The intricate layers of the juvenile courts system have failed yet another Black woman.
Cyntoia Brown was 16 when she was sentenced in 2004 to 51 years in prison for the murder of a 43-year-old man who purchased her for sex. Now at age 28, a new documentary has gained traction, forcing the public to delve into the young woman’s case–one filled with tragedy and circumstance.
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Brown was 16 years old when Johnny Allen, a Nashville, Tennessee real estate agent bought her to his home. During Brown’s testimony she revealed her boyfriend at the time ordered her to go make money. After venturing out, she met Allen who offered her money in exchange for sex. What transpired was physical and emotional abuse, according to Brown. Fearing for her life, she found a -40. caliber gun and shot Allen in the back of the head. Prosecutors argued in court that Brown was complicit in theft.
A recent documentary titled Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story, by producer Dan Birman, helped to bring attention to Brown’s case as social media users heighten their voices advocating for justice. The film details Brown’s turbulent beginnings, including a mother who abused alcohol and drugs during her pregnancy and an abusive boyfriend who forced her into prostitution.
In examining the tragedy surrounding her case, the facts laid bare are hearkening. Brown, is one of the thousands of Black women imprisoned by the justice system–the same system where a recent study shows that the prison population of Black women is on the rise. In the state of Tennessee Brown will be eligible for parole at the age of 69, according to The Tennessean. 183 people are serving life sentences in Tennessee for crimes they committed when they were teens, the outlet reports. However, Birman’s film aims to change this narrative to help turn the tide on how sex-trafficked teens are prosecuted.
Brown’s case deals in similarity to Bresha Meadows, an Ohio teen who was sentenced to life in prison without parole after fatally shooting her abusive father. Meadows recently accepted a plea deal, reversing her sentence and will be released early next year.
Social media users and A-list celebrities helped to bring Brown’s story to mainstream media after the documentary aired. Rihanna, T.I. and were two of the many celebs who were vocal on social media surrounding Brown’s case. A petition has been set up asking for the court to re-examine her case.
Although she has spent the last 13 years in jail, Brown continues to advocate to change the criminal justice system and even completed a degree at Lipscomb University.
SOURCE: The Tennessean
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#FreeCyntoiaBrown: Social Media Rallies Around Tennessee Teen Sentenced To Life In Prison After Fatally Shooting Her Abuser was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
