Black Girls Under Fire: A Workshop and Discussion – June 1

We’ve reached capacity for this event. Thanks for your interest. We’ll post notes about the event here later.

Register HERE by May 20th only if you are CERTAIN that you will be able to attend. Space is LIMITED.

 

Now that Tiawanda Moore is free, what lessons can we learn?

On August 18, 2010, Tiawanda Moore went to the Office of Internal Affairs to file a complaint, alleging that a police officer had sexually assaulted her.  Getting the runaround from the officers at Internal Affairs, and feeling threatened and intimidated, she pulled out her Blackberry to get proof that they were refusing to help her file her claim.  As many of you know by now, Ms. Moore was charged with “eavesdropping” on the police, a charge that can bring up to 15 years in jail.

Today, I’m so happy to announce, she was acquitted, and her nightmare is over.

But there are lessons to be learned from this, and changes that are needed, and I think it’s important that we take the time to think about what happened here, and what it says about the need for systemic reform.

I was in court today, along with my good friend and colleague Mariame Kaba and a small group of supporters.  The closing arguments we heard spoke volumes about the injustice that this young woman – and I fear, young women in general – experience at the hands of the police and the states’ attorney.

“THEY WERE STALLING, INTIMIDATING HER, BULLYING HER NOT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT.”

Ms. Moore’s attorney, Robert Johnson, spoke eloquently about her experiences of injustice.  His description of what had happened to Ms. Moore, based on the testimony and the tape itself, which had been played for the jury, filled in some of the details on her harrowing experience at Internal Affairs that you may not have heard.

First, he said, when she made the appointment, she was told to bring any witnesses who could support her allegations.  She brought her boyfriend, but he was immediately told to go home or go to McDonald’s to wait for her; no interview was held.  The police urged her not to file a complaint, insisting that the assaulting officer was “a good guy.”  On the tape, there’s a promise that what happened to her will never happen again (proving, as Robert Johnson pointed out, that they believed that she had been assaulted).  There’s the insistence that instead of filing a complaint, she should “go a different route.”  (On cross examination, the officer admitted, correctly, that there is no other route for victims of police sexual harassment in the system.)  And there’s the fact that when she became concerned and wanted to speak with another officer, the police locked the door and told her she could not leave.

Imagine how scary this experience must have been.  Imagine the power dynamics in the room, of this 19-year old young woman trying to plead her case to two police officers, and getting this kind of response.

The only conclusion you can reach is the one Robert Johnson reached:

“The plan was to kill this complaint from the very beginning….  They were stalling, intimidating her, bullying her not to make a complaint.”

HERE WE GO AGAIN, FRAMING THE VICTIM AS THE PERPETRATOR

And what did the State have to say about what happened?  Brace yourself, because here’s their theory.

Tiawanda Moore, they said, was on a “fishing expedition.”  They alleged that this young woman came in all the way from Indiana, not because she had been assaulted by a police officer and wanted to make a complaint.  No, the real reason according to the State was that she “wanted them to say the case was going nowhere.  That’s what she wanted them to say.”

What?  Didn’t she say on the tape itself that she’s concerned about how many other young women have been sexually assaulted by this officer?  Absolutely, said the State, and that is just proof that she was “editorializing,” by which I suppose they meant she was trying to make her case for public consumption.

If this sounds crazy to you, like the world’s gone mad, consider the State’s conclusion as to the power dynamics at play when she went to file her claim.  Is it the police that are in a position of power?  No.

“It is her that is in control…. You can’t push Tiawanda Moore around, she’s not going to let you.”

After all, the State’s Attorney added, “What motive do the police have to protect this officer?”

“JUST ANOTHER DAY IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS”

Now that we can breathe a huge sigh of relief that Tiawanda Moore won’t be facing jail time for this travesty, I am left with a deep fear that what she experienced may in fact be, to quote the State’s Attorney, “just another day in Internal Affairs.”

