Black Autonomy Network Community Organization (BANCO)
Formation2003
HeadquartersBenton Harbor, Michigan, United States of America
Websitehttps://www.bhbanco.org/

The Black Autonomy Network Community Organization (BANCO) is a political and social justice coalition working in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The organization was founded in 2003 by Reverend Edward Pinkney, a Baptist minister, to protest the death of Terrance Shurn, an African American man killed during a pursuit by the Benton Harbor Police.[1]

Since its inception, the organization has protested against perceived wrongdoings by police in the area, and against developments they believe displace the city's African American community.

History and activities

Inception

BANCO was founded by Reverend Edward Pinkney, a Baptist minister, to protest the June 16, 2003 death of a 28-year-old African American, Terrance Shurn, while being pursued by Benton Harbor police.[1] Some residents and eyewitnesses alleged that a police car rammed Shurn's motorcycle, causing it to crash, killing Shurn.[2][3] The police denied that they had rammed Shurn's motorcycle, with a police chief stating that "the police car never got within 2 to 3 blocks of the motorcycle that caused the incident".[2] BANCO organized rallies in the weeks following Shurn's death and the resulting disturbance.[4] It had called for local and state authorities, as well as major regional businesses such as Whirlpool, to invest more into Black-owned businesses.[4]

Subsequent activities

It has since broadened its scope to support candidates for local office. BANCO retains its focus on monitoring police activities.

Opposition to Harbor Shores

Beginning in 2004, BANCO led a campaign against the Harbor Shores development by Whirlpool, believing the development would increase economic inequality for African Americans in Benton Harbor.[1][5]

BANCO has protested against The Golf Club at Harbor Shores, a golf course built as part of the development which has hosted PGA events. The construction of the course involved taking a portion of land from the Jean Klock Park, a public park in the area. In 2012, BANCO participated in a protest against a Senior PGA Championship event held at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores.[6]

Stance on financial emergency laws

BANCO has opposed Public Act 4 of 2011, an amendment to Michigan's Financial Emergency laws which enabled the state government to place financially stressed municipalities under the jurisdiction of an emergency managers. The measure was successfully overturned by voters in a 2012 referendum.[7] The state government subsequently passed an amended version, Public Act 436 of 2012, which was not subject to a referendum.

Benton Harbor was first placed under an emergency manager in 2010, which BANCO has criticized as a dictatorship.[8] BANCO has criticized Benton Harbor's emergency management, saying it has stripped city officials of their power, cut city spending, and given away public land for private development.[8]

Edward Pinkney

BANCO was founded by Edward Pinkney, a Baptist minister, in 2003.[1] Pinkney has been embroiled in a series of legal challenges pertaining to his advocacy in BANCO, some of which have been overturned.

In 1999, Pinkney pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $100 from his insurance company and spent 11 months in prison.[5] Pinkney claimed that "the accusations were false" and that "the company was trying to get rid of me," and said he pleaded guilty to get the episode behind him.[5]

In 2005, Pinkney organized a recall election to oust Benton Harbor city commissioner Glenn Yarborough, who had supported a development by Whirlpool in Benton Harbor that BANCO opposed.[1] At the time, Pinkney was a resident of neighboring Benton Charter Township, and was therefore unable to vote in the election himself. The election took place on February 22, 2005,[9]: 1  and the results showed Yarborough was ousted by a margin of 54 votes.[1] However, Yarborough filed a complaint alleging Pinkney of voter fraud, alleging that Pinkney paid people $5 to vote in the election.[9]: 1  The results of the initial election were annulled, and a second recall election was held, which Yarborough won.[1] Following an investigation by the Benton County Sheriff’s Department, Pinkney was arrested for giving valuable consideration to influence the manner of voting by a person, influencing a person voting an absent voter ballot, and three counts of possessing absent voter ballots.[9]: 1–2  Pinkney went to trial in a Berrien County court, and on March 27, 2006, the trial ended in a mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous decision on any of the charges.[9]: 2 [10] 10 of the 12 jurors found Pinkney guilty on three of the five charges, and were evenly split 6 to 6 on two of the charges.[10] On March 29, 2006. County officials decided to retry Pinkney.[10] In March 2007, a jury unanimously convicted Pinkney on all five charges.[9]: 3  As a result of the retrial, Pinkney was sentenced to five years of probation.[1][9]: 1 [11] Pinkney appealed to the trial court for a new trial, claiming he was denied his constitutional rights to a public trial and to an impartial jury, he was never arraigned on the information, and because the information failed to specify which absent voter ballots he possessed.[9]: 3  Pinkney's appeal was denied by the trial court.[9]: 3  In 2008, Pinkney was jailed for violating probation after writing an article in the People’s Tribune, a Chicago newspaper, highly critical of the Judge who sentenced him.[1][9]: 33 [12] Pinkney was sentenced to three to ten years in jail.[1] Pinkney called the judge "a racist" and "dumb", and called the judge's decision "fifth-grade".[9]: 34  Pinkney also invoked a Biblical curse to condemn the judge, writing "The Lord shall smite thee with consumption and with a fever and with an inflammation and with extreme burning. They the demons shall Pursue thee until thou persist".[1][9]: 34  The imprisonment was opposed by the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.[5] Pinkney was jailed for 11 months, until the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's revocation of his probation in July 2009.[9]: 37 [12]

While in prison in 2008, Pinkney ran unsuccessfully as a Green Party candidate for Michigan's 6th Congressional District in the House of Representatives against incumbent Fred Upton, a Republican from nearby St. Joseph, Michigan, and the grandson of a Whirlpool founder.[5] Pinkney won 1.10% of the vote.

