not a problem. i must admit that i was not aware of this situation. i am not a television watcher, and often (in pursuit of blissful ignorance) i choose not to consume the news that accompanies tv watching. this clearly disturbs my “bliss”. i will gladly help raise awareness. in fact, i manage e-campaigns. i will send it to both my personal list and my subscriber lists. such a small thing to do against such a heinous crime.

thank you (i think) at least for this sister and her son. as for my ignorant bliss - i guess i have to conger up some far away fantasy in which to live: Lord Jesus come quickly.

FYI– When you broke this story a few weeks ago, I called NAN. It seems like that may be the best way to contact NAN because they called me back this week. The person I spoke to on the phone had no idea what I was talking about and once I explained it to her, even she was a bit shocked the situation. She said she would call me back with more information. If the emails aren’t going through, the phone is working at least for now.

thank you for the info. i forwarded your blog entry to mass people in my e-mail address book. and i will put my letter in the mail to the respective organizations on monday.

Absolutely, Renita. I am sending it as we speak….

Simply outrageous…You’re right–NOT THIS TIME. I sent it to my folks in my address book. Thank you for heralding the cause.

I mailed my letters on Saturday. I’ve been telling everyone who will listen and I’ve emailed everyone in my address book.

I am sending this out today.

Mailed and forwarded. Thank you for taking the lead on this and mobilizing us to act. This is the kind of internet revolution we need!

Thanks to all of you who are writing in to let the rest of us know that you’re doing what you can in the part of the world where you live, among those you know, however small or large your reach ofinfluence is.

That’s all the Lord asks of any of us. Do what you can. And the Lord will do the rest.

Sorry to get in late, I’ve been at this since your previous post. I left this information at the grand chapter meeting of the OES and suggested that they to send to the entire membership. I met with the book club and have the girls passing out this information in the neighborhoods, on the boards in the supermarkets, in the hair salons and every place women go. One of the girls went in the emergency room at the hospital and passed some out, when I asked her why she said “their just sitting there waiting let them read this and have something to do when they go home. Then she said “well you said don’t leave no stones unturned’
a nurse from the hospital called me on my cell to ask if the black nurses were welcome to join in I assured her they were. Talking about turning over stones I never thought about the number of women that work in hospitals and see first hand the abuse of women.

@Georgia’s Angels

Oooooo, that’s what I love about sisters when they put on their radical weaves. They out think you and out strategize you.

FYI–
National Action Network email address
crisis@nationalactionnetwork.net

NAACP chapter in FL email address
unit5143@naacp.org

Renita,

May I send your posting to my email list with your name of course and your email address. I will personally write Julian Bond if you would be willing for me to share this post with him.

Ruby Sales

@Ruby,

You may indeed use the posting above when contacting the people you know about joining us in this boycott.

I belong to a network of brown women bloggers whohave agreed to use the above post to mobilize our readers to action around this issue. One of the other bloggers composed the letter as a template for everyone to use, if they so wish. Thanks for joining us.

I’m just taken aback on this one. I had not read or seen this before now myself, so forgive my tardiness. I will, however, be making up for it now as I will be sending this to my distribution lists both buisness and personal.
Thank you for the information.

Sis. Rev. Weems,

Thanks to you and the other sistas for the courageous and steadfastness to do this.

I am emailing a note to several people on my list about this and I’ve attached your “marching orders” to it. Rev. Al Sharpton will be here in Washington, DC this Friday at Howard University; I have to work that night, but I’m encouraging others to go and ask questions, make comments and make their presence known AND felt.

Thanks again!

His(Her) Truth Is Marching On!

Sister Weems,

I was touched by your recounting of the story and how people kept silent about the atrocities committed by the young boys. I will send a note to Rev. Sharpton to inquire about his stance.

The whole affair reminded me of the fight that advocates have been waging against the mass rapes of hundreds of thousands of women in the Congo from as young as 3 years to as old as 70 years; all in an effort to terrorize entire communities and remove them from valuable lands of gold, diamonds, tin and coltan (key mineral that makes our cell phones function and the video games that our children play operate)

The points that you made in your article are exactly what happens in the Congo:
1.Women are gang raped
2. Concerned organization ignore the cries of Congolese women because it is outside the scope of their mission
3.Its time for sensible Black people to speak out against this type of nonsense once and for all.

