Justice for Brisenia Flores
February 13, 2011 2 Comments
Nine-year-old Brisenia Flores was murdered in her home in Arivaca, Arizona in May 2009. She pleaded, “Please don’t shoot me,” right before she was shot — point blank, in the face — by a member of the Minutemen American Defense Corps (MAD)1
The alleged mastermind behind Brisenia’s murder, Shawna Forde, has publicly represented anti-Latino hate groups including the Minutemen and the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform (FAIR). Forde is currently on trial in Arizona for the murder of Brisenia and her father, Raul. As we speak, the jury is deliberating and will return a verdict within days, or hours.
Our community is waiting on justice for Brisenia.
Her murder represents the violence that follows when hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric and the groups that promote it goes unchecked.
Brisenia’s story has been largely ignored in the mainstream media, but her life has galvanized people around the country to speak out against hate violence towards Latinos. We at Presente designed a poster to honor Brisenia’s memory, and to send a statement that we want justice.
About problem chylde
reading this mad me terribly sad. to hear about such a crime and such violence towards a child is devastating. the person that took this child’s life was wrong beyond words. I am sad for Brisenia’s family and her friends. I have lost friends recently and it sucks. I am sad that people’s eyes had to be open to the hatred that some people have towards Latinos. I wish Brisenia did not have to die.. my prayers go out to her family. rip Brisenia
Thank you for your post & thank you to presente.org and the rest of online and on-the-ground organizers that pushed for this story to get national attention. This highlights just how important it is that young social activists don’t get blocked from accessing the internet. In this digital age, it is the more important that organizers are able to have access to the tools to push back against oppression, media blackouts, and racism, as it is laid out here:
http://www.economicrefugee.net/young-online-organizers-are-accelerating-freedom-justice-so-why-suppress-it/