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Justice Still Sought in Murder of Iota
The Iota Phi Theta member in question, Damon White (aka "Sermon" #1-Beta Tau-Spring '95), is thought to have been murdered by his lover, Anthony Jackson, in 1999. Jackson was recently convicted of murdering his more recent lover, Rahmaan Belton, in 2003.
Read more here: Sisters still hope for resolution in tragedy.
In doing additional research for this story, I found some interesting tidbits. The above, 2005 article portray's White's sexuality as an afterthought, if that. It simply reports the facts. But apparently, in 1999, his campus didn't know that he was gay -- the campus paper that featured an interview with his mother, essentially "outing" him, was stolen right off of the stands to the tune of $1,500 in losses.
From Newspaper Thefts Multiply on Campuses:
At the University of Missouri at Columbia, thieves stole 6,000 copies of the Sept. 9 issue of the student newspaper, The Maneater, that publicly outed a missing student as a homosexual.The stolen issue featured a controversial cover story about the missing student and a theory behind his disappearance.
Jake Wagman, editor of The Maneater, said the newspapers were stolen sometime during the weekend after Friday's publication. The stolen papers were worth approximately $1,500.
The feature piece, "Six Months Later," which Wagman believes may have prompted the theft, told the story of the disappearance of Damon White, the former president of the university's Legion of Black Collegians and Iota Phi Theta fraternity, through an interview with his mother, Janet White. The story included the progression of the case since White's disappearance on March 2.
Janet White told Maneater reporters that her son's boyfriend, who claimed White gave him the HIV virus, may have had some responsibility for Damon's disappearance.
"The campus did not know [he was gay]," Wagman said. "As far as we know, we outed him [by publishing his mother's comments]."
Wagman said The Maneater does not know who stole the papers.
"It's not a stretch that [the groups White was involved with] were unhappy about the article," Wagman said.
The Maneater is not planning to pursue the case.
"The next day is a new day and a new issue," Wagman said. "Rather than focus on the past, we are just going to keep publishing."
This is an article from before Damon was found and there was still hope he could be alive. In it, his sister describes Jackson as an "ex-friend."
Another article was published last year -- called The Search for Closure. Please be advised that it is very disturbing.
This is one of the saddest stories I've heard in a long time. You all know I have a soft spot in my heart for gay Greeks, even if this man didn't outwardly identify as gay to his campus. I've been there. Adrian Collins has been there.
I hate that I never heard about this before.
The whole thing makes me think about public and private lives of gay black men on college campuses. What if I had died before I had come out? What if Damon White was me? Although I can only speculate on what happened to those missing newspapers, had I been an Alpha at the time, would the Bros have tried to destroy evidence of my sexuality in order to "preserve" my image? How about the Black Student Alliance? My close friends?
I hope that now that the murderer of Rahmaan Belton is behind bars, maybe he will confess to murdering Damon White. Maybe new evidence will be found.
I hope....I hope so hard...that this statement from Damon's sister isn't true, that ..the Kansas City Police Department mishandled her brother's murder case. 'They botched it,' Dulin said. "It was like they didn't care. It seems that they were like, "He's gay, he's black, he's poor, so what?"'
Posted by Rashid on August 4, 2005 7:14 AM
Comments
It's sad we live in a society where stories about Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston's divorce get 24/7 coverage. But stories like this get zip.
Thank goodness for gay bloggers!!
Commented by kevin c on August 4, 2005 11:36 AM
WHAT IS GOING ON???
Commented by no 4real4real on August 4, 2005 6:19 PM
I have never heard about this story and I did some of my undergrad at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I actually have friends there now in frats who are gay and this is the first I have heard of this still. Thanks for getting this out.
Commented by Ricky on August 4, 2005 10:10 PM
Some Black fraternities, some Black churches, some Black families, some Black employers, some Black political caucuses all seem to think that it is in their best interest to suppress information about gay members in order not to preserve the memory of the deceased but rather to preserve the image of the organization or unit. When exposed, that image becomes one of intolerance, deceit, bigotry and lies.
Ditto no4real4real. What is going on??? But to take it one step further, "when will justice roll down water and righteousness like a flowing stream?" Shem hotep.