We are hopeful that you and your supporters will not turn a deaf ear as we hear calls for help from our sisters and brothers who are being victimized in the Congo.

I am hopeful that you and all those women bloggers that you are in touch with will stand in solidarity with the women of the Congo. See here for information and action: http://www.friendsofthecongo.org/reports/women.php

Thank You!
Maurice Carney
Executive Director
Friends of Congo

Tonight I will compose an email blast and contact women of color feminist bloggers that I know, and create a face book page.

Luv ya silvered activism!

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I have added this information to my own website/blog. I am constantly amazed that people who have, themselves, been victims of racism and oppression would BE perpetrators. It’s sad enough as a woman minister to have to deal with this every time I’m invited to stand in someone’s pulpit but we would expect to be persecuted. It is quite enough when those who claim to speak for our people do so with dishonor, disrespect and no integrity.

Rev Donna Cox
revdonc.wordpress.com

The instance of violence delivered by these sadistic individuals is unexcusable. My first feeling is to find it hard to agree with anyone who would advocate for these men in any shape or form. But for us, African Americans, to judge them not worthy of equal protection under the law is a direct empowerment of a racist system that helped to create these animals in the first place. We must be mindful that any injustice is injustice. And maybe none of these things are the problem. Maybe the problem is environments, institutions, and organizations that promote communities where children and women are unsafe,abused,disrepected, and forgotten. May God help us to work together and not apart!

One other thing; would you all consider creating a life fund for this mother and child who was victimized. Not just a scholarship fund for the child, but a large effor to collect funds to get them a new chance at life! A new and safe community to live in.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Believe me when I tell you that all of us brown women bloggers who are blogging about this matter are collaborating daily on a separate blog about ways to move forward on this and other stories of violence against women and children that crop up on our screens.

We live in a sadistically violent culture. The work is too great for any of our small numbers which is why we hope this call we’ve issued galvanizes other men and women to step up and do their part. Jesus said it this way: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

@ Rev. Marty Mc Michael

There is a fund for the her and her son.

Checks can be made payable to the Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund-St. Ann. They can be dropped off at any Wachovia branch or mailed to: St. Ann Catholic Church, 310 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33401. The church’s phone number is (561) 832-3757.

But I have been thinking about possibly establishing a “Women’s fund” for Dunbar.

I am appalled by this How dare Al Sharpton come to the aid of these criminals,apparantly he has no regard for women at all. it is no wonder that some young women feel it is okay to be sex objects and place no value on themselves when so called leaders place no value on them and are more concerened with the perpretrators then the victims.

I have sent out an e-mail blast to every man, woman in child in my various e-mail accounts. In addition I have posted as a bulletin on my MySpace page and on several of the Cafe Mom groups I belong to.

Just doing my small part in this part of the vineyard.

But for us, African Americans, to judge them not worthy of equal protection under the law is a direct empowerment of a racist system that helped to create these animals in the first place.

I would like for Rev. Marty to clarify what he means on this. Exactly how is advocating for bail “equal protection”? I hope that I am misunderstanding your point there… because to consider bail “fair” for rapists/torturers would mean that you should ALSO demand the same thing in the Megan Williams case. And as a woman, I refuse to advocate for anyone who wants to kill and destroy women.

Now I am not speaking about Rev. Marty when I say beware of people who preach a gospel of false unity — which is a wicked gospel that admonishes the oppressed to accept injustice and even to mobilize and “protect” the oppressor for some abstract goal.

The Lord is a God of justice and peace. The Bible says “Blessed are the peace MAKERS…” not the peace “LOVERS”.

People who simply love peace will try to silence those who would make waves by fighting for justice. A peace MAKER will do battle for justice, understanding that peace is the natural outcome.

Oooooo, thanks sister blogger Shecodes for stepping in and putting your hands on your hips and responding to questions raised here by a few of my readers.

I’m criss-crossing the country this week traveling and speaking, and not able to respond as promptly and thoughtfully as I’d like to questions that crop up.

And again, thanks to everyone for stepping up and applying pressure to Sharpton and NAACP.

