Dear Ms. Owens,

I read your story, as explained by Danielle McGuire. I am so sorry for what happened to you. How you responded with courage and composure is incredible. I don't know if I would have had the strength to do the same. I know from my own experience that having to retell a story so traumatic is difficult, to say the least. Plus, you were cross-examined and attacked in so many ways. It must have took immense strength to persevere through the whole process, and I hope you felt at least some satisfaction when they were convicted, especially after how flippantly they treated the charges. Do you think you would have testified if there was not mass outrage and mass support? I can of course understand if you wouldn't have wanted to.

I was also wondering if you experienced backlash after the trial was over. I read that one of your attackers got out of prison after only six years and then four years after that, murdered a Black woman he thought was you. That must have been terrifying for you. Did you experience other threats or attacks, or did you feel relatively supported and protected by the mass support you received? If you had to do everything over again, would you do it the same way?

Finally, I was wondering if you had any advice of how to use your experiences to inform the ways we fight for justice today. Similar to in your day, police lynchings of Black men are much more publicised than violence against Black women, sexual or otherwise. How can we bring Black women and their stories to the forefront of the struggle, especially given the culture of dissemblance and the lack of mass knowledge about what happens. Please let me know if you have any thoughts about my questions or anything else. I really want to learn from you and bring your story and courage to the movement today.

Best,
Emily