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Tachelle Shamash Wilkes
When I heard about the brutal rape of this high school girl, I was deeply saddened to the core that something like this could go on. “The Code of the Street” was meant to protect our women. However, somewhere down the line it was misconstrued to fit the agenda of men to cover up an array of sins. For these twenty-plus young onlookers to sit there and say or do nothing says a lot about the plight of this world. What if it were your sister who laid on that ground? As a matter of fact, what if she was your mother? Blood runs through this young girl’s veins just as yours. Her reflection is yours.
There laid our young sister who was brutally raped for two hours. This is something that we can’t let go. There is a total disconnect that has emerged in the form of hatred for our women. This is not just a call to stop the violence of young girls, but this is the call to heal our community. Our young boys just as our young girls need mental and spiritual healing. Mothers: Know what your children are doing at all times. Fathers: Be an integral part of your child’s life. They need you. Truth is there are many things that we as women can not teach our young boys, and that is to be a man.
We need to take a moment and really look at where we are heading as a community. Here is a situation that needs light so we can drive negative forces away and bring a new day. Here is the perfect opportunity for the hip hop community to speak out and let the world know that a human life is the most valuable possession on earth. It’s time that we go back to our roots and use our voices as a means to heal and uplift. An atrocity as to what this young girl experienced has to end in this generation, so that we can insure a bright future for our children. The village has to come out of hiding and help raise our youth.
I think that we as a people talk too much. We need to be more action oriented. People need to “adopt” young people. Just because a child isn’t biologically yours doesn’t mean that you don’t have a moral responsibility to be there for them as well. I do, however, think it’s important that we make media who allow the promotion of violence and degradation against women to be held accountable to doing something to rectify this. They need to be put on blast.
Here’s a call for women, activists, and the community to speak out. Contact BET Networks at 202-608-2000 demanding a forum where hip hop artists who have tremendous drawing power for our youth to denounce the rape of our women and girls & contact your local radio stations, schools, churches to create workshops and forums to rid our community of this inhumanity.
Sincerely,
Tachelle Shamash Wilkes
Educator
Author of “Amanda’s Ray”
Update: 4 people have been arrested with police saying there will be more to come.. They will appear in court today and are expected to be charged as adults. The rape took place for 2 1/2 hours with people coming watching, leaving coming back and watching again.. She was beaten and robbed.. and if thats not enough some are actually blaming the young lady because she knew the attackers and was drinking with them…Also this is not the first time this has happened. Earlier this year in Richmond there was gang rape of a lesbian women which sparked outrage.
this deeply saddens me. and shocks me. and yet doesn’t shock me…
rappers have been rappin’ about runnin trains on chicks and ‘sharing’ chicks for a very long time. I think, in some cases, many young men feel that if they know the girl, and if she has a ‘checkered’ past, that she’s either:
a. down for the count and wants to have sex with a bunch of dudes in 1 hr, without being asked or given the choice
b. deserves it anyways
basically the respect they would afford their mother or sister they don’t afford somebody they’ve already labeled as ‘easy’…
i don’t know when ‘easy’ turned into a huge ‘please rape me’ sign…
but the lack of respect is how it starts.
also a pack mentality. most of these guys, if left alone w/ a chick, wouldn’t have the desire or hatred to rape her. but in a pack it ain’t rape to them..
it’s exactly how u called it: a spectator sport.
this makes me sick to my stomache.
e.
I was brought to tears and near vomiting upon reading this story. VILE.
how could people actually stand there and watch that?
how did no one try to stop it for 2 1/2 hours?
hello, call 911?
what is wrong with kids/people today?
were they scared they would get hurt or shot or something?
HOW? & WHY? just keep flying thru my mind.
this could have been YOUR daughter or sister
& it doesn’t matter anyway, it’s another human being.
This is absolutely disgusting. easy/slutty/promiscuous means nothing, it’s still about CONSENT. Would people think it was ok if certain pop artists were raped cuz they dress and act too sexy ‘like they wanted it’? gimme a break.
