Wear Red on October 31, 2007 and Help Bring Awareness to Violence Against Women

For the past three months, this blog has been following the horrific crime at Dunbar Village in West Palm Beach, FL. We've recited the horrific facts, the apathetic reaction from neighbors, the incompetence of the West Palm Beach city commissioners, the shady dealings of the Executive Director of the WPD Housing Authority, the narcissism of Mayor Lois Franklin, and the Immoral Indifference of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the National Organization of Women, the SCLC, the NAACP(at least they called us back), NAN, and Rainbow Push. Even the Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist REFUSES to issue a public statement. All we have ever asked for was a PUBLIC Acknowledgment of this crime by these folks. A high school intern could have typed one up. THEY ALL KNOW ABOUT DUNBAR VILLAGE but are silent.

We had to put the smack down on XXLmag.com when one of their "writers' referred to the Dunbar Village victim as "some hooker down in Florida." Symphony from Essential Presence has been right there in the thick of things. We've gone from bloggers to video producers. Symphony's video even made the local news in West Palm Beach.

Along the way, we've grieved together.We've talked about Delso Bush, the police chief of West Palm Beach saying $1000 was more than enough of an award for information about the Dunbar Village crime despite the fact that six gang rapists are running around. We've chronicled the hemming and hawing over providing $100,000 for security when the City of West Palm Beach spent $164 Mission on an office building and $40 MILLION on a tourist promenade. West Palm Beach herded a bunch of single Black women into a hell hole and left them there to die. THEY ARE STILL THERE!

We've done interview after interview. Essence magazine even did a special report on both Dunbar Village and Megan Williams.

SO tell me why when Moya, working with Fallon, went on the Michael Baisden show on Tuesday and talked about Dunbar Village. YET AGAIN, folks didn't know about it? I just can't comprehend that we know more about atrocities in other countries than we know abotu what is happening in our own backyard and so even though I've been blogging about Dunbar Village for THREE MONTHS, I'll keep blogging away because the world needs to know.

So wear red on Wednesday. Tell two people about Dunbar Village and Megan Williams. Tell them about Angela Dawson, the mother whose home was firebombed because she asked drug dealers to stop dealing in front of her house. She burned alive inside with five of her children. My regulars remember the story of the 11 year old girl who was gang raped by AT LEAST 20 MEN and BOYS while adults in the house stood by and did NOTHING.

When I say Defund the War on Black Women! I mean it.

Fallon and Moya have been working tirelessly on organizing Wednesday's campaign. Here is more from Fallon's blog, Document the Silence:

Join us and stand up to violence against women!

• Be bold, be brave, be red. Wear red on October 31, 2007. Take a picture or video of yourself and friends wearing red. Send it to: beboldbered@gmail.com. We’ll post it!

• Take Your Red to the Streets! Know of a location where violence occurred against a woman of color? Have a public location where you feel women of color are often ignored? Make violence against women of color visible by decorating the space in red. Be sure to send us pictures and or video of your display!

• Rally! Gather your friends, family, and community to rally. Check out the Document the Silence website for the litany we’re asking participants to read together on October 31^st. Be sure to send us pictures and/or video of the event! You could even gather where you created a display!

If you are a blogger, consider blogging about violence against women on October 31, 2007.
If you are a reader, please take about ten minutes today and ball these folks out for not covering these stories of violence against Black women. Iggy the dog has gotten more coverage.

ABC News (212) 456-4040
CBS News (212) 975-3691
CNN Newsroom (404) 827-1500
MSNBC (201) 583-5222
MSNBC Miami Bureau (305) 379-6920
NBC News (212) 664-4971

In addition, clown Governor Charlie Crist for sending lame emails and having folks call us while refusing to issue any public statement on this case a la "Help us catchthe remaining six gang rapists." Or "I know. I care. I'm concerned."

FLORIDA GOVERNOR
Charlie Crist
Office of the Governor
The Capital
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
(850) 222-7920 and (850) 488-7146
Fax: (850) 907-1267 and (850) 487-0801
Web Site: http://www.flgov.com/
Email: Internet Contact Form

Let's not forget Mayor Lois "I've Had My Eye on Dunbar Village Frankel.

