She Was Executed For Defending Herself; Lena Baker's Story

Lena Baker was an African-American woman convicted of killing her white employer Ernest Knight by the State of Georgia in 1944 at the age of 44.  The only woman executed in Georgia’s electric chair, Baker was sentenced to death by an all-white, all-male jury after a trial that lasted just one day.

At her trial in August 1944, Baker told the court that 67-year-old Knight, a man she had been hired to care for, had held her against her will in a grist mill and threatened to shoot her if she tried to leave, whereupon she took his gun and shot him.

Baker said as she sat in the electric chair on March 5, 1945, “I am ready to meet my God.”

“What I [did], I did in self-defense or I would have been killed myself. Where I was, I could not overcome it,” she told the court moments earlier.

Baker’s last words along with her picture, are reportedly displayed near the now-retired electric chair at a museum at Georgia state prison in Reidsville.

Born at the turn of the century in Randolph County, Georgia, Baker as a child worked for a farmer named J.A. Cox chopping cotton with her family. Underpaid and wallowing in abject poverty, Baker joined with a friend to seek an alternative source of income. 

They decided to “entertain gentlemen” for cash, according to accounts. She was 20 then. When the Randolph County sheriff got to the activities of the two as their clientele were white and interracial relationships were frowned up and made illegal in Georgia, Baker and her friend were arrested. They spent months in a workhouse, according to one account.

Stigmatized by the black community, Baker resorted to drinking for succor, and then in 1941 Knight hired her to care for him after a fall broke his leg. Knight was 23 years Baker’s senior.

It wasn’t long before a sexual relationship developed between Knight and Baker, who well known in Cuthbert as a heavy drinker and who often carried a pistol strapped to his shoulder, another account noted. It was reported when Baker attempted to free herself from this relationship, Knight locked her in his gristmill for several days at a time, and as a nearby newspaper reported after her execution, kept her there as his “slave woman”.

The night of April 30, 1944, Baker went to Cox who was now the town coroner and informed him of her murder of Knight. Cox reportedly told Baker to go to the sheriff, while he would go to gristmill where Baker said Knight’s body was. According to accounts, Baker instead went home instead only for her to picked up by the sheriff later that night.

In a writeup titled, The Lena Baker Story, author Lela Bond Phillips recalled that Baker at her trial when asked who pulled the trigger, replied, “I don’t know.” She also stated the Knight was brandishing an iron bar that was used to secure the door to the gristmill and that she was afraid for her life.

“Under the jurisdiction of Judge Charles William “Two Gun” Worrill, who presided at court with two pistols on the bench, the trial didn’t last even a full-court day, taking a little over four hours. 

A former “lawman” out West, Worrill boasted of gunfights with twelve men, seven of whom died. Later he was appointed to the Georgia State Supreme Court by Governor Herman Talmadge, who later became a vehement segregationist senator. 

The jury consisted of twelve white men (not unusual for 1944), but many of the jurors were good friends who attended the same small churches, socialized with each other’s families at card parties and shared morning coffee at a local café,” Phillips wrote.

Phillips continued: “In less than a one-half hour the jury came back with a guilty verdict and Worrell sentenced Baker to death in Georgia’s electric chair, nicknamed “Old Sparky.” Her lawyer immediately asked for a new trial to be scheduled because “the verdict was contrary to the evidence and without evidence to support it … and the verdict was contrary to law and the principles of justice and equity.”

Baker was granted a 60-day reprieve by then-Governor Arnall, but the Board of Pardons and Parole denied clemency when they heard the case. “With her execution date was scheduled for March 5, 1945, on February 23 Baker was signed into one of the worst prisons in the United States, Reidsville State Prison, where she was housed in the men’s section until just a few days before her execution when she was moved to a solitary cell just a few feet from the execution chamber itself,” Phillips recalled.

In August 2005 the Georgia courts agreed to grant Baker a posthumous pardon, only the second in the state’s history. (The first was in 1986 for Leo Frank, lynched in 1915). Baker’s grandnephew, Roosevelt Curry, who has led the family’s efforts to clear her name, reacted to the agreement saying: “Now we can all cry tears of joy.”

“She had nothing and no one stood by her. It’s late but it’s on time. This case was passed to me. I can pass this on to my family,” he the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Baker’s body was buried in an unmarked grave behind a small church near Cuthbert, where she had been a choir member.

#SAYNOTORACIALDISCRIMINATION

#SAYNOTOABUSE

“I lost count of the times they raped me”: Carmen Greentree relates the nightmare she lived on a trip to India

What was supposed to be a

 travel 

to find herself, resulting in a real

 nightmare 

that I thought would never come out? It is the story of

 Carmen Greentree 

an 

Australian surfer 

that, after seeing his dream of becoming a professional far away, decided to take a trip to

 India 

where he lived the worst two months of his life.