This actually really hurts, I can’t imagine the pain that poor girl and her family are experiencing.
Thank you for linking to my radio show Tachelle. I’m so glad to see that another Sistah has taken up the baton and is running with it too. Violence against women has got to stop. The belief that men have that they have the right to touch, talk to, berate, demean and rape women just because they want to is outrageous. If Davey-D or anyone in the Bay Area puts together a panel on this subject, I would be happy to participate. I have tons of research right here on my desk which I’ve been collecting since the Hofstra incident. Again, thank you for standing up with me.
this isnt a hip-hop issue per se, it’s a human rights issue and a respect thing.
i wonder if any of the attackers have sisters? i know they all have mothers.
Rape is never ok, and the onlookers are just as guilty as the perpetrators. that girl will be scarred for life.
it’s a pretty sickening scenario, which isnt covered by the “code of the streets.”
the girl was only 15, so how “checkered” could her past have been? even if she was a prostitute who had slept with the entire city of richmond, that wouldnt have made it alright for those boys to do what they did.
this makes me think of the lovelle mixon case. there were some in the black community who were saying lovelle mixon took street justice into his own hands when he shot those cops. then the DNA evidence came back implicating him in the rape of underage girls. i didnt hear a peep out of those who initially claimed he was reacting to police brutality–in actuality, the guy was pretty messed up.
this isnt a hip-hop thing, yet hip-hop can play a role in preventing such evil by taking a stand against the sexual abuse of women.
Hip-hop artists are the voice of the ghetto–we need to hear from them that they dont agree with such vile acts, that only consensual sex is ok, and that it’s the responsibility of all of us to protect our daughters and our sisters.
Its real simple. This new generation has no respect for nothing. Maybe if these kids had parents that taught them right from wrong you would see less of this. Maybe if parents showed interest in how school is goin for a kid things would be better. Or if parents showed love for their child.
The fact is, most moms and dads, single or not, are more concerned with themselves than their seed. It is an epidemic.
These kids dont know what respect is as they have never seen it in the house they live in. This is what happens when society as a whole finds being politically correct and cool, more important than living for their god.
It is apparent, things will only get worse. The election of obama is the cherry on top of the destruction of america as a 1st world country. Teenage girls cant go to a school dance anymore. It is ok for a boy to cross dress to school if he wants to. They already teaching kids about being gay in school in cali.’
People are fools and ignorant if they expect to be safe at a school function. Just like a citizen is ignorant if they expect the LAPD or any other police dept to protect their safety. Things are a changing alright….
I am not 100 percent about this, but from what I have heard and seen. very few, if any of these kids are Black. The few faces I have seen are latino ie. Mexican.
That being said, is this “Hip Hop thing”.. or is it a “Street thing”… or if they are undocumented or the children of undocumented workers does that play a role in their worldview?
Also adding to the question.. the victim.. is she Latina or was she Black?
And if she is either how does that play out in this scheme?
You are correct Jose, the association is that the perpetrators are Latino, and therefore we can assume that the victim most likely is as well. You know if she were Black, there would be a lot more stink from the residents of Richmond than there has been.
Latest reports on the Richmond Town Hall meeting last night: more people were upset about the national attention this garnered and it “making Richmond look like a city of criminals” than they were anything else. Leaders in Richmond need to use this as an opportunity to take a step out of the dark ages – add rape and sexual abuse training for men to their sports programs (since athletes are often the packs responsible for gang rapes). Set up mentoring programs by solid men in the community to teach young boys how to respect and treat women, and to respect and treat themselves. Educate young men on controlling their sex drives and how to think with the big head, not the little one, so they avoid situations like this.
We must also factor in that traditionally, Latin men are very macho and domineering when it comes to women. I’m wondering if they are modeling abusive behavior seen in their own homes by their fathers towards their mothers. It will all come out as the case moves forward.
Deborrah,
I agree with what you wrote… I have seen much in terms of how “Border Brothers”; for lack of a better term behave when in packs.
