A protester holding a sign in support of Marissa Alexander. (Photo: WeAreUltraViolet)Ted Asregadoo speaks to Truthout Contributors Tasasha Henderson, Monica Trinidad and Ash Stephens about domestic abuse, state violence and the case of Marissa Alexander.
October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Truthout ran a series of articles examining the intersections of race, domestic violence and the criminal justice system. On this Truthout Interviews, Tasasha Henderson, Monica Trinidad and Ash Stephens are in the spotlight to talk about domestic abuse, state violence and the upcoming trial of Marissa Alexander – a Florida woman who may face up to 60 years in prison because of the state’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws. These conversations do address Marissa Alexander’s case, but contextualize it within a discussion about the different types of domestic abuse some women face, the way in which the state inflicts its own violence on them, and how social media campaigns are keeping Marissa Alexander’s case in the public consciousness – when the mainstream press has all but abandoned coverage of her plight.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
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