Charleston White Reverses Course and Defends Karmelo Anthony: A Wake-Up Call for America’s Broken Lens on Black Youth and Justice

In a society governed by laws, justice is supposed to rely on facts, evidence, and due process, not emotions, assumptions, or internet outrage. Yet, the response to the Carmelo Anthony case shows how quickly those principles are discarded, especially when the accused is a young Black male.

Over the past few months, Anthony’s name has become a flashpoint for media narratives, social media attacks, and racial stereotyping. He was recently indicted for murder in the fatal stabbing of a white classmate during a confrontation at a Texas school track meet. And while that indictment moves the legal process forward, it’s the public response that reveals far more about America than any courtroom can.

One of the loudest voices in that public response was Charleston White, a social media influencer known for his raw, controversial takes. White was initially among those condemning Anthony, accusing him of bringing a knife to school and declaring that he was destined for prison. But now, he’s singing a different tune.

“I want to take the time to apologize to Carmelo Anthony. Man, I was all the way wrong about that kid,” White admitted in a recent video.
“He didn’t take a knife to school. He didn’t even know those two white boys. Big, aggressive kids cornered him. He’s a small, trained kid. He’s gonna beat these charges.”

White says his change of heart came after multiple meetings with Anthony’s father—conversations that gave him a deeper understanding of the situation and the young man at the center of it.

This moment is more than a viral clip. It’s a mirror.

Charleston White’s reversal is rare in today’s climate of performative outrage. It forces a deeper question: Why was it so easy for the public to condemn a Black teenager based on limited facts and racially charged assumptions in the first place?

No one is saying that Karmelo Anthony is innocent or that he shouldn’t be charged. Like anyone else, he deserves due process—free from bias, speculation, or public emotion. Yes, we know he admitted involvement. But what remains unknown—and legally relevant—is the full context behind that admission. Headlines and social media narratives don’t negate self-defense; only evidence and facts do.

Yet far too many have rushed to judgment long before a courtroom even began to assess the case. We’ve watched as public figures and comment sections labeled Anthony a thug, a criminal, a predator. We’ve seen fabricated stories circulate—like the false claim that he misused GoFundMe funds—and we’ve seen the casual use of racist caricatures and stereotypes as justification for pretrial condemnation.

Read: When Public Opinion Replaces Due Process: What the Karmelo Anthony BW Commentary Reveals About Modern Justice and Racism

What Charleston White’s reversal underscores is this: when people don’t have facts, they lean on bias. When they lack justification, they resort to mockery and misinformation. And when they see a young Black face, many abandon principle entirely.

The same people who chant “law and order” are often the first to violate its principles when the accused doesn’t match their political or cultural comfort. That’s not justice—it’s tribalism, and it’s dangerous.

Charleston White was wrong at first. But he was man enough to admit it. Can America?

Because the real tragedy here isn’t just what happened on that field—it’s the way the system, the media, and the public continue to treat young Black boys as guilty until proven innocent. Anthony may now be headed toward trial, but he’s already been convicted by too many in the court of public opinion.

Justice doesn’t exist to affirm your feelings. It exists to restrain them. If due process, fair trials, and presumption of innocence only apply to defendants we like, then we’re no longer a society of laws—we’re a society of selective enforcement.

This isn’t just the Karmelo Anthony case. It’s a referendum on whether America is still willing to live up to the system it claims to believe in.

The question isn’t whether Karmelo Anthony is innocent or guilty. That’s for a jury to decide. The question is: Do we still believe in truth, evidence, and fairness—or are we content with outrage, racial bias, and social media noise determining guilt before the facts even surface?

Charleston White gave his answer. Now it’s time we give ours.