I'll be completely and totally honest with you here. I really do not know what to make of this story from my home state.
Since three former Duke Lacrosse players were declared innocent of rape and assault charges, the alleged victim in the highly publicized Duke Lacrosse case has remained out of public view until now.As I stated last year when the Duke Lax kids were cleared of all charges, nobody should have to suffer through what they experienced. I could only imagine the fear of being accused of something so heinous as rape, knowing you did nothing of the sort. The guys have been exonerated, but I will personally remember all three of their names for the rest of my life. That's an unfair scar for anyone to have to carry. I don't really agree with their pending $30M lawsuit against the cash-strapped city of Durham, but I guess I understand.
In a press release, Crystal Mangum's manager has announced plans to release a tell-all memoir entitled "The Last Dance for Grace: The Crystal Mangum Story."
According to the book's co-author Vincent Clark, the book will be released in October.
"It is "the only definitive account of the life and struggles of the woman at the center of the Duke Lacrosse case, the alleged accuser," said Clark in a press release. " Were it not for the Duke Lacrosse Case, she likely would be described as a bright, young woman from Durham, North Carolina, who has had a difficult life."
Mangum plans to donate $1 from each book sold to help battered women. Former Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong was disbarred and jailed following the collapse of the Duke Lacrosse Case. Nifong is among several defendants named in at least three federal lawsuits stemming from the case.
Mangum is accused of falsely accusing David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann of raping and beating her at a team party in March 2006. After a review by the State Attorney General's Office, all charges were dismissed.
Then again, the real villain here isn't Mangum, who reportedly suffers from some sort of mental illness, but disgraced District Attorney Mike Nifong, who actually did some time as a result of his lazy and opportunistic job of handling this case. He never even bothered talking with Mangum in the first place, and instead saw a way of manipulating the Black community in Durham to his advantage. Why he was so dumb that he thought white folks with money wouldn't lawyer up and "beat them charges like Rocky"[1] is beyond me. Nifong has since been disbarred, was sued by the Lax players, filed for bankruptcy, and is now working at the Sizzler off I-540 near RDU airport. No, really, I saw him there a few weeks ago and he ruined my baked potato (no sour cream, you idiot!). He's a douchebag par excellence, and he got what he had coming.
I don't really know how to feel about Mangum writing this book though. If she was indeed experiencing some mental issues during the time of the allegations, you can't totally write her off as ruining those players lives, especially when the people (namely Nifong) who could have short circuited this whole thing didn't do their jobs. The book is supposedly about her life, not necessarily the Duke case, thus I suppose it's fair for her to write a book and profit from it. She says some proceeds are going to charity, which is always an iffy proposition, but to each her own. On the flipside, wouldn't any proceeds made from this book be fair game for the Duke Lax kids in a civil case? I'm sure my armchair attorneys in AverageNation™ will break this one down for me.
Question: Should Crystal Mangum be allowed to write a book that profits indirectly from the misfortune of others? Are the Duke Lax kids entitled to some of those proceeds?
Duke LAX accuser pens memoir [ABC 11 News]
[1] Yeah, I know. For a guy who supposedly doesn't care much for Jay-Z, I sure quote him a lot. Spare the comments, please.
Got News? Email AB
The Average FAQ
Just Who Is AB?
Posts
20 AverageComments™:
She suffers so deeply from mental illness, that she couldn't comprehend how damaging her lies about rape would be for those young men, yet she was smart enough to know how to shake her azz for cash, get pregnant and pick out her dress to shake her azz.
Sure, I believe that. She obviously was disturbed, probably by knowing she was a worthless piece of trash, whose wellbeing was hanging by a thread. She knew those boys probably had money, based on which school they attended, so she formulated a plan to get some from them.
Or maybe she did have sex with one or a couple of them? Maybe she got slighted on the payment for those services? But, nothing excuses her actions. Nothing.
I agree that she should be allowed to write a book. And before the ink dries on the check, I hope the lawyers for the former Duke players snatch it away.
No Indian Remy hair for you Missy! You better hightail it back to Sally's for your weave.
