Skip to content

Focused On

  • Katrina20
  • Justice
  • Living with Industry
  • NOLA Public Schools

Main Navigation

The Lens
  • Subscribe
  • ❤ Donate
The Lens
  • Subscribe
  • ❤ Donate

Focused On

  • Katrina20
  • Justice
  • Living with Industry
  • NOLA Public Schools

Topics

  • Criminal Justice
  • Environment
  • Government & Politics
  • Land Use
  • Schools

Sign Up for the Latest News

  • The Lens Newsletter
  • About The Lens
  • Our Staff

Follow The Lens

  • Bluesky
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Listen to Behind The Lens Podcast

  • Spotify
  • Katrina20
  • Criminal Justice
  • Schools
  • Opinion
  • In the N.O.
  • Environment
  • Podcast
  • About The Lens
  • Support Us

Author: The Medill Justice Project

Years after rapper was convicted for killing, questions raised about his case

December 23, 2014 Updated November 7, 2019
In 2000, someone shot a young man in a Slidell club. Investigators quickly zeroed in on McKinley Phipps Jr., a rising star in New Orleans’ rap scene. He was convicted of manslaughter. But witnesses have raised questions about the key eyewitness, and one woman says she was coerced into pointing the finger at Phipps.

National debate over solitary confinement puts spotlight on Angola inmate’s 35 years in ‘the hole’

September 9, 2014 Updated November 7, 2019
Kenny "Zulu" Whitmore's stretch in solitary is one of the longest in the country. Some states are curtailing the practice, in part because it's so expensive. Critics say that years without human contact can exacerbate mental illness.

Warden considers ending Angola inmate’s solitary confinement after 28 straight years

July 23, 2014 Updated November 7, 2019
Inmate Kenny “Zulu” Whitmore has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that it's unconstitutional to be held in solitary confinement for so long. Warden Burl Cain said he may take him out, but he's concerned about the inmate's affiliation with the Black Panther Party.

About The Lens

The Lens fights to reveal and report on issues that impact the community and the region. Staunchly defending the public's right to know and deeply committed to sharing our knowledge with the community at large. We center human impact in all our work.

Support The Lens

We depend on your support. A generous gift in any amount helps us continue to bring you this service.

Donate Now

Newsletter

Sign up

Most Popular

Silence from Smitty’s Supply, EPA’s lagging response leave lasting stainsSilence from Smitty’s Supply, EPA’s lagging response leave lasting stainsOctober 7, 2025Greg LaRose, Louisiana IlluminatorEnvironment
Tulane changes syllabus, fires manager over Gaza articleTulane changes syllabus, fires manager over Gaza articleOctober 3, 2025Delaney NolanEvents
Success for whom? Twenty years of school reform.Success for whom? Twenty years of school reform.October 7, 2025Ashana Bigard and Elizabeth K. JeffersKatrina20
The Lens
The Lens fights to reveal and report on issues that impact the community and the region. Staunchly defending the public's right to know and deeply committed to sharing our knowledge with the community at large. We center human impact in all our work.
  • Bluesky
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
INN Member LION Member
© 2024 The Lens. All Rights Reserved.

Our reporting has more urgency than ever.


For more than a decade, we have reported on issues as well as public policy meant to address the needs of residents. The Lens seeks to focus on the inherent inequality that has created a multi-tiered system. We, at The Lens seek to uncover, illuminate, inform and take part in a forward-looking community. Join us.

 
 

Continue to The Lens