In my neighborhood, there is an unspoken rule that you don’t let young women, teenage girls walk through without supervision. Now mind you I am not trying to instill any race baiting here. This is a rule that everyone that I know in my neck of the woods follows. There is, or so it seems to be a certain overly machista energy over there.
I have seen it, heard it, etc… see on my end of the stick I don’t look Latin at all, but I understand it 100 percent, and so I hear cats talking at the liquor store, or at the Home Depot..
I listen…
I have a daughter. I don’t care if she was Black, blue, or green, that crap is “ignorant”. If someone gets attention for ignorance and 15 minutes of fame in this country, somebody’s going to copycat. Obviously, this has been going on for a while. If its “not” a hip-hop (young people) issue, I credit hip-hop for bringing this type of ignorance to “my” attention, because I will be addressing my family and the young people that I work with about this “ignorance” so that its not repeated and sensationalized as “cool” where I live. Like I said, I have a daughter, so when you hear me saying Hip-hop is “Helping Ignorant People – Hurt Our People”, I’m talking for my kids, been doing it before they were born, though. Our young people need “mentors”, not “parole models”. Hip-hop – you may not be responsible, but look in the mirror.
If HIPHOP is not responsible, why do they/we need to look in the mirror? I haven’t followed this on any of the “news” channels because I know that somehow, someway this will become a HIPHOP “thing”. I have personally be a part of a couple “session”, with it being consentual of course, but my want to being involved in running a “train” never came from any record I listened to, but owe it to the late night cinamax i use to sneak and watch, or the first xxx VHS i watched at age 10. A video I saw before I heard any N.W.A. tape.
Nor do I believe that its a latino/undocumented thing, which Mr. Dobbs will no doubt use as ammo. Men of all backgrounds commit rape. Machismo or not.
I tell my daughter all the time she needs to watch out for her safety all the time, which includes the things she does and how she portrays herself. There are people out there that don’t care about anything and will take advantage and hurt you any and every chance they get.
Mr. 619, if you ain’t looking in the mirror as a “grown man”, something is wrong. “Why do ‘we” need to look in the mirror?” I just hope that you all are “fathers” and “mothers” before you all are hip-hop. Boy, if we defended our children, history, and race like we do “hip-hop” on this site, nobody could mess with us.
Based on the CNN, I think the alleged rapists were latino/hispanic and the video of the friend of hers lashing out at the administration, it sounds like the victim was white.
Mob mentality my ass, some of those bystanders allegedly left and CAME BACK. What is wrong with people! Call the cops! Do it anonymously if you want!
Regardless. what has happened to this poor girl is disgusting, unacceptable and gut wrenching. I feel terrible for her.
I also feel terrible for the other innocent members of this community that they have to coexist with these vile people, both the rapist and the cheering/photo taking bystanders and anyone else that condones their inexcusable inhumane behavior.
If I aint looking in the mirror then maybe i am satisfied with the way i live my life and take care of mine. Those with issue are the ones who need to look in the mirror. But this ain’t about me it’s about how we need to make sure nothing like this happens to a young lady again in a place that is supposed….SUPPOSED to be a safe haven.
Nothing personal, Mr. 619, but some people actually can’t distinguish themselves as “adults” from “hip-hop”. I am a Babyboomer from the Babyboom generation (1946-1964), I am an “individual” adult. My “generation” is not me. There is no “they/we” with me. I am a grown man, not a Babyboomer, or Hip-hoper, or Hippie, or Rasta, or Punk Rocker, or whatever my generation was once apart of decades ago. I am a grown man who is a father that used to listen to Rap Music, but then I had kids and I grew out of it. I tell everyone to keep taking care of there’s and remember that you are an “adult” before a Hip-hop (scratching, DJing, emceeing, grafiiti). Where’s the mention of growing up and parenting as an element? This is funny to me, Mr. 619, but understand the point about “adults’. Not saying you are not, but you are a man, not “Hip-hop” (they/we , was my initial point. Peace!
