Today, I read the following message from Shaquanda Cotton, a 14 year-old Black girl who was sentenced to seven years in a Texas juvenile correctional institution for pushing a door guard at her high school:

About Me

Shaquanda Cotton

Paris, Texas, US

I am a 14-year-old black freshman who shoved a hall monitor at Paris High School in a dispute over entering the building before the school day had officially begun and was sentenced to 7 years in prison. I have no prior arrest record, and the hall monitor--a 58-year-old teacher's aide--was not seriously injured.

I was tried in March 2006 in the town's juvenile court, convicted of "assault on a public servant" and sentenced by Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville to prison for up to 7 years, until I turn 21.

Just three months earlier, Judge Superville sentenced a 14-year-old white girl, convicted of arson for burning down her family's house, to probation. Squaquanda Cotton Blog

So, I called the Texas Courthouse at which Shaquanda was sentenced and I spoke to Judge Superville's receptionist.

Write and Contact the Judge and Governor!

Honorable M.C. (Chuck) Superville, Jr., Judge
Lamar County Courthouse
119 North Main
Paris, TX 75460
Phone # 903-737-2410
Fax # 903-785-3858

Judge Superville's receptionist confirmed that Shaquanda has been incarcerated for "about a year", with as much as six years to go in her confinent, as a result of a first-offense high school pushing incident.

Then, I called the Texas Governor's office about the case.

Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: (512) 463-2000
[office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST]

Office of the Governor Fax: (512) 463-1849

I told the Governor's switchboard operator that I was calling from Brazil to say that this outrageous case has become an international embarrassment for the State of Texas and for the United States of America.

The secretary confirmed the facts of the case and said that her telephone has been ringing all morning with denunciations of the ongoing imprisonment of Shaquanda Cotton. She said that she is noting all of the calls and will give a tally to the Governor.

Let's all at least call or write to the Judge and the Governor and tell them how we feel. In America, any one of us or our Black children could be incarcerated for seven years for shoving someone at school.