The concerns raised by groups like the ACLU, and activists like Chris Drew, over the Eavesdropping Law are important and valid.  Our avenue for defense against all types of abuse of power by law enforcement must be protected.  Citizens should be able to record police abuse, and to use recordings to hold the police accountable for such abuse in court.  Period.

Beyond that, though, let’s not lose focus on how the system failed this young woman at every level.  It is important that we remember that Tiawanda Moore’s terrible experience with the system as a young woman survivor of violence was most likely not a fluke.  Instead, her experience points to what young women are up against, and the need for systemic changes.

Young women in Chicago are at risk of sexual assault by the police.  Tiawanda Moore is certainly not the only young woman to allege that she has been sexually assaulted by a police officer.  In Chicago, and in other cities as well, young women have come forward to say that they have been assaulted by their local police officers.  Here in Chicago, there have been rallies in support of survivors of police violence, and groups such as Women’s All Points Bulletin – whose director, Crista Noel, was present in court as well to support Tiawanda Moore today – are working to draw attention to these cases, and to provide crucial support for women.

And can we really believe, as the state alleges, that Internal Affairs is deeply committed to supporting survivors of police violence?  Literature from Chicago Activists Against Police Sexual Assault, a new group that is holding rallies around the issue, quotes these statistics from a 2007 study by the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago.

• The odds that a Chicago police officer charged with abuse will receive any form of meaningful discipline are 2 out of 1,000. But as the U.S. Dept. of Justice has found, only 1 in 10 citizens ever even report police abuse for fear of reprisal, and distrust of the investigatory process.
• Between 2002 and 2004, 85% of abuse complaints were dismissed without ever interviewing the officer.
• 75% of Chicago police officers with multiple charges of abuse never receive any discipline whatsoever
• Brutality complaints are 94% less likely to be found as having sufficient evidence by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) than in the nation as a whole.

Yes, it does sound like what happened to Ms. Moore was what might be expected on any typical day.

And now we can add the State’s Attorney into the mix.  For months, the Taskforce has called for the State’s Attorney to drop these ridiculous charges against Tiawanda Moore.  They refused.  Today’s closing arguments made it clear that the State’s Attorney cannot be relied upon to protect young women from police violence.  The topsy turvy world view that was presented in court today – a world in which young women supposedly have power over the police – was startling and frankly, frightening.

We all have a lot of work to do if we are going to make Chicago safer for young women.  Systems change at every level is called for.  What are your thoughts about what needs to be done?

 

Petitioning Justice for Tiawanda Moore…

On August 2nd, a small but determined group of us went to Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s office to drop off petitions signed by over 3,200 people demanding that the unjust charges against Tiawanda Moore be dropped. We walked into the building that houses her office and took the elevator to the 32nd floor. There were two people sitting at desks in the reception area.

We politely asked to speak to Ms. Alvarez and the young man who was seated at the desk told us that she was “unavailable.” We didn’t press our case and asked to speak to another representative of the office. In the meantime, we noticed that the small reception area was getting crowded with large white men who were coming from a door that seemed to lead to offices. There were at least 6 of them standing around. We assume that they were concerned that we might cause a disturbance. A quick perusal of the rag-tag group of us though should quickly have disabused them of the idea that we were there to cause a scene.

The night before the action, we had spent several hours writing the names of each person who signed the petitions on separate index cards. It came out to 3277 index cards.

After a few minutes, a gentleman came out and introduced himself. We explained that we wanted to register our voices in opposition to the unjust prosecution of Tiawanda Moore. We said that we were dropping off petitions signed by thousands of people who agreed that Tiawanda Moore was being wronged. He told us that he would relay our message to the State’s Attorney. Somehow, we doubt this.

Ms. Moore’s trial was supposed to have started with jury selection on August 3rd. We have confirmed that Ms. Moore’s trial is in fact in continuance now until Monday August 8th for motions.

