Jemele Hill Spots Racism in ‘Overzealous’ Reaction to Carlee Russell Kidnap Hoax

“Overzealous” legal backlash over the Carlee Russell kidnapping hoax came only because a Black woman was at the center of it, The Atlantic writer Jemele Hill tweeted.

After it was found that Russell, a 24-year-old nursing student, had fabricated the story of her abduction, police officers filed two misdemeanor charges against the Alabama woman. State lawmakers are also seeking to increase the penalties for faking a kidnapping.

Through her X (formerly known as Twitter) account, Hill called these efforts “overzealous” actions taken because of Russell’s race, claiming the same thing would not have happened if she was White.

“She’s already been charged and will likely have to pay restitution. Zero problem with that. What I’m saying is, this lawmaker is being overzealous because the Black woman was at the center of this hoax. I promise you had she been a white woman, nobody would be introducing a law to strengthen the laws about lying to the cops,” Hill wrote.

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When it was pointed out that one of the Alabama legislators in favor of increasing penalties for falsifying abductions is a Black woman, Hill reiterated her argument that minorities “often carry the water for White Supremacy.”

“I don’t know why some people don’t understand that marginalized people often carry the water for white supremacy. More than half of white women voted for Donald Trump despite the fact he told them he was taking away their reproductive rights. There are Black police officers who revel in the same anti-Black actions as others. This ain’t hard,” Hill wrote.

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