THE U.S. "CRIMINAL" INJUSTICE SYSTEM: How to Support The Permanently Incarcerated Scott Sisters on June 21st, 2010 in Washington, D.C. Details here.

[image is from here]

UPDATE *HERE*.

Talk about gross injustice! Two women in their 30's are behind bars for years already, since young, wrongfully, due to being accused of stealing eleven dollars. And the bank robbers called financial institution executives get million dollar bonuses for running their companies into the ground, negatively impacting the lives of millions.

The destruction of women's lives is nothing new. And the incarceration of Black people in the U.S. by white male supremacist courts and laws is nothing new either. What we have here is a case highlighting the particular vulnerability to a racist-misogynist system that often goes unchecked in a society which views anti-racism activism and anti-sexism activism in such a way as to portray the following, borrowing from the Black Women's Studies book title: "All the Blacks are Men, All the Women are White, But Some of Us are Brave".

These two women are brave and need our support to be liberated from prison!


This is an appeal, globally and nationally to raise awareness of and support for two women and the larger issue of wrongful incarceration of women. Below is the correspondence I received asking for attention to be brought to this appalling case of gross injustice and inhumanity. Details follow. Please spread the word and raise awareness of this case specifically and the larger issue of how white male supremacist CRIMINAL injustice systems incarcerate women of color for an accusation of theft of eleven bucks, while it leaves free the rich white male thieves of millions upon millions of dollars.
______________________________

Hello Julian Real,

We are writing in hopes that you and other activists will disseminate this information.
Gray-Haired Witnesses for Justice are a small coalition of concerned women working toward a vision of defense of Jamie and Gladys Scott of Mississippi, widely known as “The Scott Sisters.” We advocate for all women who have been wrongly incarcerated or who have suffered egregious over-sentencing, which we all know punishes and destroys relationships, families, and children.

Please receive this letter as an opportunity to learn about the Scott Sisters' case that is of such monumental proportions that it is reminiscent of the lynching tradition of the old south.

Find below more details of their case, and our growing list of endorsements below.

Thank you for considering our appeal.

Terry Howcott
______________________________

Background:

Jamie and Gladys Scott are 38 and 32 year old biological siblings who have languished in prison since they were very young women for the disappearance of a meager $11.00. Not only do we vigorously insist that the Scott Sisters are innocent of this crime, but we advocate that this grossly inhumane judicial response to a crime that resulted in no death or injury would be nightmarish even for guilty parties.

We believe this southern Mississippi trial, the conviction, and the double-life sentencing of these women to be shocking, outrageous and that this ordeal has long since needed to end. Our charge becomes more desperate, given Jamie Scott’s medical condition. She is suffering with kidney disease which surfaced during her imprisonment and which has been exasperated by abysmal medical care she has received while inside the prison.

As you become aware of the facts in these women’s case, you will be bowled over that they have not been released to move on with their lives and raise and mentor their children and loved ones who are fast approaching adulthood.

Gray Haired Witnesses For Justice have secured endorsements on behalf of the Scott Sisters including activist, Dick Gregory, and author, Michelle Alexander, “The New Jim Crow.”

We are organizing our day-long protest and fast in Washington, DC on June 21st, 2010 to shine a light on their case as well as speak to the wholesale debasement and dehumanization of our women in this country across the board.

Day-long Events will include:

10:00 a.m. Appearance/Gathering/Initiation of the fast at the Department of Justice. An appeal will be made to Eric Holder

12:00 p.m. Press Conference and appeal will be made to President Obama at the White House

1:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Event at Lafayette Square Park including speakers, entertainment with live performances, and dispersing of canned goods to the community.

We are asking that you assist us in circulating the news about this all day event, and we are requesting that you JOIN US in our effort to bring the Scott Sisters home.

For further information, please contact B.J. Janice Peak-Graham / Marpessa Kupendua

1- 866-968-1188, Ext. 2
ghwitnesses@gmail.com

http://www.grayhairedwitnesses.blogspot.com/

Press release: http://www.scribd.com/doc/31674423/grayhairpr

Subsequent press releases with endorsements from activist, Dick Gregory and author, Michelle Alexander are at http://www.scribd.com/doc/32890430/ALEXGREGPR

Gray-Haired Witnesses For Justice/Scott Sisters
Endorsements For June 21, 2010, Press Conference/Rally:

Action Committee for Women in Prison
Agnes Johnson, The 1212 Community in the Bronx
Ahmad Abdulibad, Minister~General, Sons Of Afrika
Bonnie Kerness, AFSC*
Brenda Scott Lowery
Bro. Moorbey, Chairman, Black Unity Movement
Bro. Sauti & Sis. Shiriki, KCBLR.ORG Radio
California Coalition for Women Prisoners
Charles E. Campbell, Allen Hydro Energy Corporation (AHEC)
Cleo Silvers
David Blanchard
Dick Gregory - Comedian, Human Rights Activist
Dominique Reed, HRC-Fed Up!
Donna Wallach, Justice for Palestinians
Earl Smith, Executive Director, Order of Kush International
Eddie Griffin (BASG)
Fayemi Shakur, Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign
Florence L. Tate
Harambee Radio and Television Network
Int'l Concerned Family/Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Jacqui C. Williams
Julie Ann Turner
Kenneth King
Kermit Eady, Eady Associates
Leonna A. Brandao, S.W.III, New Vision Org., Inc.
Malaika H. Kambon, People's Eye Photography
Mary Ratcliff, Editor, San Francisco Bay View Newspaper
Mesha Monge-Irizarry, Director, Education Not Incarceration, SF Chapter, Idriss Stelley Foundation, + SF MOOC City Commissioner*
Michael Johnson/Black Student Union (Comm. College of Balt. County/Essex)
Michelle Alexander, Author, "The New Jim Crow - Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness"
Mississippi Prison Watch
Monica Moorehead, Women's Fightback Network, NYC
Nancy Lockhart, T.O.P.S. (The Ordinary People Society)
Nathan Hare, Black Think Tank
Nkechi Taifa, Esq. - President, Legacy Justice Institute
People's Organization for Progress
Rev. Majadi Baruti, Udja Temple Ministries
Ron Scott, Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality
Sam Jordan - Advocate for Justice and Prison Abolition
Senghor Jawara Baye, President General UNIA-ACL
Sistah Q, Author of Maintaining Our Temples
Sundiata Acoli
Tara Graham
Terry Howcott
The African American Freedom & Reconstruction League
The MOVE Organization
Trinita Simpson
4JusticeNow