The Justice for Women Task Force Rallies to Uplift Women Brutalized by Police and Corrections
Participants in the #WhatAboutHer? Rally shared the stories of women who have been brutalized or died by police or corrections brutality.
On Friday, July 3, Center for Justice staff members rallied with the Justice For Women Task Force to honor the lives of women who have been brutalized and died from police or corrections brutality. Over 75+ people joined the #WhatAboutHer rally in person and the multi-site rally was live-streamed with 100+ participants watching on Zoom and social media. The #WhatAboutHer hashtag was trending on Twitter during the event, which helped spread our message and the names of women too often overlooked even further.
The in-person rallies were held in Rockland County, NYC, and Long Island. Watch our Women Transcending Program Manager Latisha Morris lead the crowd in chants outside Nassau County Jail on Long Island Newsday News and listen to other Task Force members share their stories of incarceration on News 12 Long Island.
What about Tina Davis? She was tased to death right here in Spring Valley. She couldn’t breathe either! What happened to her? We’re going to keep asking #WhatAboutHer?
In Rockland County, the Spring Valley community gathered to honor Tina Davis, who was tased to death by police after seeking mental health support. Tina's husband, Vincent, passionately led the crowd in chanting her name and calling for answers in her death. Tina's pastor, friends, and family showed up to share stories about her life and to grieve her loss.
Formerly incarcerated women, impacted family members, and advocates in NYC rallied outside of Governor Cuomo's office on 3rd Avenue. Anisah of the Coalition For Women Prisoners spoke about the invisibility of women who suffer and die due to police and correctional violence saying, "Bring about change for her, so all my sisters will have the opportunity to breathe." Each rally site had a moment of silence and a ballon release for the women and girls we have lost to brutality.
This was the first of many rallies the Justice for Women Task Force plans to hold to uplift women and girls in conversations about police and corrections brutality. Follow the Justice For Women Task Force on Twitter to stay in touch about future rallies and events.