The Chicago Taskforce on Violence against Girls and Young Women would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to sign their names to our petition in support of Ms. Moore. We believe that it is important that those who we elect to ensure that “justice” is done should not abuse the public’s trust. This unjust prosecution of Ms. Moore is a travesty and perversion of the criminal legal system. Thousands of people agree.

 

Join Us on Tuesday at 1 p.m. as We Protest Tiawanda Moore’s Upcoming Trial!

Ms. Tiawanda Moore’s trial is currently scheduled to begin on August 3rd. The Chicago Taskforce on Violence against Young Women and Girls launched a petition drive earlier this year urging State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to drop the unjust charges against Ms. Moore. To date, the petition has garnered over 3,200 signatures.

On Tuesday August 2nd, join us as we bring the petition signatures directly to Anita Alvarez and demand that she do the right thing by dropping the charges against Ms. Moore. Tiawanda Moore is a young woman who reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a police officer in July of 2010, and was then herself charged with eavesdropping on police. According to her attorney, Robert Johnson, when she tried to report the assault, internal affairs “gave her the run-around, trying to intimidate and discourage her from making a report. The internal affairs officers told Ms. Moore if it happens again you have our number. Finally, a recording of the officer’s misconduct is made on her cell phone.” She was charged with two counts of eavesdropping – and if found guilty, will face up to fifteen years in prison.

We will meet downtown at 1 p.m. to deliver the petition signatures to Anita Alvarez. Please join us and bring your friends. Rather than being a demonstration, this is a targeted strategic direct action designed to convey the reality that thousands of people demand that the charges against Ms. Moore be dropped. If you are planning to join us, please e-mail us at chitaskforce@gmail.com for more information.

We plan to dramatize the number of signatures that have been collected by presenting index cards with each individual name represented. We need volunteers to help us create the index cards. If you have the time and inclination, please join us on Monday from 3 to 6 p.m. for an index card writing session. We will be meeting at the Rogers Park Community Council, 1530 West Morse Ave. Please stop by and help us write out the cards.

If you have any questions, please contact us at chitaskforce@gmail.com.

ETA: We will be meeting at 1 pm at the Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza, and walking together to the state’s attorney’s office to deliver the petitions. 

 

A morning in court in support of Tiawanda Moore

Cross-posted from Prison Culture, by Mariame Kaba

The first thing that strikes me when I see Tiawanda Moore is that she looks so very young. The second thing is that she reminds me of my cousin Fatime. She has the same fine features and beautiful dark skin. She is slight in build and is wearing glasses. Every black person in the U.S. has a sister, friend, cousin who looks just like Tiawanda Moore.

I arrived at Cook County Criminal Court at 9:30 this morning for a scheduled 10 am hearing on Ms. Moore’s case. I sat in the “holding area” reserved for spectator and the accused. Large tinted windows separate me from what’s happening inside where the judge and attorneys hold court. We can hear the proceedings happening past the large windows and glass doors through a horrible sounding speaker system. The sound keeps cutting on and off. I get frustrated so I walk through the doors to alert someone about the technical difficulties. A woman who appears to be waiting for a relative to be called for his case informs me that this is the norm and that when I hear Ms. Moore’s case called I should walk inside and stand by the doors if I want to support her. I thank her for the advice.

Promptly at 10 am, Ms. Moore’s name is called and she walks up to the judge with her attorney, Robert Johnson. I get up and stand inside the doors toward the back so that I can hear what is happening. The judge makes a couple of pronouncements that I as a layperson don’t understand. Then he invites the Assistant State’s Attorney and Mr. Johnson to use his chambers to review some items for discovery. The  item of interest is the internal review report from the Chicago Police Department which has been kept underwraps.

