Karmelo Anthony's 35-year imprisonment should become a cause célèbre for anyone concerned with justice and human rights. Every Black-led organization, civil rights group, and human rights organization should be front and center demanding accountability and a review of this case.
Anthony has effectively become a political prisoner in a system that too often criminalizes Black self-preservation while excusing violence against Black people. He must not be left to languish behind prison walls under what many view as an unjust verdict and sentence.
Where are the celebrities, politicians, and civil rights leaders who regularly urge our communities to vote and participate in the political process? Aside from Cardi B, who publicly spoke out, many influential voices have remained silent. The same people who rush to a microphone to discuss civic engagement have been noticeably absent when the conversation turns to the fundamental right of self-defense and equal justice under the law.
Silence in moments like this speaks volumes.
#FreeKarmeloAnthony