In 2009, Pinkney helped found Benton Harbor's NAACP chapter and was elected its president.[5] However, about three years later, the state and national NAACP chapters launched an effort to oust Pinkney as the head of the chapter.[5] One detractor said that the organization wanted to elect more effective leaders for the branch, claiming that membership has under Pinkney's rule.[5] The detractor also said that Pinkney was obstructionist, and made unfounded charges against local business leaders.[5]

Pinkney has decried the state's 2011 appointment of an emergency manager to handle Benton Harbor's finances.[5]

Pinkney faced legal troubles again in 2014, when he was charged with five felony forgery charges and six counts of false certification of recall petitions.[13] In November 2014, Pinkney was convicted of the five felony forgery charges, but found not guilty of the six counts of false certification of recall petitions.[13] In December 2014, Edward Pinkney was sentenced to 2½ to 10 years in prison.[14][15][16] Pinkney maintained his innocence.[17] In May 2018, Michigan Supreme Court overturned the convictions, stating that felony forgery is intended to be a penalty rather than a chargeable offense.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Black Autonomy Network Community Organization records, 2002-2014". University of Michigan Library. University of Michigan. August 2018. Archived from the original on 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  2. 1 2 "Details of Benton Harbor riots emerging". WNDU-TV. Gray Television. 2003-06-17. Archived from the original on 2003-08-02. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  3. ↑ "Benton Harbor, MI: Rebellion Against Police Brutality". Fight Back! News. Freedom Road Socialist Organization. 2009-08-01. Archived from the original on 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  4. 1 2 Kay, Joseph (2003-08-14). "An American city: Benton Harbor and the social crisis in the United States". World Socialist Web Site. International Committee of the Fourth International. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ashenfelter, David (2012-04-09). "Benton Harbor activist files suit against NAACP". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2015-01-04. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  6. ↑ Bukowski, Diane (2012-05-30). "BENTON HARBOR MARCH DEMANDS 25% OF PGA PROFITS; BOYCOTT WHIRLPOOL, KITCHEN-AID; REPEAL PA4". Voice of Detroit. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  7. ↑ Oosting, Jonathan (2012-11-07). "Michigan Proposal 1: Voters reject measure, repeal controversial emergency manager law". Mlive. MLive Media Group. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  8. 1 2 Pinkney, Edward (2018-07-12). "The Struggle Escalates". www.bhbanco.org. Black Autonomy Network Community Organization. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "COA 282144 PEOPLE OF MI V EDWARD PINKNEY Opinion - Per Curiam - Unpublished 07/14/2009" (PDF). Michigan Court of Appeals. 2009-07-16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  10. 1 2 3 Staff Report (2006-03-30). "Pinkney will be retried for election fraud". Leader Publications. Archived from the original on 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  11. ↑ WSBT-TV (December 15, 2014). "Judge sentences Pinkney to at least 2.5 years for election fraud". WSBT-TV. Retrieved January 3, 2015. The judge responded by reminding Pinkney he was a habitual offender and then sentenced him to two and a half to ten years in prison….Pinkney's lengthy criminal past had an impact on his sentencing. His first run in with the law was 1988 for assault with a dangerous weapon out of California, followed in 1990 by a theft conviction out of St. Louis, Missouri, then in 1999 was convicted in Berrien County of embezzlement and in 2007 was convicted 4 felony counts of violating election laws. This year's case is 5 felonies for election forgery. That brings the total to 12 felonies, with 9 of those related to interference with the election process. Pinkney served about 18-months in prison for the 1999 conviction, all other cases he got probation on. The judge said he was against probation this time because Pinkney did not seem to be reformed from his last probation opportunity and getting involved again with interfering with the election process.
  12. 1 2 David Ashenfelter (April 9, 2012). "Benton Harbor activist files suit against NAACP". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 4, 2015. Pinkney admits he is controversial, but said he has done a good job of leading the chapter. He said he has paid a steep price for his activism, noting that he spent 11 months in jail and prison in 2008 on what he said were bogus charges of election fraud and probation violation in a recall campaign.
  13. 1 2 Brittany Corl (November 3, 2014). "VERDICT: Rev. Edward Pinkney convicted of election fraud". ABC 57. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Man sentenced in Benton Harbor election fraud". The Detroit News. Associated Press. December 16, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  15. ↑ Alexandra Koehn (December 15, 2014). "Edward Pinkney sentenced on election fraud charges". ABC 57. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  16. ↑ WSBT-TV (December 15, 2014). "Judge sentences Pinkney to at least 2.5 years for election fraud". WSBT-TV. Retrieved January 3, 2015. The judge responded by reminding Pinkney he was a habitual offender and then sentenced him to two and a half to ten years in prison….Pinkney's lengthy criminal past had an impact on his sentencing. His first run in with the law was 1988 for assault with a dangerous weapon out of California, followed in 1990 by a theft conviction out of St. Louis, Missouri, then in 1999 was convicted in Berrien County of embezzlement and in 2007 was convicted 4 felony counts of violating election laws. This year's case is 5 felonies for election forgery. That brings the total to 12 felonies, with 9 of those related to interference with the election process. Pinkney served about 18-months in prison for the 1999 conviction, all other cases he got probation on. The judge said he was against probation this time because Pinkney did not seem to be reformed from his last probation opportunity and getting involved again with interfering with the election process.
  17. ↑ Jasmine Norwood (December 12, 2014). "Rev. Edward Pinkney speaks out before sentencing". ABC 57. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  18. ↑ Hudson, Melissa (2018-05-02). "Rev. Edward Pinkney's election forgery convictions overturned". WBND-LD. Weigel Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2023-11-23.

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