Yes, his color is relevant to his fate... but the title of the article is hyperbole.

"The devastating death of Monroe Bird is an indictment on all of America"

Pooh! Leaving aside the grammatical error..(indictments are 'of', not 'on'), the faults are with the guard for lying, at least one insurance company for its taking the word of a lying guard to save $$$$, and possibly the general cultural attitudes of certain courts in Oklahoma.

There are stories of neglect and shabby insurance company behavior everywhere... against people of all colors. The fact that people of limited means, which often means people of color, get worse treatment should not mean overgeneralization