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An Innocent Black Man Served 16 Years Because of Alice Sebold’s False Rape Accusation
And I can’t stop thinking about it
The Lovely Bones author, Alice Sebold, is simultaneously a sexual assault victim and complicit in a system of rank racial injustice.
She was violated in the most monstrous way possible when she was only 18 years old. Yet, her erroneous testimony resulted in an innocent black man spending 16 years behind bars while earning her millions.
Victimhood is complex, and there is no such thing as a perfect victim. It is this fact that makes this topic so difficult to write about and analyze. However, I can’t stop thinking about it, and if I don’t get my thoughts out, I’ll combust into a million tiny pieces.
Before we start, though, I need to get something off my chest. Or I absolutely will combust into a million tiny pieces.
Many Men’s Rights Activist groups are using this case as the perfect opportunity to decry the MeToo movement and #BelieveWomen, invalidating the sexual assault experiences of women everywhere. Unsurprising.
I don’t think #BelieveWomen means what they think it means. Or maybe I’m the one who’s lost on its meaning.