Ms. Moore walks out back toward the “holding area” and I follow her out. She sits on one of the nondescript wood benches that court watchers and the accused share. I walk over to her and introduce myself. I let her know that I am one of the co-founders of the Taskforce and that we have been trying to bring attention to her case. She shakes my hand which feels really small in mine. She is soft-spoken and shy. She thanks me for helping her. We go outside the courtroom and she starts telling me about her case. Shortly, we are joined by her lawyer, Mr. Johnson. He says that he expects to look over the internal review documents today and will make a motion demanding that the case be brought immediately to trial.

Ms. Moore tells me that she is invoking her right to a speedy trial. This ordeal is of course weighing on this 21 year old young woman. I can’t even begin to imagine the stress of these regular trips to criminal court. It was obvious to me today that the State of Illinois is stalling for time. I speculate that they do not want a public hearing of the audio recording that Ms. Moore made of the police when they would not take her complaint seriously. This is of course conjecture on my part but the first hearing in this case was scheduled for February 7th and the expectation was that trial would begin shortly thereafter. Today is June 23rd and still there has been no trial. State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez has no case against Tiawanda Moore and she ought to pursue an investigation against the rogue police officer who abused his power by sexually assaulting Ms. Moore in her own home.

The Chicago Taskforce on Violence Against Girls and Young Women intends to continue to pressure the State’s Attorney to end this unjust prosecution. We will keep you apprised of the developments in this case.

To learn more about the background of this case, you can read the following pieces:

New York Times Article

Radley Balko’s Huffingpost Article

You can help by signing our petition demanding that Anita Alvarez drop the unjust charges against Tiawanda Moore.

 

Update on Tiawanda Moore’s Trial Date

We know that many are anxious to hear what happened at Ms.Moore’s scheduled trial date of June 8th. Well we have been informed by her lawyer that the judge was not available and so they have provided another date which is now June 23rd. Her lawyer, Robert Johnson, doesn’t know if the actual trial will kick off that day or if the State will once again ask for a continuance. Ms. Moore has asked for her right to a speedy trial to be respected. Originally this case was supposed to be tried on February 7th. Instead it has continuously been continued and postponed.

The Taskforce continues to demand that the unjust charges against Ms. Moore be dropped immediately. This young woman has been put through hell and it is wrong.

 

Press release: No Justice for Victims of Police Sexual Violence

For Immediate Release

No Justice for Victims of Police Sexual Violence

Tiawanda Moore court date set for June 8, activists demand justice

The Chicago Taskforce on Violence Against Girls & Young Women is calling on State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to drop the criminal charges against Tiawanda Moore. Ms. Moore is a young woman who reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a police officer in July of 2010, and was then herself charged with eavesdropping on police.  According to her attorney, Robert Johnson, when she tried to report the assault, internal affairs “gave her the run-around, trying to intimidate and discourage her from making a report. The internal affairs officers told Ms. Moore if it happens again you have our number. Finally, a recording of the officer’s misconduct is made on her cell phone.”  She was charged with two counts of eavesdropping – and if found guilty, will face up to fifteen years in prison.

Ms. Moore has been awaiting trial since her initial scheduled trial date of February 7. The next court date is scheduled for June 8 on which Judge Kevin M. Sheehan will decided what documents from the Independent Police Review Authority’s investigation will be released to the parties.

Describing the injustice facing his client, Mr. Johnson stated, “Ms. Moore reports an attack by a police officer in her bedroom and almost a year later she is facing prison and he is still patrolling our streets. Listening to that recording makes me wonder where future victims will get the courage to report sexual misconduct by a police officer.”

Ms. Moore’s case comes in the wake of local and national headlines, as a series of women have reported that they were sexually assaulted by police officers.  In New York, on May 26, the acquittal of two police officers for alleged rape of a woman drew protests from local organizations, who pointed to the victim-blaming inherent in the defense’s winning argument that the woman had been drinking.  Here in Chicago, officers Paul Clavijo and Juan Vasquez were indicted on June 1 for sexual assault, for an alleged rape of a 22-year old woman in Rogers Park in March.  According to reports, Clavijo was charged with a second count of criminal sexual assault and official misconduct for an unrelated incident involving a 26-year old woman, which also took place in March.

