Don't worry baby, Imma meet you halfway

You have rights. Know them.

The Saga Of:

ART FEATURE

AFRICAN ARTIST:

Ralph Ziman

“I always doubted auditioning because of my weight. I’ve always acted and pursued theater – it was something I had always wanted to do when I was young. But I felt I would be rejected because of my physical appearance. 

[Orange is the New Black] has given me the opportunity to show that I have curves and I have talent too. It’s been a battle, you know, because I’ve never been skinny. But I’ve embraced it. Now I have the opportunity to show everyone that this is sexy. I can dress in the same attire as someone else and carry myself in a sexy manner, a beautiful manner and a prideful manner. What matters is how I play the role – not my size.” 

—Dominican actress Dascha Polanco talks Netflix series “Orange is the New Black.” | Image via Vulture 

…up to 200,000 people angry with high costs and poor public services took to the streets. Protesters in Rio de Janeiro burned cars and looted buildings as police attempted to disperse them with teargas and rubber bullets. Aerial images showed thousands of people attempting to storm the congress building in Brasilia. The rallies…are some of the biggest ever seen in the country…

On April 22, 16-year-old Kiera Wilmot was arrested at her Polk County high school for conducting a science experiment. The teen, who has no criminal history and maintained good grades, suddenly found herself trapped in Florida’s insidious school to prison pipeline; which has continually funneled mostly youth of color out of Florida’s schools and into the criminal justice system.

According to a report by Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice, over 57% of the state’s 96,515 youth incarcerated in 2012 were Black and Brown. In Kiera’s home of Polk County, Sheriff Grady Judd has presided over a system in which youth have continually been cycled through county jails in which severe abuses have been alleged including the use of pepper spray and the holding of juveniles in cages.

During the 2013 Florida Legislative Session, Dream Defenders worked with allies in the Florida Campaign for Juvenile Justice to reform Florida’s broken juvenile justice system. Despite repeated community visits to the state capital, briefings and press conferences by advocates and sponsoring legislators, the 2013 Legislative session closed with no action on critical bills such as SB 1374/HB 1039 which would have reformed Florida’s Zero Tolerance law at play in this case.

While Kiera navigates the legal ramifications of her unjust case Polk County Superintendent John Stewart has made the decision to place Kiera in an “alternative school” as he considers expulsion proceedings. Dream Defenders find these actions by Superintendent Stewart reprehensible. Dream Defenders demands that Stewart drop all expulsion proceedings against Kiera Wilmot and allow her to return to her enrollment at Bartow High School.

Dream Defenders calls upon all local, state and national allies to TAKE ACTION to ensure Kiera does not become another casualty of the school to prison pipeline.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Sign the petition to get Kiera back in school

Spread these images by tweeting them, reblogging them and posting them on instagram.

Contact Polk County Superintendent John Stewart by calling: (863) 534-0521

Sample Script:

Superintendent Stewart,

My name is _____________ and I am calling to express my concern about the expulsion proceedings against Kiera Wilmot. Florida has been among the national leaders in furthering a school to prison pipeline; with zero tolerance policies being used to lock up, expel and divert youth from their right to an education. Ms. Wilmot’s case is another example of the state and your office criminalizing and derailing the future of a girl of color. Your handling of her case has been irresponsible and reprehensible. Ms. Wilmot’s actions and intent simply do not warrant expulsion or placement in alternative schooling. I am calling on you to immediately drop all expulsion proceedings against Kiera Wilmot and allow her to return to her regular enrollment at Bartow High School.

In order to make an impact in this case we will need the support of thousands.

Please share this message with family and friends. Let’s ensure there is