I can dig what you saying. I am 100% with you on the parenting aspect missing within HIPHOP especially if /theywe want to consider ourselves budding culture. The reason why I, as a grown man, say ¨they/we¨ is because I do believe that this is a movement that can make a difference if the right folks speak up.
Im sure it wasnt children back in the day that came together and said we as a people have the same beliefs lets come together and call ourselves Nubians or Hebrew(not theses Khazars running around claiming today) or Taíno, ya feel me. Ive read what youve had to say for a few months now and can agree with a lot of what you say regard most issue. You talk about history. Well in our history havent the needs of the group come before the individual need? And as a group this situation with this young lady needs to be delt with no matter who steps to the plate.
Maranantha, what the fuck? Rapes didn’t happen before Obama? My goodness. Some of you are losing your minds.
Jose and Deborrah…Latin men are macho with women? Tell that to all of the women from other races who’ve been victims of domestic violence. Truth is, poor men tend to be more macho with women, and since there are more poor Latinos than whites…I think that’s where the confusion comes from. I’d expect a white person to get confused there, though, Deborah, not a black woman.
This is almost as bad as the tragedy itself. People jumping to dumb ass conclusions. Deborah and Jose blaming Latin men….what in the fuck? I feel like I’m on Glen Beck’s blog. Everyone was ready to put this off on societal issues, hatred of women, etc., but as soon as we find out the rapists weren’t black, and were Latino, suddenly we’re ready to explore the race angle and question rather or not Latinos are into rape? This is bullshit.
I know a tragedy just happened and justice needs to be carried out, but it’s not time for people to start letting their IQ’s drop. Can’t believe what I’m reading, on this blog of all places!
Deborah, if Davey has a panel and invites you, go ahead and bring up your theory about macho Latinos, and watch your ass get booed right out of the hall. And, I, a black man, will be the loudest one booing.
We need to stop gangrape before it happens. There are many redflags. Look at the Saul Williams performance where he allows his dj to drag females on stage to pull their pants down and have their buttcracks licked to lyrics that are horrendous. DJ even has a video where a girl has egg batter poured on her in the tub as they sing beat it. We have too many males out there that are not guided correctly and the last thing we need is our influential male artists to encourage more violence. There are tons of redflags before males gangrape, and they start with sexism, objectications, assaults, rape, then gangrapes.
BET and many others need to provide a platform where the females speak out. It is time our voices are heard. Female rights should be led by females of all races and economics, not by males. Males have and do benefit from the inequalities. Our stories need to be finally heard.
I will not be booing anyone that speaks out for equal rights and treatment. Anyone that boos has something to hide and is not of their higherself.
Isn’t it interesting how people commenting get all hung up on what race the perpetrators and/or victim are? It’s precisely this insistence on making everything a racial issue that holds society back from making progress.
A very simple way to discourage violence against women is for each and every one of us – male or female, young or old, black, white, Hispanic, or whatever – to speak up whenever a friend, co-worker or family member makes a comment that encourages or trivilaizes violence against women, or plays music that does so. The message needs to be spread that brutalizing women is neither “cool” nor acceptable.
How many young men do you think will continue to call women “bitches” and talk about them as trash to be sexually exploited if they know that no young woman will have anything to do with them if they do so? Or that their male friends will ostracize them for it?
this is very disturbing here late in the 21st century. As a man I am very dissapointed to read this story. I have heard and seen many things but this takes the cake. We need to take serious swift action to make an example of the consequences of this behavior. If you visit my blog I have a list of the federal and state reps in Congress. You can call or email. Believe you me a 30 second call will make all the difference.
Im not sure rappers are the right people for this as they often demoralize women in their videos, but when I think about it so do many of the genres in general. BET is good, real good but you need support on this from at least 100 different organizations to make certain the passage of anything in government.
I will help you anyway I can as a civic minded, politically oriented individual. Can you show us a list of supporters on this blog?
