FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COUNTER PROTESTERS TO GREET SHARPTON FRIDAY AT DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
WASHINGTON, D.C.-November 13, 2007- When Rev. Al Sharpton descends on the Department of Justice headquarters on Friday, November 16, 2007, he'll be greeted by counter protesters asking why he and other African American leaders have refused to publicly comment on a horrific crime against humanity committed against a Black woman and her child in a housing project called Dunbar Village located in West Palm Beach, FL.
The Dunbar Village tragedy is the horrific story of the brutal gang rape, sodomy, and torture of a 35 year old black Haitian immigrant and her 12 year old son. 10 black teens forced their way into the victim's home at a public housing complex in West Palm Beach, Florida. The mother was forced to perform fellatio on her own son at gunpoint. The teens then cut and stabbed the mother and her son, poured cleaning solvent on their skin and in their eyes, and would have set them both on fire, but as one teen suspect reported, no one in the gang had matches. Currently, only four suspects are in custody. During the 3 hour rape and torture, not a single neighbor called 911.
The counter protest is being organized by Shane Johnson after he read about the crime on the blog, What About Our Daughters? "How is it possible that practically every social justice organization from the ACLU to the NAACP to the SCLC knows something about Dunbar Village but refuses to speak out about it?", asks, Shane Johnson who is a blogger and the author of Black Sapience…My .02 (http://blacksapience.blogspot.com). Johnson adds, "This protest is not to request that Sharpton and his allies march in West Palm Beach, but simply an inquiry regarding Rev. Sharpton's peculiar silence on this issue."
For over three months, Gina McCauley, who created the blog, What About Our Daughters? (http://whataboutourdaughters.blogspot.com) has been asking why prominent African Americans have failed to make any public comment about the Dunbar Village crime. She posted the names and contact information of prominent African Americans and organizations on her blog and despite numerous calls, emails and letters from readers, not a single person on the list has issued a public comment on the crime. She describes their refusal to publicly comment "Immoral Indifference." "It is the height of hypocrisy that Black leaders have remained silent for so long about the Dunbar Village Rape tragedy. Black leaders remain silent about victims of Black on Black crime." McCauley noted on her blog that several prominent African American issued statements on the humane treatment of animals during the controversy surrounding Michael Vick. "We can get a statement about dogs, but not about two human beings."
Tanisha Mathis, who operates the website Essential Presence (http://essentialpresence.blogspot.com) adds, "African Americans are falsely led to believe the mainstream is not sensitive to their issues but its proven repeatedly that it is, in fact, Black leaders and Black news entities that are the most silent in regards to crimes against Blacks like the Dunbar Village gang rape." McCauley and Mathis have both blogged tirelessly about the Dunbar village case and have produced online videos in an effort to increase awareness of the crime. To date, their videos have been viewed almost 100,000 times. Mathis' video was featured on the local news in West Palm Beach, and Mathis has toured Dunbar village at the behest of local leaders.
The counter protesters will meet Rev. Al Sharpton and his supporters in Washington, DC at the Justice Department on Friday, November 16, 2007. "This type of crime happened on our watch and our "leaders" are still silent. They are silent because they are indifferent. Their indifference is immoral." McCauley says.
“This protest is a call to arms for anyone who cares about black women. This was a crime against humanity and I am surprised at the level of apathy and lack of outrage from our self-appointed black leaders.” adds Johnson.
For more information, contact Shane Johnson at 404.246.2677 or sbjatlanta@yahoo.com
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