Commented by fratman1906 on August 4, 2005 10:26 PM
Never heard of this story. Thanks a lot, think I'll mention it.
Commented by Rod on August 5, 2005 11:56 AM
This story saddened me. There seems to be no "justice for all" in this world. I had not heard anything about this before reading your post. Thank you for bringing this to the forefront. Within our community there's always seemed to be an underground circuit to keep people in the know of what's really going on. It's good to see it reflected in the blogger community as well. It's stories like these that really need to make the news. The real deal seems to be ignored while so much time is spent reporting on the fantasy world of Hollywood. It's our misssion to make sure that people know what's going on, that our voices get heard, and that action is taken when necessary.
Commented by BuddahDesmond on August 6, 2005 1:42 AM
wow. i can't believe i found this. Damon and i had been friends since middle school. we graduated from the same class in high school and went to MU together. i transfered to cmsu in 96 and didn't talk much after that.
i'm very glad they think they have his killer behind bars. if this guy will admit to this crime it will bring a lot of closure.
i never thought of Damon's color or his sexuality. he was the most engergetic, creative and vibrant person i'd ever known. he was a great leader, spokesman and artist. i miss him, and the world is a little worse off without him in it.
Jeremy Crocker
Commented by Jeremy on October 8, 2005 1:44 AM
Somehow I was surfing the net and came across this site. I'm very sad to hear that Damon was murdered. It's quite hard to believe. I actually attended the University of Missouri when Damon was there. After I graduated, I heard that he was missing and presumed dead. I lost track of the story after that and never heard anything more about it. The little news that did come out always seemed to be covered in mystery. I talked with Damon a couple of times during campus functions, but I never really knew him personally. However, I always hoped for the best and thought that maybe he was still alive somewhere. If you attended MU at that time, you couldn't help but to know or "know of" Damon in some capacity. This brother was involved in almost everything. He was a great leader and speaker. Not only was he a voice for the Black student body, he seemed to be actively involved in student issues across all racial lines. My last memory of Damon was at my graduation reception. He was invited to sing some jazz music during the reception. I remember how he was nervous to sing at first, but he brought the house down with a version of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." He was indeed a legend at Mizzou, and I hope that his death will not be in vain. It is my prayer that new evidence will come to light. As with most of these cases, somebody, somewhere, knows something. Hopefully, they will have the courage to come forward. Damon would have been a great leader in today's world.
Commented by Adrian on January 1, 2006 9:53 PM
I am a first cousin of RahMaan Belton. I found this article to be sad and disturbing. I loved my cousin with all of my heart and I am glad to see some kind of justice done. My heart goes out the White family and I can truely say I feel your pain. I pray that that murderer comes clean and tells the tructh about killing Damon and RahMaan, because he still denies killing my cousin. My prays go out to the White family. If you are poor, and black in America you already have trouble on your hand but to be poor, black, and gay people really do not feel you matter. God is the final judge and he will fix it. If not now, then later but GOD has the final say, not Kansas City police.
Commented by Teri on October 31, 2006 4:41 PM
I am a first cousin of RahMaan Belton. I found this article to be sad and disturbing. I love my cousin with all of my heart and I am glad to see some kind of justice done. My heart goes out the White family and I can truely say I feel your pain. I pray that that murderer comes clean and tells the truth about killing Damon and RahMaan, because he still denies killing my cousin. My prays go out to the White family. If you are poor, and black in America you already have trouble on your hand but to be poor, black, and gay people really do not feel you matter. God is the final judge and he will fix it. If not now, then later but GOD has the final say, not Kansas City police.
Commented by Teri on October 31, 2006 4:41 PM
Hi Rashid I am Rah'Maan mother I just hear about this site and if I got to keep each and everyone posted about the appeal of Anthony Jackson I will it will be soon. It's hard for me to read to transcript that was sent to me. I only went into the courtroom twice throughout the trial and it was only for a week. I only hope one day that I can confront this trouble child. My son was trying to find himself it was to bad that he had to die behind it. Manipulation of other is so sad. That we find wolves in the path of sheep and all must beware of others.
Commented by Donna Belton on November 1, 2006 2:42 AM