Can ‘Ebony’ Learn From the Genarlow Wilson Backlash?
A few weeks ago, Ebony published a fluff piece on Genarlow Wilson entitled “Notorious to Glorious: Genarlow Wilson is No Child Molester and Never 
Was”, which has now been taken down.
In case you’re not familiar with the case, Genarlow Wilson was released from prison in 2007 after spending more than two years behind bars for a teen s*x conviction. The Georgia Supreme Court ordered that he be released, ruling 4-3 that his sentence was cruel and unusual punishment. Wilson was convicted in 2005 for having oral s*x with a consenting 15-year-old girl when he was 17.
Bur for one very important reason, readers rebuked Ebony’s glorification of Wilson, and the backlash to the article was furious:
Problem is, even though Genarlow Wilson wasn’t found guilty of rape,video from that night shows he and his friends taking turns having s*x with a 17 year old girl, who appeared intoxicated, as well as Genarlow having oral s*x with a consenting 15 year old. Those acts were not criminal, but Genarlow’s behavior certainly isn’t something that Ebony should’ve celebrated, and so the backlash was swift and fierce, forcing Ebony.com to take the article down.
Ebony.com originally tried to smooth things over with an apology, but that was also taken down as well after strong criticism.
For that reason, writer Tracie Powell of Poynter.com, a school that exists to ensure that communities have access to excellent journalism, spoke with adjunct professor and victim’s right advocate Wendy Murphy, and came away with some advice for Ebony:
“When you write about her being a receiver of past harm and he, as the subject, isn’t even in the sentence, it’s almost like he takes no role, no responsibility morally, legally or otherwise because he’s just not present in that style of writing,” she added. “That’s completely separate from what I saw to be the overarching concern of Ebony referring to him as glorious.”
“Let’s assume for the sake of argument that this was the only bad thing [Wilson’s] ever done in his life and he’s behaved perfectly ever sense. It’s still a part of who he is and part of his story because he was prosecuted in a public forum for committing a serious public offense,” Murphy continued. “And, is it ever appropriate to call a guy with that kind of background glorious? Reasonable people think he’s a nice guy but you’re telling a story about him because of where he’s been and what he’s done … If you call him glorious, maybe you’re not celebrating him for what he’s done but you’re clearly not condemning it.”
Hopefully, everyone has learned from their mistakes, and are prepared to move on.
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Rapists should never be celebrated.
I can guarantee you he’ll think twice about the next time he decides to participate in s*x involving several people, consenting or not. Many people have warped ideas when it comes to s*x and what acceptable and what is not. This young man was lucky he has been released from prison therefore he should reframe from any behavior that would cause him to jeopardize his freedom again.
For the love of all that is holy, can we please stop acting as if we don’t enjoy s*x. Who is anyone to condemn this young man for participating in s****l intercourse with more than 1 person? People get so focused on trying to continually bring up someone’s past and what they did. So what he had CONSENUAL s*x with more than 1 person in the same night. When are people going to realize that nothing is normal in terms of s*x? We get all twisted and want to call people out for doing what we want to view as s****l acts that aren’t “normal” but truth be told nobody has normal s*x and if you want to perpetrate that lie then go right ahead. What I may view as strange the next person may view as normal and vice versa. So let’s try and stop getting bent all out of shape everytime we find out about somebody who does anything outside of a husband and wife in a locked bedroom with the lights off in the missionary position only. If the people who were in that hotel room that all this was going on had no problems with what was transpiring then who are we to condemn it and say that it shouldn’t be celebrated. So what since he did this one thing that some people can’t get past we shouldn’t celebrate the fact that he’s in a position to receive a college degree from one of the top schools in the country? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever!!!
Big Baby Jeebus in Da Sky don’t be likin’ it. Negro church slaves think anyone who has s*x should suffer, illegal or not….
So, in your mind, a drunk 17-year old girl “has no problems with what was transpiring” if several males take turns having intercourse with her and then dump her passed out onto a bathroom floor… like Genarlow Wilson and his buddies did?
In your mind, a 15 year old “consents” to s*x, regardless of the fact that s*x with a minor is STATUTORY RAPE under the law. In your mind, statutory rape laws shouldn’t apply to this particular girl… for whatever reason. In your mind, gang s*x on a drunk girl is “no problem”.
THIS, fellow readers, is the mentality young black girls deal with EVERY day.
People still read Ebony?