behavior by law enforcement concerning crimes against African Americans.

Two days after the meeting, a disabled African American Paris resident had racial slurs and death threats written on the outside of his apartment. Paris police say the matter is currently under investigation.