The Midwest Innocence Project received a 1 million dollar donation thanks to Jay-Z’s Team Roc. The organization devotes itself to fighting for the acquittal, pardon, and release of wrongfully convicted individuals in the Midwest area. It was established in 2001 by the University of Missouri under the Kansas City School of Law.
They operate in five states, namely Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. The Midwest Innocence Project is an independent non-profit which relies on volunteers and donations to facilitate its projects.
Midwest Innocence Project Teams Up With Team Roc
The donation comes a couple of weeks after Team Roc filed a petition against the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. Team Roc is a division under Hip Hop and business mogul Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, responsible for his philanthropic work. Moreover, Team Roc’s mission is to “effect positive change” in the face of injustices. The 28-page file features a request for the release of all investigative files and records to the public.
However, this is just the latest request, filed in the Wyandotte County Court. Indeed, it comes from the department’s history of misconduct allegations. Additionally, The Midwest Innocence Project recently took out a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post with the help of Team Roc. In addition to this, they urged Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta to take action against the involved parties.
But the team did not stop there. Team Roc also reported that the police officers tampered with evidence and soliciting sexual favors from victims. The petition also referenced past incidents, including one in which a Black female officer in the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department filed a lawsuit for alleged gender and race discrimination.
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Written By: Sheila Maina
Twitter: @nazlin_sheila