“For 7 years of my life, I was 100% dedicated to becoming a 

 professional surfer. 

From the time I got up until I went to sleep, I was focused on being the world champion of surfing. Nothing mattered to me more than that. ”

 Greentree 

in the presentation of his book

 ‘A Dangerous Pursuit of Happiness’ 

(Dangerous search for happiness).

At the age of 22, deeply disappointed that she did not achieve her dream of entering the

 Championship Tour (CT 

), decided to take a sabbatical year and

 travel 

to

 India 

to reunite with herself. However, I trusted a local that

 kidnapping and raping 

for two months in a houseboat on Dal Lake.

“I thought I would never escape that boat, that I would die there one way or another,” said the Australian surfer, now 37 years old.

On many occasions, she asked her kidnappers to let her go. However, every time she did so she was beaten. Until one day she decided not to fight anymore, and that’s when she was raped the first time.

“And the one I gave up on was the first time he raped me, but I was tired, I couldn’t fight anymore and I knew he wasn’t going to stop. I lost count of the times they raped me,” she confessed.

A thousand times

 think about escaping 

But they had told me that the area they were in was dangerous, She decided to resign herself to living with the rapist’s family, who also asked him to dress like a Muslim.

The

 nightmare

 ended thanks to two factors, one

 call from a close friend 

that warned the police that Carmen could be in danger, since the kidnapper, in his attempt to obtain money,

 forced to call his parents 

which helped the police to locate her quickly.

Actually,

 Carmen Greentree 

who is married and the mother of three children, pointed out that writing this book

 has helped her overcome 

the traumatic experience. She was bold to share her experience so that other people who have suffered a similar experience are encouraged to tell about it. “I’m sure there are more, but they will be afraid to take the plunge,” she concluded.

#SAYNOTORAPE

Herdsmen remove pregnant lady’s womb after putting a stick in her private part (Photos)

A heartbreaking story of the brutal assault a pregnant in Yogbo town Makurdi, Benue state capital got from herdsmen on Sunday evening, has emerged and social media users are already reacting to it.

It was gathered that the Fulani herdsmen attacked the town when the lady was with her husband. However, after he escaped, they started shooting. The herdsmen from hell reportedly used sticks to pierce through her private part to kill the unborn child. They also pulled out the child from her womb, after which they beat her and left her to die.

Soldiers who turned up at the scene of the incident following a report from the lady’s husband found her alive and rushed her to a hospital. Facebook user, 

Benjamin Amaechi who shared the story wrote;

Yesterday evening a young pregnant woman was captured by the Fulani herdsmen in Yogbo town Makurdi LGA. She was with her husband who escaped when they started shooting. The men used sticks to pierce through her private part to kill the unborn child and pull the child and her womb out after which they beat her and left her for dead. When the military went to pick the corpse upon her husband’s report they discovered that she was still alive and brought her down to Bishop Murray Hospital which morning s run by the Catholic Church. We were informed and rushed there.

Preliminary processes and documentation have been done. We have paid for screening and two pints of blood and I am currently waiting for the bill for the surgery to likely take out the womb. Pictures as seen above

This is coming after the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev’d. Paulinus Ezeokafor claimed that the Fulani herdsmen allegedly killing Nigerians are “acting on a written instruction”.

Ezeokafor said the purported inaction and prolonged silence of the Federal Government over the killing of two Catholic priests and 17 worshippers in Benue State was an indication that there was a calculated attempt by unseen forces to wipe out Christians in Nigeria.

#SAYNOTOBRUTALASSAULT

Tanzanian actress, Zena Yusuf Mohammed ends her 3-year marriage after allegedly being assaulted by her husband; shares photos of her battered face

Popular Tanzanian actress, Zena Yusuf Mohammed aka Shilole has announced her decision to end her marriage of 3-years, citing domestic violence.

On Wednesday, July 8, the actress took to her Instagram page to share photos of her battered face as she opened up about her violence-riddled marriage. She alleged that she had been a victim of domestic violence throughout her marriage to her husband Achebe, whom she started dating in 2016.

In the heartbreaking post, which she wrote in Swahili, the actress, 32, also issued an apology for staying quiet about her issues while encouraging other women in violent or abusive marriages to speak out for help.

She wrote:

“I am writing this with a clear mind and conscience. First, I would like to apologize to my family. I am seeking your forgiveness because I assured you that my marriage was trouble free, while in reality, it wasn’t peaceful.

