The Story of Joanne Little: Seeking Justice

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The chapter follows the story of Joanne Little, a young African-American woman accused of killing a jailer who tried to rape her, and the efforts made by her lawyers and supporters to ensure her safety and seek justice. It touches on the challenges Joanne faced in hiding from the police, the support she received from individuals like Pop Barnes and Marjorie Wright, and the strategies employed to protect her while planning her next steps.

When Karen Bethea-Shields was in college, she heard a judge say, “No way in the world a Black woman can get raped.” A few years later, in 1975, she helped successfully defend Joan Little—a Black woman—who became the first woman in the U.S. to be found not guilty of murder using the defense that she used deadly force to resist sexual assault.

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