Mayor of West Palm Beach Lois Frankel
200 2nd Street
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
Phone: 561.822.1400
lfrankel@wpb.org

THANKS TO THE BROTHERS!

This month was National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We asked men to write posts about domestic violence and we got three great pieces from DJ Black Adam, Gunfighter, and Geno Jones. Take a moment to review our series, "What About Our Daughters? Let's a Brother Speak"

Join Us in South Carolina to Confront the Silence on Dunbar Village

If you are interested in taking the campaign to raise awareness about Dunbar Village from the screens to the streets, join the What About Our Daughters? Action Center. Some folks apparently require public shaming to get them to do the right thing. We are more than happy to oblige them.

Read more about our South Carolina road trip in January. Why SC? Because the Black folks in SC will be some of the most powerful Black folks ont he face of the planet next January when they cast their votes in the presidential primary. They may very well decide who the next President will be. They need to know that these candidate KNOW about Dunbar Village, but refuse to speak out.

Comments

[The Angry Independent]

Don't scare me like that woman!
All that %@$@#% Red!!!

lol

[SheCodes]

It is also time to sue various police departments for unequal protection under the law. Find cases where they pulled out the extended man-hunts for the rapists of white women, and make the necessary comparisons.

Also, we need to understand that none of this will change until BLACK WOMEN stop sympathizing with vicious predators on black women if they happen to be black and male.

Until black women start seeing each other as precious in the sight of God, worthy of protection from violence and exploitation from ANYONE, regardless of color or age, then no one else will lift a finger to stop the violence against us.

WAKE UP WOMEN!! Throw off your slumber, and the truth will set you free. How many more victimized black women will have to suffer through your silence, before these American-grown warlords come after you or one of your daughters?

Why don't you care about black female rape victims? Why don't you even SEE them?

[Attorneymom]

Darn, I am still recovering from scratched cornea in both eyes. Reading this post is going to take a minute. How long will this read alert last???

[g-e-m2001]

oh y'al are a bunch whiners. Le me shange the text and see if that helps y'all. Atleast it got yall's attention.

[g-e-m2001]

Are y'all happy now. Yall are so freaking demanding! Now go put onyour red! Even the AKAs. Roslyn I am looking at you!

[Fal]

Thank you Gina. I like the salmon colored red!!!

[Woman in Transition]

Excellent post, Ms. Gina. Thank you very much.

[I'm Just Asking]

Thanks for all of the info, I have been reading your archives the last couple of days I did not know much about the case and had not heard about the 12 yo before. Now that I know more of the facts of Dunbar Village it is a sad state of affairs. Will keep reading and take some action.

[Attorneymom]

Thanks for changing the color. As an AKA, I can appreciate getting rid of the red. Now, I will read the post.

[Attorneymom]

Now I am done reading. (Crying again)

I had buried in my mind the story about the young mother killed Angela Dawson, whose home was firebombed because she asked drug dealers to stop dealing in front of her house.

I am done. Let me gather my composure. Chat with you later.

[roslynholcomb]

Alright! Alright already. I'm wearing the damned thing. It's an old moth eaten cardigan I normally throw on for my morning walks, but I promise to wear it all day!

[BLKSeaGoat]

I have on a red Sweatshirt from the gap's prject Red campaign. I will send the pics I TOOK TO YOU.

[SheCodes]

My red is at the dry cleaners. Does underwear count? Give us some warning next time!

[Symphony]

Okay good, because I was thinking something was wrong with my computer's color.

Ya know, I'm always mad these days. I've been mad because I have to act like I have no home training with my son's school and a parent.

And then I get this. The first post on my blog about the prostitute.
www.essentialpresence.blogspot.com

[brotherkomrade]

http://www.blacklooks.org/2007/10/carnival_of_16_days_of_activism_against_gender_violence.html" REL="nofollow">Please visit here!

[Kitty Glendower]

I thought I made a link but I don't see it here. I have never been able to do it right. UGH!

I have red pants on today.

[Attorneymom]

Gina, I saw the Blkseagoat comment. I think you have it backwards. He is fascinated with me. LOL.