Davey D, who are these “new jack” blog people popping up trying to advertise their weak blog sites on here? Appreciate their comments, but they are pretty much trying to advertise their “weak” political site opinions and perhaps capture this audience. Make your point and move on, we don’t need the “underlined” calling cards.
Sad tale and more lives wasted…
@ Robert Jr. James McClendon:
You ask that Hip Hop look into the mirror when searching for the reason behind brutal violence plaguing our youth.
American culture, a flash in the pan of human history, is what Hip Hop was born and bred from.
The violent oppression from which Hip Hop was birthed existed for centuries before Hip Hop manifested. Hip Hop is a reaction, a rebellion to that violence.
You say that Hip Hop is Helping Ignorant People-Hurt Our People.
EVERYTHING and ANYTHING when it is re-contextualized and pigeon-hold by the power elite to create specific images and put forward certain ideas that objectify people and skew the truth help ignorant people hurt our people.
The Fashion Industry (our clothes) tells us to be skinny and trendy or we don’t count as cool.
The Beauty Industry (our body) tells us to wear make up, alter our bodies with plastic surgery and damage our hair or we will not be attractive.
The Entertainment Industry (our arts and crafts) tells us to follow a formula, listen to certain music, watch certain shows and to subscribe to the ethos of the two former industries listed or we will be out of touch.
The State and it’s Capitalist system (our way of life) tells us to turn a blind eye while they kill millions of people in wars based on untruths and the desire to make a profit.
EVERYDAY children read, hear, see images (both subtle and extreme) that tell them that they (human beings) are worthless, dispensable, a commodity to be bought or sold, a vessel to be used. Even if they cannot quantify or articulate what they are absorbing, none the less, they absorb these images and as they grow, they react.
If you removed Hip Hop from this equation, the above would still be true as it was for hundreds of years in the United Stated before Hip Hop existed. The youth would STILL be filled with rage.
Hip Hop doesn’t tell young people to act carelessly. Adults do.
The truth is that the Hip Hop we see and hear on MTV, BET and on our major radio stations is just a mere fraction of the Hip Hop that is put out. What opponents, such as yourself, of the commercialized Hip Hop that you speak about, need to do is BE HONEST. Hip Hop is not sending the wrong message. Adults are. But because you, and other opponents of Hip Hop, don’t want to take personal accountability for your contribution to the misdirection of youth, you blame Hip Hop.
Hip Hop is a reflection of the American culture from which it came, a reaction to the American culture from which it has been shunned and a narrative of those two predicaments.
The fact that the same executives and capitalists who purposefully act to exclude the youth of Hip Hop from mainstream social systems then use their narratives of reactions and reflections to this situation against them is not Hip Hop’s fault. And I’m not saying that Hip Hop doesn’t have any agency in the manner or responsibility to expose this actuality (which is exactly what it does), but you, an opponent of Hip Hop based on claims of morality and values, SHOULD be honest about this. But I don’t expect you to be. After all, you are shaping an argument to benefit your point of view.
The truth is that Hip Hop does not need to be silenced, ignorant people who refuse to tell the truth do.
Peace.
Christa, yes, look into the mirror. What you will see is grown folks holding on to a 25 year old movement, the oldest movement in the history of America created to make jewish people richer off of things young black people and Puerto Rican people once created. The truth is hip-hop (helping ignorant people – hurt our people) is aboout miind control. Originally it was a term for nursery rhymes created by “Europeans” that the jewish people in the “media” used to sell Black and Puerto Rican things to white people and globally. Know who the ignorant people are who have been exploiting our youth and those who “refuse to tell the truth” for profit and you’ve honestly looked into the mirror. All that I said was look into the mirror, if you are Black you should see what I see, but won’t accept it because of them jews money, if you are jewish or white you won’t want to see what I see. From Kemet to hip-hop its all a lie. Defend “Black people” and Latina people lin America like you all do “hip-hop” and we’ll be on the same page.