She's disgusting. And women like her are the reason why some whom really have been attacked aren't always believed. Instead of doing something decent, LIKE FINISHING SCHOOL, she insteads wants to capitalize off of someone else's agony. As if we care about her life story. She is NOT special.
However, she IS a disgrace.
When is this coming to Lifetime?
Better yet, when is she going to be on the Steve Wilkos show, so she can get skewered?
EG
What? No reality TV show?
I don't want to read about her life and I can give money directly to a battered women's shelter. I see no point to this at all. She should have just faded to the black like Tawana Brawley.
The "Duke Lacrosse 4" are already suing the school and others who mishandled the matter.
I think they should sue her too for the proceeds (if any).
Yes. She should be allowed to write a book since countless idiots have written books and gotten pizz-aid by scandal-hungry readers.
Then again, the real idiots are those who buy the book and make the author rich.
Capitalism, baby. Give the people what they want. And if she gets rich, apparently the collective "we" wanted to buy her wares
Maybe because I witnessed the stripper thing in my short time at NCCU, I kind of understand how she could end up shaking her mostly nekkid butt for money at parties. I saw girls, freshmen, sucked in and turned out by this little squirt of a man. There are people who prey on those who don't have a strong sense of self worth, and exploit that. I don't however condone or support her decision to make such a heinously false accusation against these young men. To take it a step further, I love how every time someone does something stupid or just outright wrong they blame it on "mental illness." In some cases it's the truth but mental health issues have just become the scapegoat of any reprehensible behavior and I'm just sick to death of it. I cheated on my wife because, I have a sex addiction; I'm not taking care of my kids because I'm addicted to the internet; I flipped out on that old lady on the bus because I'm bipolar and I went off my meds. As someone living with a mental illness, it's disheartening to hear this time and again when someone screws up or acts out. Take your meds, go to therapy, and act like you have some damned sense! It's not easy, but I subscribe to the school of thought that if you knowingly don't do what you have to to keep yourself in the state of mind to prevent outrageous behavior then you should be held responsible for any wrong doing that occurs as a result of your indifference. These guys will never be able to forget, nor will their names be forgotten, sometimes "I'm sorry" just doesn't cut it.
As for her book, pfft, were I one of these young men or their attornies, I'd probably, go for the same route the families of OJ's victims went. Ask for the proceeds of the books sales.
Hmmm, I wonder did Tawanna Brawley write a book?
Sure she can write her book and I'm pretty sure the Dukey Boys can come after her if she makes any money. But this is a VERY touchy subject her and I want to tread lightly.
Rape has three perspectives (typically)...his, hers, and the law; which unfortunately rarely can reconcile what the hell happened. Who knows who was lying and who was telling the truth....even more confusing is they both can be lying or they both can be telling the truth. Then there is the issue of being raped vs. feeling like being raped...how do you reconcile that? What about intent to rape versus negligent action that is considered rape....I'm telling you, this can be a tough tough thing to figure out.
I have been around enough crazy HBCU parties and white boy kegger bashes to know a few things.....when you get horny young men and women together, sometimes bad sh*t happens....and in that drunken party haze, everyone has a skewed perspective...Ms. Mangrum probably feels 100% that she was raped and the Dukeys probably feel 100% that they did not rape her....the truth is somewhere in the middle and no one, not even the principals really know what happened anymore.....They all put themselves in a bad position and they are all paying the price for it.
This case brings up an important larger issue. Women are victimized in much greater numbers than we can possibly ever know and rarely are the victimizers brought to justice....We talk alot about how the the US and the World are racist but sexism is much larger and much more insidious in most cases....all across the world, there are so many cases of rape, torture, abuse, disfigurement, and enslavement of women....
In the Duke case, everyone loses. I hope everyone can put this behind them and move on with their lives. No one deserves to be defined by this and as such, I wish Ms. Mangrum would reconsider writing the book....But hey, that's her call....I know one thing, I ain't buying a copy.
And yes, Nifong is a douche bag and this case NEEDS to define him and his gross lack of morals and ethics...His ego and desire to be prominent made a bad situation much much worse....frickin b*stard!
i'm no lawyer, but i know a little a bit. (that's my jay-z quote in keeping with AB's theme). i'm pretty sure the law is that if you are convicted of a crime, you can not profit from that crime by writing a book or selling 'memorabilia'. but i'm sure there are ways around that.
