Afrika Owes: Church Bails Out Honor Roll Student Accused of Drug Sales, Gang Activity

Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem has taken a very active role in securing the legal rights of one of their parishioners. Afrika Owes is a 17-year-old girl who will soon be on trial for felony charges related to gun and drug trafficking. What makes her unique is that she was also a top student, bound for an Ivy League university. The theory among those who support Owes is that her involvement with the gun and drug trade came largely from undue influence from her boyfriend, Jaquan Layne, who was allegedly running the gang from Rikers Island Prison.

Judge Edward McLaughlin of the Manhattan Supreme Court ruled that it is legal for the church to post bail, but only if the church gets permission from the board of directors.

"They can do if they chose to in the manner set out in what the board of directors can do or not do on their behalf," said the judge.

The church is run by Rev. Calvin Butts, who has been a strong supporter of Owes. Rev. Butts argues that Owes should be allowed to finish high school, so that her predicament would not derail her educational dreams. The next court date for Afrika is April 19.

Owes was part of a gang sweep that occurred in February. She was arrested after police intercepted phone conversations she'd had with her boyfriend while he was in jail. Her supporters believe that she was simply a good kid who was caught up in the wrong crowd.

As I prepare to go to Harlem in two weeks for the Measuring the Movement forum hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton, I applaud those in the community who've come together to support Afrika Owes. Those who stand behind Afrika are absolutely correct in their assertion that a young person who makes this kind of mistake deserves a chance to make things right. There is no reason to believe that our society would be better off by seeing this young person with so much potential sitting behind bars for the next 20 years.

This situation also presents the opportunity for Pastor Butts and other members of Abyssinian to make an even stronger political statement. The Draconian drug laws of our nation have been responsible for ruining the lives of countless young African Americans, many of whom are sent to prison for decades for crimes that were committed when they were as young as 15 or 16 years old. The ease with which these sentences are distributed is a telling reminder of just how little value our society places on the lives of young black children.

Let's think about this issue from another angle: Why is the community so quick to stand behind Afrika and why are they so quick to presume that her reasons for making these poor decisions are different from any of the other thousands of black youth who are sent to prison every year for drug- and gang-related activity? The only thing that makes Afrika different from other misguided black teenagers is that she was a straight-A student headed to an Ivy League university. If that were not the case, then the community would likely not have stepped out to support her.

What we must realize is that we can't allow racial and educational factors to cause us to decide that one life is more valuable than another. When I was a teenager, also caught up in the wrong crowd, I didn't have straight As on my report card or a church affiliation that could serve as any sort of evidence that I would eventually become a productive member of society. Nearly any teenager can get stuck in a bad situation, and we should advocate for many of these kids as much as we advocate for Afrika Owes. The kind of support that this church is showing for a young member of their community should be replicated in a systemic fashion to provide equally vigilant advocacy for many other young people in the Harlem community who can't get admitted to an Ivy League university. Being accepted to a top university does not imply that you are clearly more ethical than other people; there are drug busts on Ivy League campuses all the time.

With that said, way to go Abyssinian, I am proud of you. Whatever happens to Afrika, I think you might be on to something that can make a difference for all of Harlem. Our churches are the most powerful and established institution in the entire African-American community, and we need them to stand up for our kids.