Army Cover Up? Was it a rape-murder or suicide?

I still haven't seen the CNN report on Black in America. I purchased the series on iTunes last night (I don't have cable). But only the Black Man episode is available. I'm waiting for the Black women and family episode in particular as a black woman myself.

In the meantime, I got this letter from the ColorofChange.org site. I invite you to sign the petition. In my letter to Congress I added that it's time for them to stand up for us, to make us proud again to be Americans. Racial and sexual injustice anywhere is an affront to our national identity and it must be confronted in order to be true to our principles.

Dear Friend,

LaVena Johnson was 19 years old, serving in Iraq as a private in the Army, when she was raped, murdered, and her body was burned--by someone from her own military base. Despite overwhelming physical evidence, the Army called it a suicide and closed the case.[1]

For three years, LaVena's parents have been fighting for answers. At almost every turn, they've been met with closed doors or lies. But together we can help achieve justice for LaVena and other families who have suffered similar tragedies.[2]

Will you join me in standing with the Johnsons and calling on Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, to investigate the Army's cover-up of Lavena's death? And ask your friends and family to do the same?

http://www.colorofchange.org/cbci/?id=1978-466895

Thanks.

1. "The cover-up of a soldier's death?" LavenaJohnson.com, March 6, 2007
http://www.lavenajohnson.com/2007/03/cover-up-of-soldiers-death.html

2. "Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?" CommonDreams.org, April 28, 2008 http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/28/8564/

Rapes Against Native Women..Race + Gender Injustice

So I know that there's been news debunking the black communities claims to native American ancestry. My own family claims connections to Cherokees. A Cherokee woman married an Irishman 4 generations back on my maternal grandmother's side.

So this short report was interesting to me esp. given that lack of knowledge about it and it reminded me of why I like GET RELATED not DATED! There is so much more we need to get related to facts, feelings, having awereness of what's happening to the opposite sex in so many contexts OTHER THAN just dating.

This report is powerful and enlightening. It says "1 in 3 Native women will be raped in their lifetime reports the Department of Justice".

What About Our Daughters Blog Reports "Video of Protest Outside BET disHonors"

Finally, some footage of black folks protesting the quality of broadcasting on networks devoted to black people. Get your sh*t together BET. We ain't just protesting on the Mall any more. This video was taken outside the BET HONORS taping. The protest was led by a Maryland female pastor (shout out to my homies in Maryland where I'm from!). All this was reported in a Washington post article





The blog also points to a story featured on 60 Minutes called THE WAR ON WOMEN about rape as a norm of war, as a form of social terrorism. It is a must see. Black women are more and more the victims of all kinds of crimes and misogyny. Check out what's going on in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. More genocide has taken place there than even Darfur.

Also if you're interested in learning more about BLOGGING there is a conference coming up in JULY called BLOGGING WHILE BROWN you should check out.