From the missives I’m getting from fellow bloggers it seems that Shapton and his people are feeling the heat and have begun wiggling, thrashing about, hurling threats and making excuses. They can’t believe black women around the country care about what happened to some black woman in Florida they don’t know, and that we won’t back down or back off.

I think they are learning about this new fangled thing called the internet.

There used to be a time when you could cut up locally and no one would notice, but that is not the case. I have been tracking the campaign online and it is amazing to watch it spread and also to see so many creative people come up with their own way of joining in the battle to create accountability. and yes, they are feeling it and they are about to feel even more of it.

To sister Shecodes: Bail, and the setting of bail is a legal action. Subsequently it is an action of law. Bail is not to be distributed on behalf of race, creed, color, or gender. It is to be done with equity to all. Now this may not sit well with you, but everyone enjoys equal protection under the law. Dr. King and many others fought for this. Now for any of us to say they should not be given bail, fairly set at whichever level the judge deems necessary for this crime, is to deny an individual equal protection and or due process of the law. My sister that would be an injustice. Please also remember that these men are innocent until proven guilty. We cannot allow our passions to support behaviors, denied access of bail for an African American, because we are angry. For if we do, don’t get mad when the chickens come home to roost-for instance; what if your child, nephew, cousin, was pulled over and arrested because he looked like one of the men who alledgedly committed this crime. What if he was denied bail, knowing that his skin has played a role in that process. Now he will spend the next year and a half in prison while his trial proceeds. Being violated and abused. Is that just?

I understand that if these men are guilty and released on bail that they would probably commit more horrible acts. But I believe what Sharpton and others are trying to do is speak to injustice anywhere. You must understand that once we support injustice in one place it becomes justice everywhere. Old folks said it like this; “two wrongs don’t make it right”.

I think you women have an opportunity to educate Sharpton on how he has proceeded. Maybe he could have stated more clearly why he would advocate for these men; that he was trying to protect the rights of all African Americans. As you know sister we can’t pick and choose family. As terrible as those men might be, they are members of our extended African American family.

In any event, I don’t know that any of us know all the details well enough to convict these boys in these post or sentence Sharpton without having had civil conversation with him concerning what he is really trying to do. I can’t leave this forum without asking you all to remember Tawan Brawley. How can we say such things about Sharpton when he was the only one standing for this young black women who claimed to have been raped by several white men. He risked his career to get this girls voice heard. Now, how can we be so definative about his indifference, lack of concern, or hatred of black womem. The things that are being said about him are just not consistent with his record.

I know you all are upset, but don’t let the passion rule your cognition. Sharpton could be totally wrong; I am open to that, but can you be open to the possibility that he may be right on some level. When we take a myopic view of a man we see only part of the story, but the big picture tells the whole story.

I’ll tell you why Sharpton and the NAACP acted thus: the woman and her son are Haitian; they’re from the Caribbean. If you don’t think it’s that “Arrivants” versus “Descendants” thing playing out on the public stage, you need your head examined. The white/black thing is just smoke.

This is an outrage. I just heard about this today, and I am angered both by the sickness of this crime and by Sharpton’s stance.

There are many reasons that bail is denied. Arguing that it was because of skin color alone is stupid and insulting.

I too will help spread the word, and get this story posted on my blog today, along with the emails. This is just so wrong.

This story has been heavy on my heart since I read it here. Earlier this week, I sent an email blast linking to this blog that said in part:

“As Christians who believe in the power of Jesus to redeem anybody, we must continue to minister to broken and troubled souls. However, we can’t afford to send the signal that acts of sheer brutality in our communities will be in any way tolerated or justified. Rather than focusing on the charges these individual young men will face, to me the more appropriate civil rights response in this instance is to challenge the systemic forces (like poverty, misogyny, educational disparities and hopelessness) that create the dynamic for such anger, hatred and violence.

I’m all for equal protection under the law — that’s what criminal defense lawyers are for. But when the civil rights community makes a great public show of crying racism in the face of what seems to me to be reasonable law enforcement response to depraved acts, we squander our credibility to challenge actual injustice, and we make the rest of our community more vulnerable.”

