Parents of Bakari Henderson say he felt safer overseas
The parents of Bakari Henderson, the American tourist who was beaten to death in Greece, are demanding justice in the racially charged murder.
The parents of Bakari Henderson, the American tourist who was beaten to death in Greece, said that he felt safer being overseas because of the state of race relations in the United States.
“He just felt it was safer over in Europe and overseas in general. He said with the climate for African-American males in the U.S. that he just felt more comfortable overseas,” Jill Henderson told Gayle King of CBS This Morning.
Bakari Henderson was killed last month on the Greek island of Zakynthos by a mob of people who assaulted him. He died of head injuries as a result of the beating.
His parents later learned that the whole thing had started because he took a selfie with a woman at a bar, and a Serbian man asked the woman “Why are you talking to a Black guy?” before punching Henderson in the face.
Jill Henderson said that although it might not have started as a racially-motivated attack, the end result was still “a black American tragedy.”
“I really do want to remember him as a go-lucky, energetic, fun-loving happy, Bakari,” she recalled.
“He just brightens up a room,” his father, Phil Henderson added.
Nine people have since been arrested for the incident and are facing charges of voluntary manslaughter.
“We want justice for Bakari,” Jill Henderson said. “Justice would mean to have everyone involved… to be locked up for a very long time.”
