Friday, May 9, 2008

Lawsuit Against NYPD for Ignoring Crimes Against Black Women

Romona Moore might have been saved had a missing persons report been taken seriously, and the report might have been taken more seriously had the missing girl been white.

Instead her worried mother was told, "Lady, why are you calling here? Your daughter is 21. These officers should not have taken the report in the first place."

The family has now filed a lawsuit against the NYPD, alleging that their daughter and other Black victims have been denied equal protection under the law. What About Our Daughters covers the whole tragic story in detail.

2 comments:

Mächtige Maus said...

Ugh!

This particular incident is a clear example of the Anything I Haven't Personally Experienced Isn't Real phenomenon.

No person, no family, no community can possibly understand the horrific sadness that surrounds this story unless they have experienced the same level of racial bias that this incident indicates.

It is a travesty that something such as this can and does still occur. It should serve as a reminder that, as a Nation, we are not where we need to be.

habladora said...

The Village Voice article that details this tragedy quotes Romona Moore' mother as saying "I had to say to the detectives one day: 'You know, I feel the same emotions and pain as a white person.'"

Feministing also has a really eloquent piece (here) up about this story.