Justin Fairfax, Due Process and Our Black Boys
By Kimberly Jackson-Makle

When you have been in the fight for justice and families as long as I have, you find yourself searching for like-minded partners while also paying attention to those who stand on the sidelines in silence as injustice continues to shackle our people.
Yesterday, I was sent a video of a community forum in my county that took place with the House of Delegate candidates of the 52 nd and 31 st Districts. In full transparency, I am a Democrat whom crossed the political party lines to support DJ Jordan, but the clip spoke to why I did. In his closing, DJ made a statement that was met with such a raucous response that I am sure many missed the power behind his full statement: “African-American males are sometimes perceived guilty until proven innocent.
“My opponent [Del. Guzman] demanded that Justin Fairfax resign without any due process. If that is how she sees the Lt Gov, what chance do our sons have? Del. Guzman may not see OUR issues, but then, we know what happens #WhenTheySeeUs.”
The boldness of this statement and the truth that it speaks touched a nerve for me. A nerve that many black women across the country have felt for so many generations when it comes to our sons, whether we are talking about Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice or the #Exonerated5.
To refresh your memory, Justin Fairfax was accused of two separate incidents of sexual assault against women while in his 20’s. These allegations both came to light in February, days after a college yearbook blackface scandal engulfed Governor Ralph Northam and it seemed like Fairfax was possibly in line to ascend to the position of Governor. Shockingly, it was several Democrats — not Republicans — that demanded that Justin Fairfax resign his position, even though there had been no investigation or due process. Some Democrats even advocated for impeachment!
As a mother of four boys, this is extremely concerning to me. Those calls for resignation set a very dangerous precedent for how our society evaluates allegations against men, especially men of color. If Fairfax is guilty, then he should go to prison. However, he still deserves the right to defend himself.
The perceived notion that our young men are assumed guilty until proven innocent. The fear that our young sons are seen suspiciously, as unlawful, untrustworthy, and guilty from the moment they walk into the room, without verifiable proof, has contributed to many sleepless and worrisome nights for so many black mothers. It is a sense that, whether your fears are ever realized or not, that aura, that deep fear, is something you never forget.
The power in DJ’s statement was that it wasn’t about whether the accusations against the Lt. Governor were false or not, but more so that for far too long, our young black men have been branded as guilty until proven innocent!
This statement by DJ touches on conversations that you can hear in countless black churches, barbershops or beauty salons. It is something that over the years has been the common conversation of both black Democrats and black Republicans. It is not even a discussion about
innocence or guilt, but a conversation of “when will our young men receive the same opportunity to be seen as INNOCENT until proven guilty?” I am proud of D.J. Jordan for having the courage to bring to the forefront a conversation that has been happening in the black community. His willingness to speak truth to power for our community is exactly why for the first time ever, I, and many in our community are voting for the person, not the party. We need someone who will stand up for our issues on both sides of the isle. In that video, I was reminded how important it was to have someone with my life experience in both party meetings, so our perspective is taken into consideration. But the question is where will we go from here now that the conversation has come to light?
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Kimberly Jackson-Makle lives in Woodbridge, Virginia and is a Democrat, Registered Nurse, wife, mother, and foster parent.
