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African
American
490
Challenge
for
Enough
Said
seeks to
raise
over
$650,000
to fund
Rape Kit
testing
DETROIT,
MI
-Wayne
County
Prosecutor
Kym
Worthy
along
with
dozens
of
African
American
women
representing
a host
of
organizations
announced
Tuesday
plans to
kick off
an
ambitious
fundraising
effort
for
Enough
SAID,
the rape
kit
testing
and
investigations
effort
being
led by
Worthy
and the
Michigan
Women’s
Foundation.
The
organizations,
ranging
from
Greek
letter
organizations
to
business
leaders
to
grassroots,
collectively
represent
more
than
10,000
individuals.
The
campaign’s
goal is
to raise
$657,090
over 18
months;
the
figure
represents
the cost
to test
the
remaining
approximately
1,340
rape
kits at
$490
each.
“Eighty-one
percent
of the
victims
are
African
Americans,’’
said Kim
Trent,
who
helped
to
organize
the
coalition
that’s
leading
the
effort.
“We are
black
women
who
stand
ready to
make
sure
this
never
happens
again,
and that
the
women it
happened
to get
justice.”
Other
key
figures
that
were
mentioned
Tuesday:
Twenty-one
percent
of
victims
were
under
age 16
at the
time the
rape was
committed
Thirty-nine
states
have
been
impacted
by these
serial
rapists,
who on
average
rape
between
7-11
times.
To raise
the
money,
the
coalition
is
tapping
others
to host
house
parties,
donate
money
and
raise
awareness
surrounding
the
issue.
Several
vendors---Elena
Farmer,
Sandra
James,
Change
Media
Group
and In
My Eye
photography,
have
donated
in-kind
services.
Tuesday’s
announcement
brought
together
more
than 60
women of
all
walks of
life
ranging
from
religious
leaders
to
elected
officials
to moms.
The
press
conference
took
place at
the
Detroit
Association
of
Women’s
Clubs,
5461
Brush
Street.
The DAWC,
organized
in 1922
with
eight
clubs,
is one
of the
oldest
African
American
organizations
in the
country.
“There’s
nothing
that
African
American
women
can’t do
when we
put our
minds to
it,”
said
Maureen
Stapleton,
a former
state
representative
and
business
owner.
“Today,
we will
begin to
show the
power of
our
efforts
of
collective
work and
responsibility.”
The
effort
is
designed
to close
the gap
for the
final
rape
kits
that
need
testing.
Over
five
years
ago,
11,341
unopened,
untested
rape
kits
were
found in
a
Detroit
Police
Department
storage
unit.
Enough
SAID
(Enough
Sexual
Assault
in
Detroit)
was
formed
to raise
money
for the
testing
of the
kits, as
well as
the
investigation
and
prosecution
of these
forgotten
crimes.
For more
information
about
the AA
490
Challenge
or to
donate,
go to
https://www.crowdrise.com/AfricanAmerican490Challenge.
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