#JusticeForJada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Courageous Young Woman Defies Victimization and Fights Back With a Message So Powerful She Inspired a Movement Across the Globe

Houston, TX, July 24, 2014 – Two months ago, sixteen-year-old Jada anxiously prepared for a teenage right-of-passage: a summer party at a friend’s house. Little did she know that what she expected to be a night of fun and friends would take a devastatingly dark turn. After being separated from her friends, Jada was offered a drink. She had no memory of what happened next.

In the coming weeks, pictures and videos began to surface on social media that told a disturbing tale: Jada had been drugged and raped. The alleged perpetrators brazenly taunted her, posting pictures from that night on social media and even mimicking the position of her unconscious, drugged body with the hashtag #jadapose. For many other victims of sexual assault, this might have been the end of the story but for this brave young woman, it was only the beginning.

With a simple photograph, Jada would fight back with a message so strong she silenced her attackers and started a conversation with the world. In this picture stands a beautiful young lady, slight in frame with hair flowing around her shoulders, holding a single fist into the air and a small whiteboard with the hashtag #IAMJADA. With these three words, Jada ignited a firestorm of support across social media from friends, family, strangers, and even celebrities who expressed their solidarity and support ironically in the same way her attackers had attempted to ridicule her: by posting pictures of themselves with one fist raised into the air, the other hand holding a sign: #IAMJADA.

Since then outpouring of support from celebrities including Willow Smith, Gabrielle Union, Montell Williams, Dr. Drew, Whoppi Golberg, KeKe Palmer, Chrisette Michele, and many more captured the attention of the media and propelled Jada and her story into the national spotlight. Soon, media giants and community activists such as MSNBC, BET, The View, ABC, and Planned Parenthood all stepped forward with their support leading to a whirlwind of interviews.

Before she realized what was happening, Jada became the face and advocate for assault victims across the globe. “At such a young age and having been through such a difficult ordeal Jada feels a responsibility to speak out on behalf of other victims of rape, exploitation, and cyber-bullying. She has made the decision to transform her message into a movement that advocates legislation to prevent this from occurring to others and support for other victims,” says Jasmine Wilson, Jada’s publicist and creator of the campaign. “At this point, we hope to ensure that justice is served in Jada’s case and we also intend to lobby for our legislators and and lawmakers to create and enforce better protection against assault and exploitation.”

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

Sign the petition at www.justiceforjada.com/petition

Send your “I Am Jada” photos to hashtag #IAMJADA on twitter

Follow us @Justice4Jada and your tweet your support by using #JusticeforJada

Send letters of support to Jada at justiceforjada@gmail.com

Send in a story about you helping a victim at www.justiceforjada.com/pave

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE WEBSITE:

Campaign Website: www.justiceforjada.com

Twitter: @justice4jada #JusticeForJada

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/justice4jada

For Contact / Media Inquires:

Jasmine D. Wilson