The case may have come to an end, but that does not mean that the world will no longer hear about Jussie Smollett. After years of speculation regarding the outcome of his trial, Smollett was found guilty of orchestrating a staged attack on himself with the help of the Osundairo brothers. This has continued to be a scandal that has divided the masses and many believe in the actor’s guilt while his supporters advocate his innocence, regardless of the jury’s decision.
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has issued a statement about this trial from Dr. Melina Abdullah, Director of BLM Grassroots and Co-Founder of BLM Los Angeles. In it, they made it clear that they were standing behind Smollett.
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“In our commitment to abolition, we can never believe police, especially the Chicago Police Department (CPD) over Jussie Smollett, a Black man who has been courageously present, visible, and vocal in the struggle for Black freedom,” the statement reads. “While policing at-large is an irredeemable institution, CPD is notorious for its long and deep history of corruption, racism, and brutality.”
“From the murders of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, to the Burge tortures, to the murder of Laquan McDonald and subsequent cover-up, to the hundreds of others killed by Chicago police over the years and the thousands who survived abuse, Chicago police consistently demonstrate that they are among the worst of the worst. Police lie and Chicago police lie especially.”
In addition to this case, the City of Chicago has sued Smollett in connection to the cost of the investigation into his attack. Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. has been trolling Smollett and his supporters over on Twitter. Smollett faces upwards of three years behind bars.