Our nation’s criminal justice system is beyond broken. From McCarter (The Nation article) to Marissa Alexander to Chrystul Kizer survivors are punished not healed. Survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence are criminalized by the court system: Judges and District Attorneys are the worst offenders of survivors' rights to fair trials. The system wasn’t set up to serve survivors, it serves to protect the perpetrators of abuse, dead or alive.
I had the honor to meet Tracy McCarter at the unveiling of the Wall of Silence in the Collect Pond Park 6.25.22. The sculpture was created in response to a call from the NYC Mayor’s Office to End Gender-Based Violence. McCarter appeared like Aphrodite from the crowd of supporters. She was down and depressed. Immediately the Gibney Storytellers gathered around her showering love and compassion. It was a beautiful moment when McCarter found her community and knew she wasn’t alone.
DISRUPT THE SILENCE
Further Reading:
“The Worst Abuser You Could Ever Have” Tracy McCarter did everything we tell survivors to do, but that did not protect her from the abuse she suffered at the hands of the state. Article in The Nation By Victoria Law.
The Wall of Silence – which was made possible with the support of the Mayor's office to End GBV – brought Tracy into my life. Click for more resources.
If this work finds a way into your heart, I hope you will contemplate this: There are countless women in prison whose sole crime was to protect themselves and their children from murderous husbands and boyfriends. Many things are shocking about family violence, but none more so than the fact that women are behind bars for trying to save their own lives.
Sign the petition to #DropHerCharges here or Donate to Tracy's Go Fund Me campaign. #STANDWITHTRACY #DropHerCharges
#StandwithTracy #survivedandpunishedny #daretosurvive #alvinbragg #drophercharges #endgbv #FreeThemAll #freethemny #leica