Local activists have urged the State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to drop the criminal charges and expedite the investigation into Ms. Moore’s allegations against the police.  The Chicago Taskforce on Violence Against Girls & Young Women, a citywide coalition founded in 2009, launched an online petition on http://www.change.org that has drawn over 2,100 signatures.  The State’s Attorney has not responded to these demands.

According to Taskforce co-founder Melissa Spatz, “cases like this have a chilling effect on women’s willingness to come forward and report if they have been sexually assaulted by police officers.  It’s crucial that the city send a clear message that sexual assault of young women will not be tolerated.”   Co-founder Mariame Kaba adds, “We at the Taskforce recognize the deep injustice of this case, and we demand immediate accountability from the State’s Attorney.”

Contacts: Melissa Spatz (773)454-0366 chitaskforce@gmail.com

Mariame Kaba (773)392-5165

Robert Johnson (773)485-2267

 

Losing the Struggle against Gender-based Violence to Kanye West…

Today my goddaughter excitedly told me that Kanye West released the video for his latest song “All of the Lights” on youtube. She told me that I had to see it because it was “brilliant” (her words).

After our phone conversation, I went to my computer to see the video. As a long-time rap music fan, I had to agree that the song itself is indeed brilliant. West has created a symphony, melding together dozens of sounds and voices. I would defy anyone who is a fan of rap music not to appreciate the sonic beauty of this song.

Then there are the actual lyrics to the song. Here are a few lines:

I slapped my girl, she called the feds
I did that time and spent that bread
I’m heading home, I’m almost there
I’m on my way, heading up the stairs
to my surprise, a n-gga replacing me
I had to take ‘em to that ghetto university

Once again, we have a song that is already a big hit and will only become a greater one now that the video has been released addressing the very serious of issue of domestic violence. In the song, Kanye has hit his girlfriend. She calls the police. He goes to prison and pays a fine. Then he returns home, presumably after spending time behind bars, to find his former girlfriend in bed with a new person. He reacts violently to this, continuing the cycle of violence. What message is Kanye intending to send with this verse? That he went to prison but learned nothing while inside? [Which would actually be an accurate portrayal given the reality that prison only creates better prisoners.] Is he making the point that violence is justified if your ex-girlfriend has a new partner? What exactly are these lyrics implying?

Here is another verse of the song:

Restraining order
can’t see my daughter
her mother, brother, grandmother hate me in that order
public visitation
we met at Borders
told her she take me back
I’ll be more supportive
I made mistakes
I bump my head
courts suck me dry
I spent that bread
she need a daddy
baby please, can’t let her grow up in that ghetto university

Any of you reading this who have had experience with domestic violence will recognize the “honeymoon phase” of the cycle of violence in the lyrics quoted above. Kanye is telling his ex-girlfriend that he has “made mistakes” and is begging to be taken back so that he can be a father to his daughter. However concurrently, he also informs the audience that “courts suck [him] dry.” Presumably, he is pissed off about having to pay child support for the daughter that he doesn’t want to let “grow up in that ghetto university.” Pulsing underneath these lyrics is the constant threat and possibility of violence.

As of today, the video for the song has already received over 800,000 views. That is in just one day since the video was posted on youtube. How can any of the messages that we as anti-violence educators and organizers offer have even half the reach of this song and video? The reality is that we are being completely drowned out by the power and reach of popular culture messages about gender-based and other forms of violence. Until we are able to gain new allies in that world and can respond with equally powerful and “brilliant” counter-messages, I fear that we are just continuing to swim upstream against the current. This, it seems to me, is the great challenge of anti-violence work in the 21st century.

