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Campaign
to fund
rape kit
testing
has a
new
ally:
Men
Dozens
of
African-American
Men
launch
July
Men’s
Month
Campaign
in
support
of AA490
Challenge
DETROIT
- At a
lemonade
stand
hosted
by a
Detroit
youth
who
wants to
be a
part of
the
solution,
dozens
of
African-American
men
announced
Tuesday
their
plans to
join the
ongoing
effort
to raise
money to
pay for
rape kit
testing
and
investigations.
Declaring
July
Men’s
Month,
Campaign
Chair
Rod
Rickman
of
Rickman
Enterprises---along
with men
from all
walks of
life---said
it’s
important
that
Black
men
stand
with
Black
women.
Their
effort,
a goal
to raise
$125,000
by July
31st, is
in
support
of the
African
American
490
Challenge
of
Enough
SAID,
which
was
launched
last
fall by
more
than 100
Black
women
and
organizations.
The 490
Challenge’s
goal is
to raise
$657,090
by
year’s
end for
processing
1,341
untested
rape
kits. So
far,
$250,000
has been
raised.
“When I
heard
about
this
horrible
issue, I
was like
wow! I
have six
daughters,
and this
issue is
very
important
to me,”
said
Rickman.
“It was
critical
that men
be a
part of
not only
raising
money,
but also
helping
to raise
awareness
as
well.”
Emcee
Heaster
Wheeler
kicked
off the
presser
by
saying
that
Tuesday’s
gathering
was part
of
continued
efforts
by
individuals
and
organizations
to take
the lead
on
issues
affecting
the
city.
“We are
here for
such a
significant
moment,
such a
significant
movement,
such a
significant
matter,”
Wheeler
said.
“We are
here for
Enough
SAID:
Enough
Sexual
Assaults
in
Detroit.
Enough
of
that.”
The 10
a.m.
press
conference
took
place in
Harmonie
Park in
front of
a
lemonade
stand
hosted
by
13-year-old
Joshua
Smith.
Four
years
ago,
Smith
raised
close to
$4,000
for the
City of
Detroit
with his
lemonade
and
popcorn
stand
and
received
national
attention.
Smith
said he
got
involved
because
he
learned
of the
campaign
from his
mother,
Rhonda
Smith.
He sold
lemonade
at the
news
conference
and will
also do
so over
the next
two
days, he
said.
“This is
just
wrong, I
want to
put an
end to
this,”
Smith
said.
Other
organizations
who took
part in
Tuesday’s
news
conference
were
historically
black
fraternities,
non-profit
organizations
and
large
and
small
business
owners.
July
will
also see
a barber
shop
challenge,
where
owners
try to
outraise
their
competitors.
Individuals
or
organizations
who want
to
participate
can sign
up by
going to
the
website,
www.aa490challenge.org.
Wayne
County
Prosecutor
Kym
Worthy
noted
that as
a result
of
fundraising
efforts
so far,
some 756
predators
have
been
identified,
and
there
have
been 43
convictions.
Another
1,200
cases
are
awaiting
investigation,
however.
More
than
five
years
ago,
11,341
unopened,
untested
rape
kits
were
found in
a
Detroit
Police
Department
storage
unit.
While
10,000
of those
kits
have
been
tested,
some
1,341
kits
remain.
Enough
SAID
(Enough
Sexual
Assault
in
Detroit)
was
formed
by
Worthy,
the
Michigan
Women’s
Foundation
and the
Detroit
Crime
Commission
to raise
money
for the
testing
of the
kits, as
well as
the
investigation
and
prosecution
of these
forgotten
crimes.
For more
information,
go to
www.aa490challenge.org
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