*The aftermath of being in jail and continuing to prove innocence to maintain freedom creates eye opening experiences that we as an audience often overlook.
As reported in the Sybil Wilkes February 15 What You Need To Know newsletter, Diamonds Ford shot at what was believed to be an intruder then called 911 when officers serving a warrant failed to properly identify themselves. Ford and her now husband Anthony Gantt are still facing charges from the September 2020 incident.
“If someone were breaking your glass window…The first instinct is to protect your home,” said Ford. The couple was jailed for several months with a combined total of over $850,000 in bail and housed in the same facility with no contact laws preventing them from seeing or speaking to each other directly. With the help of Dignity Power, they were released from jail a few months apart.
“Ever since this incident happened, it brought awareness to my family…It’s like skydiving: it looks scary but it’s a different fear when you’re actually going through it,” said Gantt. The family has since installed home security systems, and deals with PTSD and heightened paranoia. “I think this affected our preteen daughter the most. She now stays home, is more quiet than usual, and we have to check on her more,” said Ford.
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Through the difficulties, the family has managed to find the things that keep them going. “It brought us a lot of gratitude, we’re thankful for life,” said Gantt. “I’m thankful for things like being able to kiss my daughter on the forehead,” said Ford, who wants women in similar situations to know, “… we are stronger than we think…and we have to stand and protect each other.”
With an upcoming court date on June 1 to dismiss charges, the family is looking forward to continuing work with Dignity Power, starting their own non-profit organization, and “Moving away from Florida!”, says Gantt. “I wanna make all of these memorable moments and build…for the future generation…My main focus is to keep us one big happy family, help as many others as much as possible, and to be as prosperous as possible.”
Why We Need to Know:
Resolving criminal cases take time, money, resilience, and patience when proving innocence and often lose the attention needed to keep the momentum of justice moving forward if updates aren’t given. As we continue to advocate for the rights and freedom of Black people, let’s also continue to advocate for their well-being after going through the traumas of jail and the criminal justice process.
source: SybilWilkes.com
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