School Denies Bullying Of 7-year-old Who Allegedly…
Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell: Words Matter
If you're searching for an example of what open hearts can achieve, then look no further than the story of Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton. When Thompson identified Cotton as her rapist in 1984, she was sure she had the right man. But she was wrong. Cotton, then 22, was convicted of raping Thompson and another woman on the same night in Burlington, N.C. He would spend the next 11 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit.
That's not so uncommon, right? We now know how unreliable eyewitness testimonies can be. That was the tragedy; now for the remarkable part:
In 1995, DNA evidence cleared Cotton of the rapes and showed that another man who was in prison with him was the rapist, a case recently covered by CBS' '60 Minutes.' Now, Thompson and Cotton are friends and have written a new book together on their story called 'Picking Cotton.' Source
The two speak on the phone weekly and travel together to speak out on the problems with eyewitness evidence. Even their families are friends. Thompson said she felt horrible guilt when she found out Cotton was not her rapist. "Suffocating, debilitating shame," she told '60 Minutes.' She asked Cotton if she could meet with him at a local church. "I started to cry immediately. And I looked at him, and I said, 'Ron, if I spent every second of every minute of every hour for the rest of my life telling you how sorry I am, it wouldn't come close to how my heart feels. I'm so sorry.' And Ronald just leaned down, he took my hands...and he looked at me. He said, 'I forgive you,'" Thompson told CBS. "I told her, I said, 'Jennifer, I forgive you. I don't want you to look over your shoulder. I just want us to be happy and move on in life,'"Cotton said. SourceI hope none of us reading this will ever find ourselves in Cotton's or Thompson's position. But the path that these two chose to walk together stands as a beacon of conduct for all of us.
Is there someone YOU need to forgive to free yourself?
+More on All About Race blog
Black NewsBlast
Is Octuplet Babies' Daddy For Real?
Denis Beaudoin tells Good Morning America that "Octo-Mom" Nadya Suleman was not so crazy for babies when they were dating about a decade ago.
Full Story
GMA
Obama License Plate
Just when you thought you'd seen everything with the nation's first black president's plastered on it, you can now add state license plates to the list....
Full Story
AP
Trinidad Carnival - Not Hating on Mardi Gras, But My, My ...
The Caribbean is kickstarting their own get down in Port-of-Spain with Carnival.
Full Story
YouTube
President Please! Movement to Replace 'N-word' With 'President'
President Please! -- the movement to replace the N-word in black culture with the word president.
Full Story
YouTube
Alan Keyes: America's Greatest Crisis is Obama!
Alan Keyes is out of his natural mind. The man is a certifiable lunatic and it's a wonder that he's even remotely relevant in politics.
Full Story
YouTube
Army Mother Arrested for Desertion 10 Years Later
What do you do when forced to choose between your children and service to your country?
Full Story
San Diego Union Tribune
Obama Says Help is Here
With the recent passage of his American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, President Obama has - ever so slightly - moved to a new message. Help isn't just on the way - help is here NOW.
Full Story
Scott Olson, Getty Images
Obama License Plate
Just when you thought you'd seen everything with the nation's first black president's plastered on it, you can now add state license plates to the list....
Full Story
Comments: (97)
Add a comment
By: bamawildkat on 3/13/2009 9:45AM
I agree if she do feel as bad as she said, then he should get the proceeds from the book. She took 11 years from an innocent man, and do you really feel that he can restart his life where he left off, what kind of life is it to be accused as a Rapist then found Innocent in North Carolina. Maybe something will turn out good for him after all!!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: charles on 3/13/2009 10:09AM
i saw the story on tv a couple times he is such a forgiving person but how many other black men either was hung or died in prison because of a mistaken identity in a court of law even if the black man could prove he didnt rape the white women that went on far too much . remember history can repeat it's self
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: say what ?!? on 3/13/2009 10:27AM
HMPH !! as much as i'd like to be mad at the chick for her "mistake".can't put all the blame on her...like an earlier comment said...it's the system ! the chick was RAPED..don't know what that's like.don't WANNA know what that's like.but that's a form of not only physical abuse.but psychological also...how long after the rape was he i.d.'d ????
brothers...watch yo' ass---watch yo' ass---watch yo' ass!!!! the system is FAR more dangerous than anything...you black or brown in the vicintity of a crime ??? WATCH IT!!!
must admit though...as a black man..i'm almost positive i would'nt be as forgiven as the man.fuck all that "we as black people are soooo forgiven"...bullshit!!! it's forced submission.i'd have probably,accepted her apology.and kept it moving...that whole writing books jointly???? uh-uh...what i wanna know is,is he suing the state and what's his compensation for 11 years...wayyyyy more than a book deal i'm sure....and yes! if she was that forgiven,she'd give him the royalties to the book!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Nina on 3/13/2009 11:01AM
Sick and Tired : My Great-Grandfather was born in 1893, a son of a slave. His name was Walter Dockins (Simms). I had the opportunity to know him before his death. His life's story would both amaze and sicken you.
