Meek Mill to Black Youth: ‘You Are Already a Target’
Meek Mill has become the symbol of criminal justice reform. While the embattled rapper is currently incarcerated for two to four years for violating his probation, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office just announced that Mill should get a retrial.
Despite the Philly D.A. demanding that the rapper be released from prison, Judge Genece E. Brinkley, who sentenced Mill back in November, would not vacate the conviction and therefore Mill will have to remain in prison until June.
In an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon, Mill remains upbeat and hopes to walk out of prison very soon. He understands that his case has garnered national attention, but he also offered a warning to the black youth.
“I want people to be careful, especially these young minorities. I call it target practice because you’re already a target and you’re in higher-risk neighborhoods where people go to jail a lot," he said. "Be careful. Watch the way you move because you don’t want to get caught up in a situation like this one here."
"You can be 18 years old and you can suffer from it when you 30 years old,” Mill continued, referencing him being hit with 10 years of probation that continues to disrupt his life.
“Luckily, I’m strong enough to overcome everything. I been to jail three, four times on the same probation I been on for 11 years," he added. "I was strong enough to lose endorsements and get ’em back. Strong enough to lose fans and get ’em back and keep people believing in me and stay on top of my game."
“So I would say be careful and stay out the way. The most important thing I want to say is vote When it’s time to vote for governor, when it’s time to vote for judges, DAs, vote,” he concluded.
Watch Don Lemon's interview with Meek Mill above.
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