 I have been a victim of domestic violence and other evil acts I cannot speak about on this platform.

“I apologize because every time I heard my fellow women cry for justice after being assaulted by their spouses, I would urge them to voice out their grievances. When I heard that there was a woman from Kigamboni, who had been fatally battered and her body set alight by her husband, I was the first one to say: ‘she should have spoken out about her marital troubles’. I pretended that I was not one of the domestic abuse victims; I distanced myself from the group of women who were victims of domestic violence. Forgive me.

As an artist, I am a role model to many in society; I represent women on many fronts. Today, I have decided to break my silence on my marital woes. My husband Ashrafu Sadiki, popularly known as Achebe, has been battering me too much!

“And, after meting out violence on me, he never calls to show concern or know about my wellbeing. Other people, unknown to me, are the ones who usually nurse me in hospitals after being beaten up by my spouse. In my marriage, there are many other bad things that have been done to me, making my union lack the expected bliss.

“Making matters worse, I am a mother; a parent of children who look up to me as their mother and father. I won’t allow myself to be killed and leave my children motherless, not today!

“I loved Achebe, I persevered to be with him despite his inadequacies; I gave him everything (my innocence, my wealth, and when he needed a woman to stand by him so that he could get on his feet — financially and socially — I was there for him). I did all that because I knew he and I were together in everything as husband and wife. Despite all that, my sacrifices did not stop him from battering me endlessly, disrespecting, and betraying me.

“Two days ago, when I returned home from my livelihood-seeking activities in Dar es Salaam, he seriously beat me up, forgetting that I had gone out there to look for food not only for my children but also for him. Why did he assault me? Because of petty marital conflicts that are present in all marriages. He did not batter me because he had found me cheating on him, or on issues that are hard to solve through dialogue, no. Furthermore, I respect him so much.

“Nonetheless, he saw the best way of solving the small dispute that we had, was through battering me senselessly. I was asleep when he punched me in the face.

“I know there is a section of people who will fault me for bringing to social media my marital woes, however, I would like to tell them that I was left with no other choice but to share my predicaments on this platform. What happens in my life, [being a public figure], should be known by my fans. Many people in society look up to me as their role model.

“I have had enough [of domestic abuse], and from now henceforth, I would like to state categorically that no one should refer to me as Achebe’s wife. People should refer to me as ‘that mother who chose to prioritize her children’s welfare and wellbeing at the expense of a toxic relationship’. They should describe me as ‘that woman who chose her happiness and safety [over a violence-ridden marriage.

“My female fans and other women in the society should use this social media post of mine as a strong message that says ‘we [as women] should speak up when we have been reduced to punching bags and recipients of brutality because if we don’t, we’ll end up dead someday’.

#SAYNOTODOMESTICVOILENCE

Photo: 26 year old Lady stabs her Boyfriend to death over Cheating allegation

A man named Fred Kojo Nyame has became a dead man after his Girlfriend stabbed him for allegedly cheating on her, The sad incidence happened in Esiama, a community near Nkroful in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

The deceased Fred got stabbed in the chest, neck,arms and forehead. Myjoyonline reports that narrating the incident, the Assemblyman of the area said a misunderstanding broke out between the two lovers after the suspect accused the deceased of cheating on her by visiting another lady in the community.

Speaking further, he noted that during the argument, the deceased started beating the suspect and in self defense, the 26 year old girlfriend took a knife and stabbed him in self defense. “I received a call around 9:45am that they were fighting but when i got her, the girlfriend has stabbed the boyfriend with a Knife. So i quickly rushed him to the hospital but unfortunately, he was pronounced dead some few minutes later”

The Assembly man further noted that the suspect has ran away from the community. Checkout the pictures below.

#SAYNOTORAPE

21 years ago, I was r@ped and I gave birth to twins, now they’re grown up-woman shares heartbreaking but joyful story

A Nigerian Psychological wellness specialist, Nmanti Umoh, has taken to her web-based social networking page to pen a passionate piece on the event of the birthday of her twin children, who she considered because of an assault episode.

In the enthusiastic birthday piece, the woman shared cute photographs of her children who simply turned 21 and related how she was assaulted by her boss at the youthful age of 15. She likewise utilized the chance to send uplifting statements to casualties of misuse of rape everywhere throughout the world.

Sharing the stunning photographs of her twins, she had. 

21 Years Prior, a multi-year old looking to discover her way was severely assaulted by her manager, all she needed to show was a twin birthed 9 months after.

Took cover behind the youth misuse, layers, and layers of Dismissal, frequently condemned, broken, wounded, she wouldn’t be a measurement and turned into the standard to a lot increasingly youngsters and ladies who might be battered, mishandled. Today the night and the morning and it’s the 21st Birthday of my children. Everything has changed since the blood.