Huntdaddy:
You have the right sentiment but you're wrong on the facts... Crystal completely invented the story. There's no evidence that she had any sort of sex with anybody at that party, consensual or otherwise. It's important to point out that the court went farther than just calling the Duke LAX players Not Guilty... they were found Innocent of the charges.
Aside from that point, I think it was very insightful comment and one that's spot-on in the general case.
---------------------
It's also worth pointing out that the 40-some professors who signed a document viciously attacking the players have never recanted or apologized for their statements.
She shouldnt in a perfect world but she will. Hopefully she'll be guided in the correct manner by a loved one who will tell her to go sit in a corner somewhere.
I can only wonder if this was a plan cooked up before all of this hit the news..
The facts of this case could not be more clear. Hard forensic evidence, corroborated by dozens of eyewitnesses confirm that Crystal Mangam invented the entire rape story out of whole cloth. Ms. Mangam's testimony was the only evidence that supported her claim, and there are dozens of versions of her testimony given at different times that vary widely, such as there being 3 attackers and then there being 20 attackers. She does not deserve to make one penny from the intentional frame that she was a major player in perpetuating. What's sad is she had a long criminal history with multiple felonies, including assaulting a law enforcement officer with a vehicle. She also had a history of false accusations of rape and attempted murder.
In addition to Ms. Mangam and Mike NiFong, there is a great deal of evidence that the Durham PD and members of the Durham city government took key and knowing parts in the attempted frame of the Duke players. They are suing for $30 million only because the Durham city government refused to make any reforms to protect the civil rights of suspects nor to even seriously investigate police misbehavior. Evidence includes notes on meetings, court testimony under oath, and videoed broadcasts. Durham is one of the most corrupt and dishonest cities that I have ever encounted. The city should be held accountable for the illegal actions taken by it's leaders, especially since most of the elected leaders have been reelected since all the facts on this story were made known publicly.
@spool32: Thanks for the factual update. I didn't follow the case too closely and didn't know her story was completely fabricated...
This makes the whole sorted mess an even sadder tale...as a matter of procedure, I really don't lose too much sleep over some falsely accused white boys but man, this is truly messed up for them. As for Ms. Mangrum, let's all hope she gets her life in order....
Huntdaddy,
it wasn't just falsely accused white boys, the police and DA also tried to frame an Affrican immigrant for not recanting his testimony for the defense. This man is still out thousands of dollars for a defense of a bogus charge that he can ill afford on his cad driver salary. There is substantial evidence to suggest that many other witnesses were intimidated or attempted to be intimidated by the police and DA. There are probably hundreds of people of color who have been falsely convicted by NiFong and Durham PD using the same tactics as used on the Lax players. Part of the Lax players lawsuit is to bring attention to this. Also, it is very likely that a large portion of any monies recieved will be donated to the innocent project. If the lax players didn't have the ability to access millions of dollars via savings and loans, they would most likely have been convicted with no evidence to support them. I can't help but wonder how many poor Durhamites have been either falsely convicted or outright framed. Durham should do what Dallas, TX has done. That is create a special department of the DA's office and fund it to investigate potential false convictions. Dozens have been exonerated in Dallas from this process.
I don't think she should write that book unless she wants to face the punishment of getting all of her profits from the book taken away. That's even if the book does well. No one wants to read about someone who lied like that. Just like OJ's book, I didn't wanna read that crap! Who care what he thought "if he did it." Who cares about her life, besides her and her family.
All the people involved in this owe the Lax players an apology.
Mike NiFong should sue this hoe. He tried to play the race card and ended up losing his hat and getting disbarred trying to case this paper tiger.
Hmmm..to comment or not to comment. I was actually REALLY surprised by spool32's comments and by another person whose name I don't remember. The Attorney General's office has said that the story was completely fabricated, but NO ONE can ever know that. As a graduate of Duke who knew many of the lacrosse players, I do not believe they are completely innocent. The lacrosse team was ALWAYS "extra" in their partying. I know what goes on at Duke parties and I do believe that Crystal Mangum very well could have been sexually assaulted. I was an RA for 2 years at Duke and knew of countless girls who were raped but did not want to come forward. My own friends had date rape pills placed in their drinks on several occasions. I am not saying that Crystal was raped, but I think we should all be very careful before we instantly assume that the final investigations were correct and completely accurate.
