Today is day 7 of the national month-long writing campaign for men on the issue of domestic violence and in support of Marissa Alexander, the Florida mother of three who was sentenced to 20 years for firing a warning shot to scare off her abusive husband. Launched by the Chicago Taskforce on Violence Against Woman & Girls, Emotional Justice Unplugged, and the Free Marisa Now Mobilization Campaign, EBONY.com is the official media partner of this critical act of 'emotional justice' in action.
*NOTE: On Thursday October 10th, there will be a Google chat about Marissa Alexander and domestic violence, led by Jeff Johnson, with men talking about men engaging in the domestic violence movement and owning and dealing with their actions, reactions and behavior around silence, guilt, deflection, avoidance, blame…stay tuned for further details.
Check out our mission statement here and visit EBONY.com daily through the month of October to read powerful words from men who are committed to seeing justice for Marissa Alexander.
Today's letter is from a brother, a writer, a man who sees his own history in Marissa's case. Kai M. Green connects his family's struggles to Marissa's case and speaks openly on dreaming of killing his own father, on taking a knife from his home and defending his mama and himself.
"Dear Marissa" by Kai M. Green
"…this was my house. No, this was my mom’s house and I would protect her. Triggers. I went down stairs and I grabbed a knife. Mom couldn’t do it. I thought I could take this man’s life. Power. I would take it by force. I stood in the doorway. Television glared through the darkness. I held the knife up so he could see. I HATE YOU! I declared…"
"…Complicated. When that mother held that phone and threatened to call the cops, but didn’t. When I held that knife and imagined killing my father, but didn’t. When you shot bullets in the air and not in his chest. When the only option is 911, but you know they will not protect you…Your crime? Saving your own Black life…"
"…What is justice Marissa? I don’t believe in trapping people in cages. I believe in freedom. I still feel guilty that the prayer I prayed for my father was prison. Trapped. I want to be free. I want to see you free."
Read this brother's complete letter here.
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