COUNCIL AND THEN ON TO THE MEMBERS FOR RATIFICATION AND
COULD TAKE A WEEK OR TWO.
>> Karen: SHE SURVIVED BEING
RAPED TWO DIFFERENT TIMES.
>> WE NEED SUPPORT.
WE NEED TO BE BELIEVED.
IT’S ALREADY HARD ENOUGH.
>> Karen: THIS DETROIT MOM
SHARING HER STORY, UPLIFTING
OTHER VICTIMS, CONQUERING HER
FEARS AND TRYING TO REBUILD NOT
ONLY HER LIFE BUT THE LIVES OF
OTHER VICTIMS.
OTHER VICTIMS. >> BE FEARLESS IN EVERYTHING
THAT YOU DO.
>> Karen: 32-YEAR-OLD LAQUETTA
DAVIS IS LOOKING FOR JUSTICE.
AND WHEN YOU SEE HOW SHE IS
REACTING AFTER BEING RAPED
TWICE, YOU’LL BE SURPRISED AND
INSPIRED.
INSPIRED. >> I WAS RAPED IN AN ABANDONED
HOUSE.
HOUSE. IT WAS SOMEBODY I KNEW.
I WAS BLAMED BY THE POLICE.
I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS A
PROSTITUTE.
PROSTITUTE. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS A LIAR.
>> Karen: THAT WAS THE FIRST
TIME SHE WAS RAPED.
THE SECOND TIME OUTSIDE OF AN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IN BOTH CASES, SHE REPORTED THE
RAPES, HAD A RAPE KIT DONE AND
THEY SAT ON A SHELF FOREYEARS
AND YEARS UNTIL THEY WERE
DISCOVERED.
DISCOVERED. NOW THE MOM OF A 17-YEAR-OLD
DAUGHTER IS FIGHTING TO MAKE
SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS TO ANYONE
ELSE.
ELSE. SHE SHARED HER STORY AT THE
TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DETROIT
RAPE KITS BEING FOUND.
THE CASES FORGOTTEN, UNTIL 10
YEARS AGO WHEN THE UNTESTED RAPE
KIDS WERE FOUND.
>> THERE WAS NO INTERVIEW.
I DON’T KNOW HOW THE PROCESS
GOES, AND HOPEFULLY IT’S MORE
HUMANE AND MORE SURVIVOR
CENTERED.
CENTERED. >> Karen: SHE HOSTS SMALL
MEETINGS LIKE THIS ONE.
>> IF WE MADE IT THROUGH THIS,
WE CAN MAKE IT THROUGH ANYTHING.
>> Karen: WHERE SHE INVITED
OTHER WOMEN, VICTIMS OF RAPE AND
VICTIMS OF THE BACKLOG, SHARE
THEIR FEELINGS AND HELP OTHER
SURVIVORS.
SURVIVORS. SHE SHARES THIS MURAL OF THE
PAINT DROPS THAT EACH ONE
REPRESENTS A WOMAN WHO WAS RAPED
AND RAPE KIT FORGOTTEN.
SHE BROUGHT IT TO JOYCE
ELEMENTARY.
ELEMENTARY. SHE SET THE MURAL ON FIRE AND
READ A POEM ABOUT HER PAIN.
[CRYING]
[CRYING] >> THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
HAS COME OUT OF THEIR SITUATIONS
WHERE THEY’RE NOT IN DIRECT
DANGER BUT THEY STILL CARRY THAT
BROKENNESS, THAT FEAR TO STAND
IN THEIR POWER.
>> Karen: HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR
POWER BACK?
POWER BACK? >> JUST BE YOU.
YOUR TRUE SELF.
AND BE UNAPOLOGETIC, BE FEARLESS
IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.
>> Karen: THAT’S WHAT SHE’S
DOING, SPEAKING, SHARING HER
STORY AND TRYING TO HELP OTHER
WOMEN BATTLING THE SAME DEMONS.
AND GIVING WOMEN HOPE, MANY
TIMES THROUGH HER POETRY.
>> I’M LOOKING FOR JUSTICE.
MAYBE THERE IS NO JUSTICE FOR A
BROWN GIRL LIKE ME OR LIKE YOU.
I’M LOOKING FOR JUSTICE.
IT’S LONG OVERDUE.
>> Karen: SHE IS WORKING TO MAKE
A SHELL MURAL TO HONOR THE
SURVIVORS OF THE UNTESTED RAPE
KITS CRISIS IN DETROIT.
SHE WANTS TO GET 11,341 SHELLS
TO MAKE THE MURAL.
SHE IS IN NEED OF 6,000 SHELLS.
SO IF YOU CAN HELP, WE HAVE
INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE,
CLICKONDETROIT.COM.
CLICKONDETROIT.COM. AND BY THE WAY, TOMORROW, WAYNE
COUNTY PROSECUTOR KYM WORTHY IS
HOLDING A TOWN HALL WHERE SHE’LL
BE TALKING ABOUT THE INNER
WORKINGS OF HER OFFICE AND THE
CONVERSATION WILL INCLUDE THE
RAPE KITS, FROM 7:00 TO 9:00,
TOMORROW EVENING AT THE WAYNE