On Tuesday, 1/19 at 2:00 EST, Stand Up for Justice for the OKC 13

Visibility and Accountability Beyond the Holtzclaw Verdict: Confronting the Sexual Abuse of Black Women by the Police
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The day of accountability is coming soon for Daniel Holtzclaw -- the former Oklahoma City Police Officer will be sentenced on January 21, 2016 following his conviction last month of  18 of 36 counts of sexual assault. Holtzclaw’s preying on Black women in the course of duty came to light only after Jannie Ligons, a 57-year-old grandmother, reported the crime to the police. 12 more Black women told similar stories of being violated by Holtzclaw.

But Holtzclaw’s sentencing cannot be the sole focus of our efforts for justice. We must look beyond the verdict and focus on the intersections of race, gender, class, substance dependency and system-involvement that rendered the OKC 13 prey to a rapist with a badge. Countless Black women will continue to be vulnerable to sexual abuse by police even if Holtzclaw receives a life sentence.  

Let’s join together to combat the intersectional erasure of victims of state violence and rape. On January 19 at 2:00 EST, join us for a webinar on the Holtzclaw case and sexual abuse of Black women by law enforcement. Hear from the Organizers of OKC Artists for Justice and other voices from across the country. Share your plans for Visibility and Accountability.

If you demand an end to sexual violence and an end to police abuse, tune into the webinar to discuss ways to get involved! Immediately following the webinar, let's take Twitter by storm using the hashtags #SayHerName, #BlackWomenMatter and #Holtzclaw! Prepare yourself for the day's events with AAPF's #OKC Toolkit and Statement.

Let’s use this moment to demonstrate that an increasing number of activists, journalists and stakeholders recognize sexual assault as a form of police violence, one that must be included in all of our efforts to combat anti-Black state violence.