Upbeat Birthday KanKan and Dada.

In the event that I was permitted a decision of my fights, I would have picked more straightforward clashes yet no, this life picked me and I will live it completely.

I have committed a lot of errors yet each time I take a gander at both of you, I realized I made the best choice to keep you in any event, when I didn’t know exactly how.

To each and every adolescent mother, to each youngster who has been themed a slip-up and nonconformist here I stand your approval that “Nobody and nothing has the ability to characterize who you become however you!”

Pick what you will and want to be.. well.

To a great many youngsters and ladies around Africa and the world who might be assaulted, battered, manhandled, and denied a reasonable hearing since they consider us to be kids.

#SAYNOTORAPE

Read The Story Of An 8-Year-Old Girl Who Was Defiled By Her Father And How She Was Rescued

This is a true-life story that happened in Kenya. Tuko talks, a television station goes around, interviewing people that need help, feed, and help them, rescue those that need to be rescued. 

They came across the stranger who rescued these little angels from the hands of their evil father.

Hear their story.

When you go about helping the needy, then one day you realized that 1 out of 3 girls have been defiled by their own father, and you take full responsibility of the 3 girls, until a change happens. 

That is exactly the story of Gladys Wanjiku, the stranger who rescued the 3 girls from their evil father.

She is a single mother of one, she said during this COVID 19 pandemic, she volunteered to always give food to people from door to door.

There is a group of Asian citizens in Kenya, they provide food to be distributed to people living in the slummy part of Kenya, that is how I became a volunteer, by going to distribute the food to them.

One this very day, my team and I went to deliver the food hamper, but when we got to this family, we were shocked by what we saw. Their sewage was overflowing, which is very close to their house, the pit toilet was filled up and overflowing with worms right in front of there doorstep.

We also noticed that there was a little girl, who couldn't walk. We learned, whenever she wakes up, she crawls across the worms and the overflowing sewage to come out of the house.

Coming back into the house, she does the same thing, this made us cry.

When we asked their father why he lives like this, he said he didn't have the means to take care of the sewage problem.

What about their mother? He said she left because she became addicted to alcohol, no one knows where she is till now.

The sight of it was very disturbing, we cried because of the children and their condition. So my team and I had a brief meeting, we decided to contribute from our pockets, to raise funds for the extraction of the sewage, and promised to be paying them a regular visit with foods until the sewage is taken care of.

The father is jobless, he needs help so I asked their father, to allow the 3 children to stay with me for the 3 days in which the extraction of the sewage will take place but he refused, and I guess I understood that part as a parent.

We kept visiting them, buying them more food from our pockets, because the hamper is one package to a house, but we bought more food items from our pockets and gave them to anytime we visited them.

One evening, I received a phone call, asking me to come to the children's house, that they were sleeping outside.

When I got there, I discovered that they have been sleeping outside for 5 days under a tree, placing a sack on top of the tree, to serve as a shield over them because their landlord locked them out of their house.

I went there and ask their father to keep the kids until we sort out the rent issue, he refused again. So we paid for the rent and the key was given to them.

We then asked the man what kind of business he would like to do, he asked us to come back the next day, that he will have a reply by then.

As we were about leaving the compound, the whole neighbors stood in our way, saying we won't leave the compound, until we hear what they were about telling us, so we listened.

One of the neighbors told us how the 8-year-old girl came to her and told her that she feels pain in her private parts, from the front and the back. She asked her why she was feeling the pain, the little girl said because her father had been sleeping with her from the front, and back.

So, we took her to my car for examination, and what we saw wasn't pleasant. 

When the men in the compound heard it, they wanted to deal with him, but he ran away.

The neighbors said he guarded over the children so much so that no one keeps gets to know his little secrets, even when they were sleeping outside for 5 days, he never allows the neighbors to take the kids into their homes.

My team and I, took the 3 girls to the hospital, where the doctor confirmed that she had been penetrated several times, and her hymen was even broken. This 8-year-old was underweight, malnourished, and weighs about 19kg. How does a father do this to her child?

These kids said they don't take their bath, nor change clothes. 

The 3 girls were literally stinking.

I took them home to my house girl, I told her to bath them and give then some big T-shirts to wear, because I had no baby clothes in the house, and it was very late at night.

This was how they started living with me, it's been 3 months, and they are so much happier and gaining weight.

All they needed apart from food, clothing, and shelter was care, attention, and a mother's love, which I am giving them.

I am very happy to take care of them.

#SAYNOTOCHIDABUSE

#SAYNOTORAPE