dear friends, I am writing to ask you to support work that I'm doing with the Justice 4 Erika campaign here in Philly. Erika Keels was murdered on March 22, 2007 on North Broad Street in Philadelphia. Witnesses saw an assailant eject Erika, a 20-year-old black transwoman, from his car, and intentionally run her over four times, killing her and leaving the scene. A medical examiner's report supports these eyewitness accounts. But police ruled Erika's death an accident and have refused to conduct an investigation. The driver, Roland Button, was later apprehended, but he has yet to face criminal charges—including "hit and run" charges. When Ms. Keels' friends, who are themselves trans, questioned police officials about the classification of her death as an accident, they were asked to disclose their "birth" names and told they were "trying to make something out of nothing." Our immediate goal is for the Philadelphia Police Commissioner and the Accident Investigation Division to reopen Erika's case and conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding her death. We want to send a powerful message to the Philadelphia Police Department that we stand together to demand justice for trans and gender non-conforming people, police accountability, and respect for the inherent dignity and worth of every person. Things you can do to help:
1. Sign our community support letter (read below and sign at link to online petition.
2. Get organizational sign-ons from groups you're in or connected to. (Organizations should email Justice4Erika@gmail.com to confirm their support.)
4. Sign up for weekly email updates on the campaign (email Justice4Erika@gmail.com)
5. SPREAD THE WORD. Write letters to local newspapers. Ask everyone you know to sign on to the letter.
Thanks. I can answer any questions about the campaign.
Contact me if you want to get involved with the organizing...
in love & struggle,
Timothy Colman