Here is the video for the song:

 

Cook County hearings: testimony of Taskforce co-founder, Mariame Kaba

Mariame Kaba, co-founder of the Taskforce and Founding Executive Director of Project NIA, offered testimony about issues impacting incarcerated girls. This outline of her testimony provides information as to the issues impacting incarcerated girls, as well as initial recommendations to the County.

At last count, Illinois was spending over $80,000 to incarcerate one youth per year.  About 10,000 girls 10 to 16 years old are arrested every year in Illinois which amounts to about 20 to 22 percent of all of the arrests of the state.  Girls are mostly arrested for nonviolent offenses. Girls are being incarcerated more often for trivial offenses such as:

• Technical violation of probation/parole
• Status offenses (truancy, runaway, incorrigibility)
• Larceny theft (shoplifting)
• Traffic offenses
• Drug offenses

About 30% of arrests of girls in Illinois are for violent offenses mostly aggravated battery.  Many of these arrests take place on school grounds.  On any given day in Illinois, we can find about 100 young women incarcerated at youth prisons and about 25-50 at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
Incarcerated Girls in Chicago and Illinois are:

• Likely to have run away from home – A 2004 study found that 8 out of 10 incarcerated girls had run away from home.

• More likely to suffer from tremendous emotional trauma (depression, anxiety disorders).  Girls receive this diagnosis more frequently than boys.

• Abuse and Neglect Histories (The Girl Prison Pipeline): Likely to have suffered from physical and sexual abuse prior to incarceration.  Compared to boys, girls experience more sexual victimization overall, including sexual assaults, rapes, and sexual harassment.  All types of maltreatment can increase the risks for both sexes.
• Likely to suffer sexual abuse while in custody.

Health Issues of Girls In Trouble with the Law

• Suicide behavior is about 2.5 times greater than the general population.
• Substance abuse is high (mainly marijuana use)
• STDs, unplanned pregnancies, and dental problems.

Protective Factors

• Support from a caring adult.
• School Success
• Religiosity

Recommendations
Over the past 5 years, many improvements have been made at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.  This is in large part due to the Court Advocates Group that was convened by the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group in 2002 and continues to this day.  One major change came with the hiring in March 2009 of a director for a newly established Office of Gender Responsive Programming.
Other improvements include:

1. The establishment of the W.I.N.G.S.  Center (Working in Nurturing Girls Success) at the JTDC.  This center serves to house girls and provide them with gender responsive services.
2. The establishment of a better system for distributing personal hygiene items.
3. A concerted effort to reach out to the community to provide more gender-specific programming to girls on the inside.

As such, what I want to focus on today on some recommendations that focus on the prevention side and the post-incarceration or re-entry needs for girls in trouble with the law.

1. Prevention – We need to address the Girl Prison Pipeline and to do that we need to do a much better job of addressing the trauma that girls face BEFORE they come into contact with the system.  Keep them out of the system since we know the incarceration DOES NOT WORK.  It is a pathway to future involvement in the adult criminal legal system.  This means providing ADEQUATE RESOURCES for anti-violence programs in schools and community settings.
2. We need county backing for keeping youth OUT of the Juvenile Justice System by providing funding and support for restorative justice programs and other alternatives to incarceration.
3. We need help and support to address the re-entry needs of formerly incarcerated girls (emergency funds, housing, employment training, counseling support).
4. The County needs to develop a pool of resources specifically dedicated to the re-entry needs of all formerly incarcerated youth.  The County can begin by providing community-based organizations with access to FREE SPACE to create a centrally-located re-entry drop in center for youth in trouble with the law.  This can allow us to address the recidivism issue.
5. The County needs to make it easier and cheaper for young women to expunge their juvenile criminal records.  One way to do this is to revert back to the 2009 fee structure for filing juvenile expungement petitions.

The Chicago Taskforce on Violence against Girls will be developing a series of other recommendations in the near future.  However these recommendations that I have shared today can be implemented immediately by the County.