His Life Mattered THEN and it Matters NOW, Carnell Russ
His Life Mattered THEN and it Matters NOW, Carnell Russ As the nation was rudely awakened by the death of George Floyd, I was forced to reflect on the untimely death of my brother Carnell Russ. Like George, Carnell lost his life upon an encounter with law enforcement. It’s a time in my life – my family’s life – that changed the course of life for each of us. Singly. Collectively. THEN At the time of his demise, 24-year-old Carnell was a Son, Brother, Nephew, Grandson, Uncle and a Husband. The loss hit many, it hit hard, and it hit home . Carnell grew up in Star City, Arkansas as the ninth child of ten children born to Turner & Aggie Russ. On Memorial Day, May 31, 1971, Carnell, his wife, a cousin and 6 of their 9 children were traveling home from Benton, Arkansas when stopped by an Arkansas State Trooper in Yorktown, Arkansas for allegedly speeding (75 in a 60). Keep in mind that its 1971 – not far removed from the Civil Rights Era. This stop resu...