To address another comment by someone else who said she should finish school rather than write a book, CRYSTAL DID GRADUATE IN MAY. I think this is what is most important. Education has always been the ticket out for black folk and I hope that that sheepskin (diploma) means Crystal will never again have to shake her behind to make ends meet. Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that was her only option initially, but obviously, she thought it was.
This whole experience reminded me that there is work to be done. While some college students have money to hire strippers, others are selling their bodies to buy books. We have work to do. While the world has castigated this young black female, NCCU educated her. Once again, I see an HBCU has opened their doors on someone that the world wanted to dismiss and denigrate. Let's get our schools endowed and make sure that little girls know their worth from a young age so that there won't have to be another Crystal making poor choices that lead to this.
And let's also not be so quick to believe what the Man tells us...his investigations have historically made us seem loose, wild, sorry, and with a propensity to lie. I believe that if everyone TRULY believed that Crystal fabricated the entire event, they would have made her undergo psychological testing to see if she truly had mental illness...if she was found competent, she would have been charged with lying to officers and she would have been made to repay the money spent on this investigation.
Last thing: Many folk don't know this, but several wealthy Duke alum came together and tried to pay her off from the beginning. She turned down hush-hush money...why?
Hmmm..to comment or not to comment. I was actually REALLY surprised by spool32's comments and by another person whose name I don't remember. The Attorney General's office has said that the story was completely fabricated, but NO ONE can ever know that. As a graduate of Duke who knew many of the lacrosse players, I do not believe they are completely innocent. The lacrosse team was ALWAYS "extra" in their partying. I know what goes on at Duke parties and I do believe that Crystal Mangum very well could have been sexually assaulted. I was an RA for 2 years at Duke and knew of countless girls who were raped but did not want to come forward. My own friends had date rape pills placed in their drinks on several occasions. I am not saying that Crystal was raped, but I think we should all be very careful before we instantly assume that the final investigations were correct and completely accurate.
To address another comment by someone else who said she should finish school rather than write a book, CRYSTAL DID GRADUATE IN MAY. I think this is what is most important. Education has always been the ticket out for black folk and I hope that that sheepskin (diploma) means Crystal will never again have to shake her behind to make ends meet. Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that was her only option initially, but obviously, she thought it was.
This whole experience reminded me that there is work to be done. While some college students have money to hire strippers, others are selling their bodies to buy books. We have work to do. While the world has castigated this young black female, NCCU educated her. Once again, I see an HBCU has opened their doors on someone that the world wanted to dismiss and denigrate. Let's get our schools endowed and make sure that little girls know their worth from a young age so that there won't have to be another Crystal making poor choices that lead to this.
And let's also not be so quick to believe what the Man tells us...his investigations have historically made us seem loose, wild, sorry, and with a propensity to lie. I believe that if everyone TRULY believed that Crystal fabricated the entire event, they would have made her undergo psychological testing to see if she truly had mental illness...if she was found competent, she would have been charged with lying to officers and she would have been made to repay the money spent on this investigation.
Last thing: Many folk don't know this, but several wealthy Duke alum came together and tried to pay her off from the beginning. She turned down hush-hush money...why?
Well, she's doing a clever job of walking that tightrope. She claims that the book isn't going to be about that, but about her life. If the book were about the actual night in question you could then question if she is allowed to profit from her misdeeds. But, since she isn't claiming to do that I don't think that the question really applies. Because in the end, you're asking if she has a right to profit off of her life story.
Crystal-
You say: "The Attorney General's office has said that the story was completely fabricated, but NO ONE can ever know that."
Yes EVERYONE can. If you said someone raped you at 1:00 and it can be proven that the person in question was in another city at that time then, yes, innocence has been proven.
"As a graduate of Duke who knew many of the lacrosse players, I do not believe they are completely innocent. The lacrosse team was ALWAYS "extra" in their partying.
