After the story of Recy Taylor was spotlighted in Oprah Winfrey‘s infamous Golden Globes speech, members of the Congressional Black Caucus is now set to honor her in a major way.
Taylor was raped by a group of white men who were let off the hook by, not one, but two grand juries in the 1940s. But now, people are saying her name.
–Recy Taylor: Here’s the woman Oprah shined on light on at Golden Globes–
Members of Congress stage silent protest
According to the New York Daily News, the Congressional Black Caucus is taking things a step further, wearing red pins in Taylor’s honor during Donald Trump‘s State of the Union speech later this month.
“As we commemorate this transformative movement in our nation’s history, we cannot forget the many marginalized women who have spoken up, spoken out and have long been ignored,” Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) said in a statement to The Root. “In this effort, we must also acknowledge the inequities in acknowledging our suffering and the failure of [the] judicial system in administering justice.”
“The legitimate exploration of this moment requires an acknowledgement of the ugly truth of our past,” Coleman also stated. “At the center of this recent awakening around sexual misconduct is amplifying the voice of victims that we, in some cases, chose not to hear. In order to truly achieve the cultural shift this movement is precipitating we must never forget the rape and abuse of black women as a way of life and, at present, the disparity in justice for the communities who are and have historically been marginalized.”
Many members of Congress will also be wearing all black to show solidarity with the women who have been victims of sexual assault.
“It will serve as a strong message of defiance to those who have and continue to subject women to a toxic masculinity that has plagued our society for far too long,” Rep. Gwen Moore’s spokesperson, Eric Harris, told the Daily News. “The congresswoman wants them to know that their time is indeed up, from the world of media and entertainment to the halls of government.”
Moore, who is herself a survivor of assault, will wear black as well as a red pin.