Dr. David Fowler, the chief medical examiner of Maryland, is set to testify in George Floyd’s case for justice. Sadly, in 2018, he had declared that Anton Black’s killing was “accidental,” despite striking similarities between his killing and that of George’s.

In fact, there are many similarities between the lives of George Floyd and Anton Black.

Anton Black

They were known for having big dreams. When 46-year-old George Floyd was a teenager, he wanted to be a pro athlete. He was already a star athlete in high school. Similarly, 19-year-old Anton Black was a champion athlete in his high school. But what he wanted to do most was to model and act. He was young and had many interests. His possibilities were endless.

Children looked up to George Floyd. He was a mentor in his community. While his life had ups and downs, he learned from his mistakes. People respected him more because he overcame obstacles.

Anton Black was great with kids too. In fact, his young nieces and nephews adored him. He had a child on the way and would’ve made a good father. George Floyd was a father, too.

Most importantly, George Floyd and Anton Black were loved.

Read the full opinion piece


Rene' C. Swafford, Esq.'s full opinion piece was published in The Talbot Spy on April 16, 2021.

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A collection from the ACLU of Maryland.
Debbie Jeon

Deborah Jeon

Legal Director
Deborah Jeon is the Legal Director for the ACLU of Maryland. Debbie has litigated dozens of complex cases in the Maryland courts, including important cases involving voting rights, gender and race discrimination, and police misconduct, among many others. A 1986 graduate of Yale Law School, she also served as judicial clerk to U.S. District Judge Myron H. Thompson, in the Middle District of Alabama. Following that she worked for two years as an attorney at a labor and civil rights law firm in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Debbie joined the ACLU in 1990, to manage the organization’s race and poverty legal work on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where civil rights laws had been resisted by many white residents for decades. Her worked shifted statewide in 2005, when she began directing the ACLU’s entire legal program. She is the recipient of the Maryland Daily Record's “Leadership in Law Award”, and of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Dream Keepers' Award”.
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Gina Elleby

Legal Advocacy Manager
Gina Elleby is the Legal Advocacy Manager for the ACLU of Maryland. She reviews and responds to written requests for legal assistance, supervises the ACLU’s Civil Rights Complaint Line, and assists with case investigation. She also supports ACLU staff attorneys in litigation and coordinates undergraduate and high school internships within the legal department. Gina holds a J.D. from Howard University School of Law, but developed her dedication to social justice as an undergraduate student at Spelman College. Before joining the ACLU in 2014, she worked in Baltimore-D.C. area art museums.