Rekia Boyd, was born in Chicago Illinois on November 5, 1989. At the time of this incident she was a twenty-two-year-old African American woman. On the night of this incident Rekia Boyd and some friends were hanging out at a party at the Douglas Park, where there was music, drinks, and fun. Late at night, on March 21, 2012, her and her friends decided to walk to a nearby liquor store, where they eventually were approached by an off duty officer. Dante Servin, drove to the park after a noise complaint call was made, and noticed Rekia and her friends as they were walking. The initial start of the conversation is unknown, not knowing if it was a respectable or aggressive approach, but it later turned deadly. One of Rekia’s friends who were with her, claimed the officer tried to buy drugs from them, automatically putting them into a stereotypical box. The officer claimed he saw Rekia and her friends arguing in an alley, and that was the initial cause of his approach.
During this altercation, after being asked about drugs Rekia Boys said amongst her friends and to Serving for him to “get his crackhead ass out of her.” Servin was one again off duty, and driving his personal vehicle, not a police car. After this he drew his weapon from the car, stuck it out of the window and began to fire five shots into the group. Rekia was instantly killed, and a guy friend named Antonio Cross was shot in the hand. During the investigation, Chicago Police Department defended Servin due to the allegations that Cross had a weapon and approached the officer first. Cross was arrested after this incident, but it was later discovered that the object in his hand was a cell phone. In November 2013, Servin was charged with involuntary manslaughter but was cleared of all charges two years later on April 20, 2015, by Judge Dennis J. Porter following a non-jury trial. The Mayor called for Dante Servin to be fired by the police department, but he resigned in May of 2016. The Boyd family was compensated $4.5 million due to the death of Rekia Boyd.
Rekia is one of the many women who face police violence, as well and domestic and other types of violence’s that gets swept under the rug. Often time when things happen to women, especially those of color, many people aren’t aware of them. Little to no knew coverage took on this case, and most people in the community around her didn’t know about this incident. Majority of the time women voices are silenced, and their opinions are valued as much as other because “they are a girl,” which somebody our emotions, and other qualities make us less qualifies, and ultimately less human. I believe a lot of the reading we have covered in class speaks to Rekia’s story, and many issues can be found in the case. The power projected from the Servin being a male, being a white American, and his insecurities and pride being hurt from the words she chose to use. Having a voice was the main thing that a lot of our reading talked about, and we can see the negative affect this had on Rekia. Rekia’s freedom of speech was taken away by someone’s pride, as well as her life because of a senseless act, and then ultimately blamed for being the victim.
In raising awareness to issues as such, women voices have to be heard, and their power have to be valued just as much as other. Women put in a lot of work, building families, working for companies, and having to push themselves twice as hard because of societal standards, and their responsibilities. Also, women aren’t represented in the media as well as others, their stories go unheard, and their voices eventually lost. Research and be made aware of the trivial things going on in society, and let women know they are loved, cared for, and wanted.
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