WS Chronicle

In the summer of 1964, civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer stood before the audience at the Democratic National Convention and delivered the notorious line, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” And that was the message delivered last Saturday evening when more than 200 people gathered in the parking lot outside at the Aster Park Apartments to rally the community to uplift black women in the community.  

The event, Black Ops: Rebellion of Black Women, was organized by local activist Arnita Miles and Miranda Jones. Miles said above all else, the purpose of the demonstration was to empower women in the community and shed light on the senseless murders of Ella Crawley and Jerick Nasgah.

Crawley, 50, was found near the Gateway Commons Park, 300 W. Northwest Blvd., on the morning of Saturday, May 23, suffering from a visible head injury. Crawley was taken to a local medical facility for treatment but died the next day. 

“Today we are standing here to empower and to raise our voices for the injustices that happened right here in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,” Miles said. “On this very ground, Sister Ella Crawley was brutally beaten and strangled. We stand with Sister Ella.”  

Nasgah, 21, was found lying on the street in the 1200 block of East 20th Street on Thursday, May 28. Upon further investigation, the Winston-Salem Police Department discovered that Nasgah was shot several times and an autopsy showed she was pregnant at the time of her murder. 

Jones, who was named Woman of the Year by The Chronicle in 2019, said the senseless murders of Crawley and Nasgah tell us that black women are vulnerable in our community and need more support. “We live in a country where our lives are cheap. We live in a country where people will stand and record when we are slaughtered. That’s unacceptable,” Jones said. 

After leading the crowd in a series of chants, Jones, Miles and other speakers called for the full investigation into the deaths of Crawley, Nasgah, and Julius “Juice” Sampson. They also demanded the repeal of Stand Your Ground laws and that every black woman be made a priority when it comes to COVID-19 testing and other health disparities in the community. 

Other speakers during the demonstration were: Jenn B. Oliver, Ikulture Chandler, and Danay Alicia. Mayor Tempore Denise “DD” Adams was also in attendance. 

Less than 24 hours after the event, an arrest was made in the shooting death of Jerika Nasgah. According to the WSPD, 27-year-old Lashanda Tolliver has been charged with murder and is currently awaiting transport to Winston-Salem from Myrtle Beach, S.C. According to the WSPD, the investigation is still ongoing. 

At the time of publication, no arrest has been made in the murder of Ella Crawley. Anyone with information on either of these cases is encouraged to contact the WSPD or Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800.