A message from Dr. Boyce Watkins:Hello to my friends,
to those who supported the rally I called for Heather Ellis, I want to extend my most sincere thank you.
My mother raised me to believe that black men are supposed to stand up for black women, and based on my knowledge of Heather's case (and seeing the Walmart surveillance video that has not yet been released to the public), I cannot, in good conscience, watch this young college student lose her life over this incident.
The international support we've received for this case has been overwhelming, and the Ellis family sends their greatest thanks to those of you who have shown your support.
My mother raised me to believe that black men are supposed to stand up for black women, and based on my knowledge of Heather's case (and seeing the Walmart surveillance video that has not yet been released to the public), I cannot, in good conscience, watch this young college student lose her life over this incident.
The international support we've received for this case has been overwhelming, and the Ellis family sends their greatest thanks to those of you who have shown your support.
I accompanied Dr. Christopher Metzler (Georgetown University), Dr. Wilmer Leon (Howard University), King Downing (Attorney with the Sean Bell Justice Project) and Elliot Millner (Legal Advisor for the Your Black World Coalition) to Kennett, MO. The trip was long, but rewarding. You can visit www.TheHeatherEllisCase.com to read more about the rally and how it all happened. The town shut down and took notice because they'd never seen black people come together to fight for their rights, at least not in that way.
Fortunately, our efforts have generated more national support and interest in Heather's case. ABC News, CNN, AOL, NBC, the Associated Press, and other major media are now following the story, which is a relief to me. My belief is that if you put the spotlight on abuse, it is less likely to happen. I can't fight every case in America, but I am going to fight this one to the death.
There are some who seem to believe that if Heather cut the line, cursed at the cashier or kicked one of the officers, she should go to prison (The officer's allegations can't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and don't appear on any video that I've seen. Police reports here have questionable credibility, since King Downing has data which shows that the Kennett police are systematically biased when arresting and convicting black defendants).
But after witnessing egregious and illegal behavior on the part of non-black college students for the past 16 years (ever been to a campus frat party?), it's interesting that most of them are let go with a slap on the wrist, but some think it's ok to send a black woman to prison over a minor incident. If I came to most universities (including my own), had a raid on a fraternity house and chose to send students to prison over whatever contraband I found, there would be outrage.
But after witnessing egregious and illegal behavior on the part of non-black college students for the past 16 years (ever been to a campus frat party?), it's interesting that most of them are let go with a slap on the wrist, but some think it's ok to send a black woman to prison over a minor incident. If I came to most universities (including my own), had a raid on a fraternity house and chose to send students to prison over whatever contraband I found, there would be outrage.
Forgive me for making this into a racial thing, but you only needed to see the skinheads and klansmen in this town to realize that when it comes to the history of the American justice system, racism has ALWAYS been a dominating factor. Don't ask me, just take a look at the statistics in sentencing disparities, disproportionate arrests, longer prison terms, marginalization of black men and the devastating impact that mass incarceration has had on the black community.
So, Syracuse University may not care about this plight (They haven't mentioned a word of this in any publication I've seen. I have reason to believe that this might be deliberate), but I do care. The prison system has destroyed my own family, as my older brother figure was sent to prison at the age of 17, forced to sign a plea bargain on a crime he swore he did not commit, threatened with many years in prison if he chose to fight the charges with his overworked and underpaid public defender.
I cried many days and nights after talking to him on the prison telephone and wrote him long letters in my 8th grade class. I needed a mentor, but he'd been stolen by the system. So yes, this issue is PERSONAL for me and the many thousands of others who have joined our cause.
So, Syracuse University may not care about this plight (They haven't mentioned a word of this in any publication I've seen. I have reason to believe that this might be deliberate), but I do care. The prison system has destroyed my own family, as my older brother figure was sent to prison at the age of 17, forced to sign a plea bargain on a crime he swore he did not commit, threatened with many years in prison if he chose to fight the charges with his overworked and underpaid public defender.
I cried many days and nights after talking to him on the prison telephone and wrote him long letters in my 8th grade class. I needed a mentor, but he'd been stolen by the system. So yes, this issue is PERSONAL for me and the many thousands of others who have joined our cause.
The prison system, similar to the NCAA, is a modern day form of exploitation and abuse that descends directly from slavery. You can't cure a 400-year old festering psychological disease with 20 or 30 years of affirmative action and a claim that systemic racism is what "they used to do back then." Our society is built upon this system, and our lack of desire to challenge this system effectively implies that those of us who support the system are perpetuating the disparities intended by the system's founders.
American attitudes and behaviors toward black defendants (you should see some of the angry emails I am getting from students and others who think Heather should go to prison) is a direct reflection of the fact that our racism still runs deep in America - I guarantee that if Heather were a white female college student, she wouldn't be facing this kind of prison time. The United Nations recently wrote a report stating that the US remains a two-tiered society, with African Americans receiving the bulk of the abuse.
You can't fix racial inequality if you don't discuss it honestly, so I am not here to sugar coat the issue. But I attack the issue out of love for America and a willingness to help our country take the uncomfortable medicine it needs to heal from its racial sickness. If you hate our coalition for standing up for Heather, that's OK: your forefathers hated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. too.
American attitudes and behaviors toward black defendants (you should see some of the angry emails I am getting from students and others who think Heather should go to prison) is a direct reflection of the fact that our racism still runs deep in America - I guarantee that if Heather were a white female college student, she wouldn't be facing this kind of prison time. The United Nations recently wrote a report stating that the US remains a two-tiered society, with African Americans receiving the bulk of the abuse.
You can't fix racial inequality if you don't discuss it honestly, so I am not here to sugar coat the issue. But I attack the issue out of love for America and a willingness to help our country take the uncomfortable medicine it needs to heal from its racial sickness. If you hate our coalition for standing up for Heather, that's OK: your forefathers hated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. too.
Please take a look at the case blog at www.TheHeatherEllisCase.com for more information. I am following the trial closely and if there is a conviction, I will speak with the Rev. Al Sharpton, who mentioned on the air that he would like to join me in Missouri for the second rally (follow the website for announcements). This battle is not over and this is not about Heather Ellis.
It is about a justice system that has spent 400 years destroying the lives of black families, and I am not interested in watching the cycle of devastation continue. Please feel free to join our fight, there is a role for everyone. Heather's case is simply the tip of the iceberg, since this kind of thing happens to black youth every single hour of every single day. We are dying because of it, so we must be willing to die in order to stop it.
It is about a justice system that has spent 400 years destroying the lives of black families, and I am not interested in watching the cycle of devastation continue. Please feel free to join our fight, there is a role for everyone. Heather's case is simply the tip of the iceberg, since this kind of thing happens to black youth every single hour of every single day. We are dying because of it, so we must be willing to die in order to stop it.
Be well,
Dr. Boyce
www.BoyceWatkins.com
Please forward this message to as many people as you can. Also, please sign our petition for the Attorney General, make a donation or consider joining our cause.
Please forward this message to as many people as you can. Also, please sign our petition for the Attorney General, make a donation or consider joining our cause.
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