Griner faces difficult conditions at Russian penal colony, former prisoners and advocates say
NBC News, October 26, 2022: Griner faces difficult conditions at Russian penal colony, former prisoners and advocates say
“Rudra Sil, a Russian historian and political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said he is not exactly sure what life will be like for Griner if she is moved to a penal colony. But if form and history hold true, he said, it will undoubtedly be brutal for her as a high-profile gay Black woman.
“Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, a doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania who focuses on the Black experience in Russia, agreed. She noted that Russia can use much about Griner to make outlandish requests as the Kremlin preys upon America’s racial tensions and culture war issues.
“‘She’s Black. She’s gay. And this is a marijuana case,’ Julian-Varnon told NPR. ‘What are the three biggest issues in the United States in terms of domestic politics? Marijuana convictions, LGBTQ issues, anti-Black racism — and the carceral system.’”
Additional reading:
The Washington Post, October 27, 2022: D.C. activists rally for Brittney Griner at Russian Embassy
NAACP, October 28, 2022: NAACP Statement on Brittney Griner's Appeal Rejection
Essentially Sports, October 26, 2022: Struggling Brittney Griner Gave the Brutally Honest Truth About Her Teenage Years: “Constantly on Edge, Wondering Who Was Going to Provoke Me Next”