I know what goes on at Duke parties........."
A lot of black men have wild parties. Sean Bell was one of them. I'm sure you are judgemental of him for partying at a whorehouse although he hadn't worked in 2 years AND had two kids he wasn't taking care of.
"and I do believe that Crystal Mangum very well could have been sexually assaulted."
And many black men were lynched for crimes they very well might have committed. The Scottsboro Boys may very well have been guilty of rape too.
"I was an RA for 2 years at Duke and knew of countless girls who were raped but did not want to come forward."
And no doubt some of them were white women raped by black men. Anytime a white woman is the victim of black crime most black people will side with the perpetrator.
"I think we should all be very careful before we instantly assume that the final investigations were correct and completely accurate."
And I'm sure you'd be as skeptical of the players were black and the accuser white?
"Education has always been the ticket out for black folk"
It's actualy the ticket out FOR EVERYONE.
"I hope that that sheepskin Crystal will never again have to shake her behind to make ends meet."
And all those black women still being pimped out by black men?
"Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that was her only option initially, but obviously, she thought it was."
Or maybe she knew the other options but was greedy and not willing to work hard for very little money like most of us do. Perhaps 1 of the 3 men who fathered her 3 kids would have helped? Funny how black people are so NOT judgemental about a black man who will pimp out the mother of their children like her black boyfriend and 3 black "babbydaddies" did.
"This whole experience reminded me that there is work to be done."
Yeah, people need to stop giving in to the manipulative anger of race card playing afican americans. 99% of violent crime between African Americans are white women the black person is the perpertrator. A million crimes happen against white women and we are supposed to look the other way but when ONE happens and its white against black a lynch mob quickly forms. Whites should express the same rage at black crime against white women
"While some college students have money to hire strippers, others are selling their bodies to buy books."
And Crystal had plenty of money for drugs. She didn't sell her money to buy books but to buy crack. And it was her choice to have 3 children by 3 different men. Again, why did they allow the mother of their children to be a hooker? The black men in her life sold her down the river.
"While the world has castigated this young black female, NCCU educated her."
Anyone who tries to get someone lynched for a crime they didn't committ is below contempt. NCCU can give her diploma but they can't give her integrity or common sense. Her life choices show that she, like her supporters, have neither. Maybe NCCU should allow the Jasper TX 3 to enrole they could "educate" them rather than "castigate them.
"Once again, I see an HBCU has opened their doors on someone that the world wanted to dismiss and denigrate."
Falsely accusing someone of rape is to denegrate. She is the perpetrator, not the victim. There were a lot of black people ready to lynch these young men when she cried "rape". Holding a black woman to standards is not denigrating or dismissing. It means to treat you like an equal. Apparently to some African Americans being treated with accountabilty is just toooo overwhelming.
"Let's get our schools endowed and make sure that little girls know their worth from a young age so that there won't have to be another Crystal making poor choices that lead to this."
Lets make sure our little girls know that playing the race or sexism card isn't appropriate.
"And let's also not be so quick to believe what the Man tells us...his investigations have historically made us seem loose, wild, sorry"
The truth hurts. Black people are comsidered disproportiately involved in crime and sleeziness THE WORLD OVER. The media is a mirror of reality and when you look into the mirror you don't like what you see and you scream "racism!"
"and with a propensity to lie."
black people have gotten out of crimes by playing the race card forever. Claims of racism should always be looked at calmly.. but most white people are so intimidated by manipulative black anger that they will colapse and give in just to avoid a confrontation. Black people have a long ugly history of distorting facts and using intimidation to get their way.
"I believe that if everyone TRULY believed that Crystal fabricated the entire event, they would have made her undergo psychological testing to see if she truly had mental illness"
This comment doesn't even make sense. Crystal just did what a lot of black people do- play the race card in hopes of getting her way and getting some free money. She told a bouncer at a stip club that she was intending to make $$ off of this from day one. She was an extortionist. Why would someone be considered mentally ill for being a greedy race card playing criminal? After all Al Shaprton and Jesse Jackson aren't made to undergo psychological testing to see if they had mental illness. This "ebonics logic" is why blacks fall to the the lower classes in every society.
Post a Comment