IN THE NEWS: BRITTNEY GRINER
Brittney Griner, a former American women's basketball star, was sentenced to nine years in prison for deliberately smuggling cannabis into Russia. Prior to hearing the verdict, Griner apologized to the court and requested leniency. She was fined $1 Million Rubles (about $16,400). As she explained, she "never intended to hurt anybody" and "never intended to put the Russian people at risk." She said, "I did not mean to break any laws," adding that her mistake "doesn't end my life here," and "I know everyone keeps talking about political pawns and politics, but I hope that is far from this courtroom." In the US, the same words are heard in courtrooms on a daily basis, but the sentences are much longer. Yes, nine years is a long sentence for possession of cannabis, but thousands of people are imprisoned in prison for the same reason. #BringBrittneyHome Additional Resources of Support: Change.org BlackFeministFuture.org