“Defend Black people and Latina people in America like you all do hip-hop and we’ll all be on the same page” – how about that!. They aren’t defending “us” they are defending their money-making “industry”. Dude is right, know your enemies. As a “woman”, Krista, I would expect you stick to the “issue” of rape..
@McClendon: I defend all oppressed people in America, that’s called hip hop. You are too caught up in defending your argument then in being in honest; you lack reverence.
@Sweeny: Your expectation is sexist.
Women are the most oppressed people on the face of the planet since the dawn of time and that’s how long men have been raping us. The fact that Hip Hop is even being mentioned as a possible factor is dishonest. When McClendon points the finger at Hip Hop he absolves his personal responsibility as a man.
As a white person trying to destroy white suprmacy, I have to acknowledge my role in its perpetuation before I can work to eradicate. The same goes for sexism. Men have to acknowledge their role in the oppression of women.
I do not argue with privilideged women. End of discussion. You are the one who initially labeled this an “argument”. Discussion ended.
“I” will argue with a priviledge woman. I can not speak for Robert Jr., because I know he does a pretty good job of speaking for himself; however, maybe you missed the part that he wrote – “Hip-hop – you may not be responsibile, but look in the mirror”. That’s all that “I” read. You came in here gang-busting like you are the white priviledge Hip-hop Congressional Queen. Don’t work like that, here. You got to earn respect (reverence) here, before you come in here trying to throw your title around. And playing the “victim” doesn’t work here either, not when you are perhaps apart of the problem with “hip-hop”. But the issue here is “rape” not ” you” and your job title and web site. “Honesty is the best policy”, even if it is not what “you” want to hear.
Seriously, this thread is turning into a perfect social microcosm. Listen to yourselves – you are so focused on judging each other through identity politics that you’re not even paying attention to the substance of anyone’s statements. It must be very convenient to be able to say, “Your opinion doesn’t count because you’re a man” or “Your opinion doesn’t count because you’re white” or even “Your opinion doesn’t count because you have the nerve to have your own blog.” That neatly prevents you from having to listen to anyone else or ever question your own worldview. It’s also incredibly juvenile.
People who are focused on identity politics never invent great new technologies, become successful entrepreneurs or cure diseases that afflict millions. You can sit around blaming everyone else for your problems, or you can get up off your ass and do something with your life. You choose.
I never said McClendon’s opinion didn’t count in fact I said it was needed.
McClendon’s POV is a cop out and his statement that he doesn’t argue with priviledged women further highlights his weak argument. Men ( much like whites) in Hip Hop and otherwise often engage in these tactics when confronted with their role in perpetuation oppression; instead of talking about what they can do to make a difference, they point the finger somewhere else. This is why he wrote “End of discussion.” It’s like the ostrich sticking his head into the sand.
And by the way McClendon. You are a man. You know a lot about priviledge. Wake up.
Sisters, this is about “rape”, this is not the place. I’ve been saying this stuff for 15 years, back in the days of Mrs. c. delores Tucker. I ain’t going no where, just trying to argue on the wrong Blog. This is about “rape” not you all politics. You’ll catch me again. Stick to the rape. I ain”t you alls stepping ladder, Sisters. End of discussion, for now.
Once again, Davey D, who are these “new jacks” advertising their weak “political sites” on here with their underlined calling cards?
Can u be more specific Shabuya?
great article. usefull info. thanks
I was saddened by this story as well. I am 37 years old and was gang raped when I was 18. I was slipped acid and ganged raped for hours at a party. I guess, as stupid as they were, they thought I would like it or something. I think that teenage boys get the idea that gang rape is okay because of porn and stuff that makes it ok. What some of them don’t understand is that not all woman want a train run on them. I guess there are a few women out there that enjoy group sex with guys but this one doesn’t. I was violated and so was the poor girl in CA.
Thanks for a great post. This site is a great information source. Well worth a visit. Cheers
I am speechless. Saddened and speechless.
Although this is depressing posting this article helps bring awareness to thes problems in our society. Good post.