I am so glad that this man had the heart to forgive. We should not be ashamed of what it is that God put in us as a black people. It only made us stronger and wiser than most. We can and have endured better than most. We are likened unto the Jews. A system set in place to eliminate us (supposedly an inferior people), but we came through the fire of persecution a stronger people.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: jen on 3/14/2009 3:02AM
he's good one I would have put my foot so far up her ass it might come out mouth
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Nina on 3/13/2009 11:06AM
By the way ...There is already a judgement set in place to judge the action and the hearts of men. If I try to judge this woman's action, I would err, because I cannot see nor do I know ' her heart ', but God does and only He can rightfully judge whether her actions be noble or deceitful.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Dr Rod on 3/13/2009 11:47AM
There are some angry people in all races and there are some forgiving people in all races, but it would be a freak of nature if all blacks were forgiving. With what we as a people have been through there should be someone that’s will always be angry, especially when the effects of slavery are still in effect...and...all other races of people who have been done extremely wrong have had reparations which is UN THOUGHT of FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS. We are just supposed to and are expected to Forgive and FORGET. Is that because we are known to be more Godly (in general) and able to forgive and forget.
Why else. Furthermore we deserve reparations as we are still stiffened from the past and still disadvantaged TODAY. If you are really black and do not feel the repercussions of being disadvantaged from the past and present then Hooray for you.
I am black man 50 years old retired from one 28-year job at 47 with a pension, and presently own two businesses. With my technology skills can go back into the job market any day. I am more successful the average white and leaps and bounds over my black brothers. Nevertheless I feel and can relate to their trials and tribulations of being disadvantaged. So if you are really black and whether successful of not, cant feel your people and/or family’s pressure then you are pretending, or in denial of your blackness. Be for real.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Dr. Rod on 3/13/2009 11:56AM
I am black man 50 years old retired from one 28-year job at 47 years old with a pension, and presently own two businesses. With my technology skills may go back into the job market any day. I am more successful the average white and leaps and bounds over my black brothers. Nevertheless I feel and can relate to their trials and tribulations of being disadvantaged. So if you are really black and whether successful of not, cant feel your people and/or family’s pressure then you are pretending, or in denial of your blackness.
There are some angry people in all races and there are some forgiving people in all races, but it would be a freak of nature if all blacks were forgiving. With what we as a people have been through there should be someone that’s will always be angry, especially when the effects of slavery are still in effect...and...all other races of people who have been done extremely wrong have had reparations which is UN THOUGHT of FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS. We are just supposed to and are expected to Forgive and FORGET. Is that because we are known to be more Godly (in general) and able to forgive and forget.
Why else. Furthermore we deserve reparations as we are still stiffened from the past and still disadvantaged TODAY. If you are really black and do not feel the repercussions of being disadvantaged from the past and present then Hooray for you. But Be for real.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Dr. Rod on 3/13/2009 12:20PM
What Black person wrote this?
Oh PLEASE! Forgiving? Then why, at EVERY opportunity do we hear about Slavery? Nobody even KNOWS a slave or a slaves child. It has been over 145 years and it is used as an excuse to this day.
Dr. Rods: reply
There are some angry people in all races and there are some forgiving people in all races, but it would be a freak of nature if all blacks were forgiving. With what we as a people have been through there should be someone that’s will always be angry, especially when the effects of slavery are still in effect...and...all other races of people who have been done extremely wrong have had reparations which is UN THOUGHT of FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS. We are just supposed to and are expected to Forgive and FORGET. Is that because we are known to be more Godly (in general) and able to forgive and forget.
Why else. Furthermore we deserve reparations as we are still stiffened from the past and still disadvantaged TODAY. If you are really black and do not feel the repercussions of being disadvantaged from the past and present then Hooray for you.
I am black man 50 years old retired from one 28-year job at 47 with a pension, and presently own two businesses. With my technology skills can go back into the job market any day. I am more successful the average white and leaps and bounds over my black brothers. Nevertheless I feel and can relate to their trials and tribulations of being disadvantaged. So if you are really black and whether successful of not, cant feel your people and/or family’s pressure then you are pretending, or in denial of your blackness. Be for real.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: PANAMA KID on 3/13/2009 12:36PM
i TIP MY HAT TO THIS MAN FOR WHAT HE DID BUT I DONT THINK THAT I COULD FORGIVE HER SO QUICK UNLES SHE COULD GIVE ME BACK MY 11 YEARS THAT SHE TOOK AWAY FROM ME BLACK PEOPLE WEAK UP AND SMEL THE WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY BECAUSE IT IS NO DEFERENT YESTER DAY OR YESTER YEAR LAST TO HIRE FIRST TO FIRE HARD TO GET LOANS ECT. I WOULD SAY LETS GO BACK TO THE MOTHER LAND BUT WE HELP TO BUILD THIS COUNTRY THEY CALL AMERICA BUT IF YOU FALSELY ACCUSED FOR SOME THING I DINT DO DON'T EXPECT ME TO FORGIVE YOU.
Reply to this Comment | Report This