June 9, 2026

Three years ago, 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton was killed by convenience store owner Rick Chow over bottled water. Cyrus’ death was a tragedy then, and it remains a tragedy today in the wake of Chow’s acquittal.  

As Asian Americans, we can’t look away from the questions this case raises or the tensions it inflames. From Cyrus Carmack-Belton in South Carolina to Latasha Harlins in California, too many Black children have lost their lives over too little. That history demands self-reflection about anti-Blackness within Asian American communities. 

Anti-Black racism — just like anti-Asian racism — is a tool of white supremacy that divides communities of color against each other, reinforces racial hierarchies and encourages people to see one another as threats instead of allies. We must not give into it. As selective news coverage and sensationalist social media content inflame racial tensions between Black and Asian people, it is critical that we meet this moment not with division but with solidarity; reject both anti-Black and anti-Asian racism; and resist the temptation to blame entire communities for the actions of a few individuals. 

The truth is, Black and Asian Americans share the same struggle with racism and discrimination against the same white supremacist forces. We also share the same commitment to equal rights and racial justice. 

Remember that in the 1860’s, Frederick Douglass rose up in support of Chinese immigration. In the 1960’s, Yuri Kochiyama joined the Black-led movement for civil rights. And in more recent history, countless Asian Americans demanded justice for George Floyd and countless Black Americans rallied against anti-Asian hate. Anti-Black racism does exist in Asian communities — but so does Black-Asian solidarity. 

Asian Americans, take note: moments like this are the moments when our allyship matters the most. This means condemning the death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton and miscarriage of justice that allowed Rick Chow to walk free. It means calling for cross-racial solidarity and practicing it in our everyday lives. And it means doing the hard work of rooting anti-Black racism out of Asian communities today and moving forward. 

To learn more about the history of Black and Asian solidarity, and the power of cross-racial unity, check out this blog post from Asian Americans Advancing Justice.