Such a tragedy, on multiple levels. First I will pray for he victims.
Next, I will pray for the rapists. After that I will pray that the good Rev. Al Sharpton and the NAACP to come to their collective senses. Lastly, I will pray for all those who have written or attempted to only pass this story to other people of color. This is an act of violence against HUMAN kind not just “sisters’. How dare people think that because a person is white they will not care!. It is for those of you who think this I will pray the hardest. We as HUMANS need to change and stop all forms of racism.
God be with you all.

Thank you for this information. Outrageous. I’m writing to Sharpton and the NAACP.

And Rev. McMichael you are wrong. Bail is NOT a right. Bail is a discretionary benefit. Racism in the legal system makes the discretion in granting bail very often injust. But in a case of crimes this heinous, this vicious? With the accused having confessed? Bail shouldn’t even be considered.

And the women on this discussion are not letting their “passions” rule them. There is such a thing as righteous anger, and Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Micah and Jesus lead us when our hearts are on fire.

Peace,
Kristen

Amen to righteous anger and the wise use of that anger. I am remembering the phrase, from the anti-apartheid struggles - “You have struck a rock” referring especially to the women of South Africa. I have my college students reading this blog since before I brought up Dunbar Village to these young women, no one had heard about the atrocities. So now they are challenged to read the blog and determine what THEY should do.

Does the name Eliza Woods mean anything to anyone? She was accused of poisoning her white mistress and was lynched and cut in half by a mob. Ida B. Wells expressed her outrage that no one in the African American community came to her defense. Two years later the woman’s husband confessed to her murder. What little I know of her comes from what I heard on a NPR interview with Paula Giddings about her newest book - “A Sword Among Lions” a biography of Ida B. Wells. I will be reading this book and thankful that our esteemed historian Paula Giddings has gifted us with this work.

It is great that there has been such a strong and vigorous response to the foolishness of Al Sharpton and the NAACP. It is just a shame that so much energy has to be spent addressing their nonsense.

Something to keep in mind when you (not meaning anyone in particular) were supporting Al Sharpton when he was helping the Jena 6 (one or two of which are charged in new crimes of violence). Violence against another human being by anyone regardless of anything is wrong. Sharpton is and has always been a race baiter and until we stop trying to make excuses for, and justifying violent behavior, it will continue. Without all the prior support Al Sharpton wouldn’t have been down in West Palm Beach. What happened to this woman and her son disgusts me, it wouldn’t matter what color any of the parties were, I would want the offenders locked up for life.

I just came back and read Mr. Marty’s comment ( I refuse to call you Reverand — you sound like a wolf in sheep’s clothing). That is the most immoral, convoluted, unscriptural and self serving response I have ever heard in my life.

Where is your moral compass? Nowhere in the Bible does it say to ‘equally protect’ murderers, rapists and torturers. Furthermore, BAIL IS NOT PROTECTION. It is a privilege and not a right. The only purpose for it is to accomodate the overcrowding of prisons. It’s not designed to be a ‘holiday’ before your trial.

You, sir, need to check yourself. You have no moral foundation, or principle. How dare you moralize to women that we need to protect people who have not only confessed to this abomination, but have corroborating DNA and fingerprints?

Are you now saying that the people who lynched black men throughout the decades should be advocated for by black people? Or does this roundabout face only apply to black women?

The only thing that sickens me more about your response is the knowledge that your congregation (if you have one) is most likely supported and financed by more women than men.

Rev. Weems, feel free to delete this if it’s too angry a tone for your blog. But that person makes me ill.

@Shecodes,

Don’t apologize.

Also, don’t bother expecting to hear back from McMichael. He signed off by saying that this would be his last post. That ticked me off. Even though I know (like you) that folks like him are too egotistical to resist checking back in to see whether their comments got a rise out of anyone.

Here’s what McMichael doesn’t get: while it’s true that we are hypersensitive as black people to gestures by the court that smack of inequity in the way the courts treat black people, some crimes are so heinous and some criminals so depraved that black people (in this case, black women) are prepared to concede that the public deserves to be protected by denying these criminals bail and keeping them behind bars. The young men who raped and sodomized the mother and son of Dunbar village fall within that category of criminals.