Kamala Harris and four senior Biden administration officials are scheduled to attend the funeral Wednesday of Black motorist Tyre Nichols, 29, in Memphis, Tennessee. Nichols was killed by five Black Memphis police officers–who have since been fired and charged with murder–in a brutal beating following a traffic stop.
The funeral is set for 10:30 a.m. CST at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, which seats about 2000 worshippers.
The White House made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.
On Monday the White House announced four senior administration officials would be attending the funeral: Keisha Lance Bottoms, Senior Advisor to the President for Public Engagement; Mitch Landrieu, senior advisor responsible for coordinating the implementation of the infrastructure law; Tara Murray, deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement and Erica Loewe, White House Director of African American Media.
Attorney Ben Crump issued a statement saying Nichols’ parents had spoken to Harris and inviter her to attend their son’s funeral.
MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton will give the eulogy, according to a press release by his activist group National Action Network (excerpt) and Ben Crump:
FUNERAL FOR TYRE NICHOLS TO BE HELD IN MEMPHIS THIS WEDNESDAY AS CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER REV. AL SHARPTON DELIVERS EULOGY, ATTORNEY BEN CRUMP TO ISSUE NATIONAL CALL FOR JUSTICE
Services at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Led by Rev. J. Lawrence Turner, Come as Nation Mourns 29-year-old Black Man Brutally Beaten to Death by Police
Tyre Nichols will be laid to rest at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church this Wednesday as the nation grieves the death of the 29-year-old, whose brutal beating at the hands of police officers was captured on horrific body camera footage. Rev. Al Sharpton, the Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), will eulogize Nichols at the request of the family, as attorney Ben Crump will deliver a call to action in a service led by Rev. J. Lawrence Turner.
Nichols’ funeral comes amid national outrage over his beating at the hands of Memphis police officers — five of whom have been charged with murder. Body camera footage released Friday evening showed cops relentlessly attacking Nichols on January 7 after a traffic stop. At one point Nichols called out for his mother as the beating worsened. Nichols died of his injuries three days later, leaving behind a 4-year-old son. Nichols’ death has sparked national protests against police brutality, sparking fresh calls for reforms.
Media will be assigned to the Church’s Chapel for coverage of the service, where a press conference will take place immediately after the funeral. Media also will have a designated area for coverage outside of the church. Media will not be allowed in the main sanctuary during the service. CBS News will provide video pooling inside the main sanctuary, while The Commercial Appeal will provide print and photo pooling. RSVP is required to cover this event; please respond no later than 8 p.m. CST on Tuesday, January 31st…
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Will Kamala Harris be invited to speak? Her latest forays in public speaking show no improvement on her cringe-inducing style.