As we confront the news of Sean "Diddy" Combs' arrest on charges of sex trafficking by the US government last night, we cannot ignore the larger, dire systemic issue facing African Americans today. In the United States today, there are more African Americans in some phase of the penal system—whether incarcerated, on probation, or on parole—than were enslaved there 150 years ago (this does not include the millions more who were formerly in the system and still dealing with the collateral consequences, in some instances decades after “release”). This stark reality, we believe, must be addressed despite the temptation to get myopically focused on the details of each case that may be public fodder for the day. We wrestle not against personas and individuals, flesh and blood, but against systems and diabolical agendas at the highest levels of power.
We are asking for three things, as Mr. Comb’s case moves forward.
1. Presumption of Innocence: In America, the legal system is said to be founded on the principle that individuals are innocent until proven guilty. We are asking the public to uphold this principle and to let the judicial process run its course before reaching a conclusion. (In many countries around the world, charges cannot even be released publicly unless a person has been found guilty first for fear of prejudicing the process—a change which we are advocating for in America).
2. Media Responsibility: We call on the media to refrain from perpetuating the worst version of the narrative, a tendency that too often aligns with the portrayal of Black men in leadership and influence. The American media is often first to speak about the need for protecting children: so, let’s please remember that this man is a father to many children, some who are still minors, and to lead with that foot when reporting on this case.
3. Equal Treatment Under the Law: We urge US prosecutors to treat Sean Combs with fairness under the law, or better yet as they would any major Hollywood “star” or someone from a wealthy, privileged background similarly accused (such as, let’s say, third generation Hollywood actor and subject of a recent Netflix program, who has been accused of far worse by more people, or lead singer of the iconic 90’s boy-band Backstreet Boys, who has had an entire recently television docuseries released detailing dozens of serious and disturbing allegations, yet to date of this release no jurisdiction in any of the 50 US states has elected to bring any charges against either person).
Which brings me to a larger point: In the American system, prosecutors can unilaterally decide who to charge, what to charge, when to charge, and how severely to charge them (not to mention what information gets sealed, what gets released and what narrative is told in the public forum and attached to their digital footprint – judges only come in at the very last act of a delicately choreographed play). This is done without oversight or checks or balances. Prosecutors can bring a case, any case, without sufficient evidence (knowing the charges themselves [and public discussion around it] will often create the irrevocable harm they seek for) or for personal reasons or biases or affiliations elect not to bring a case at all, regardless of how many law enforcement bodies have made arrests or investigations concerning the subject. This, too, needs to change.
Mr. Comb’s case highlights the dire need for a broader conversation about the US criminal penal system’s tactics and strategies and true overall intention and agenda.
Our office is committed to advocating for a holistic transformation of the American penal system—a system that disproportionately targets communities of color, deals the harshest punishments to people of color, and overlooks the humanity in those it seeks to punish. On a humanitarian and international level, we remain steadfast in our work to bring healing and transformation to communities affected by systemic injustices in America and abroad.
In Service to Humanity by the Grace of God,
Minister Darrell J. Bennett
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