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Babies and Blowjobs - The Ugly Truth Hampton Doesn’t Want You to See [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-04-05

TW: Sexual Assault, Child Sexual Abuse, Institutional Negligence

The afternoon I found out what happened to my daughter, Celeste, something broke inside me—irreparable, profound, permanent. Not just as a mother, but as someone who once believed schools existed to nurture and protect children. I was wrong.

Celeste was five years old when she was sexually assaulted by a classmate at her school. It would take two more years for her to find her voice and summon the courage to speak up. At seven, she trusted her teacher. She trusted her principal. But instead of activating the systems designed to safeguard vulnerable children, they chose silence, denial, and deliberate obstruction.

Let me be clear:

They didn't just delay the investigation.

They didn't just fail to act.

They actively silenced my daughter, punished my advocacy, and systematically buried her trauma.

Six agonizing months passed before law enforcement contacted me—a full six months before anyone officially acknowledged Celeste’s pain. Six months during which my daughter cried herself to sleep, developed physical manifestations of trauma, and was forced to remain at the very school that refused to protect her. At no point did the district suggest moving her to a safer location or offer meaningful support.

Today, the district remains entrenched in denial, treating Celeste’s assault as a public relations inconvenience rather than the horrific violation it truly is.

A Tale of Two Responses: Celeste vs. Chris Bowman

Let’s contrast Celeste’s experience with that of former Hampton City Council member Chris Bowman, whose story unfolded with shocking ease.

Bowman willingly went to Hampton Police after being extorted by a prostitute and her pimp, who stole his phone after their illicit encounter in a Newport News hotel room. Bowman lost nearly $12,000, and Hampton City Council initially concealed this incident until media exposure forced their hand.

In Bowman's case:

Investigations began immediately.

The community’s response was swift, public, and forceful.

Outrage was validated and addressed head-on.

Gaylene Kanoyton, chair of the Hampton Branch NAACP, publicly confronted and shamed Bowman, invoking her status as a Board Member for the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, accompanied by NAACP legal representation. Where was this moral outrage for Celeste?

In stark contrast, Celeste—a child victim—received silence, blame, and neglect.

Institutional Failure & the Role of Race

Some have argued to me publicly, "Race doesn't factor here, they're all Black." But here's the brutal truth: race shouldn’t matter—yet it undeniably does. Black girls without political or financial clout are systematically treated as disposable, even by institutions and officials who claim racial solidarity.

Celeste’s pain became their PR nightmare. The Commonwealth’s Attorney, Anton Bell, explicitly refused to prosecute, citing the assailant’s age—even though the other student was two years older, with documented behavioral problems, sharing the same classroom and grade. Yes, this justification is explicitly documented in the police report.

Anton Bell chose politics over principle. He chose his relationships—with Rick Mason, Ann Cherry, Tina Banks-Gray, and influential Hampton University-affiliated political leaders—over justice. Bell vigorously pursued high-profile cases like that of Codi Bigsby for public gain (Bigsby's father has since been convicted), yet abandoned Celeste completely when she needed him most.

"All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk"

There’s a cultural truth we speak quietly among ourselves: "All skinfolk ain’t kinfolk." Hampton city leaders prioritize their self-preservation over the well-being of Black children. When Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck publicly embarrassed himself by dismissing Celeste’s trauma, only Councilman Steve Brown privately showed moral integrity by acknowledging the wrong done—but even that failed to spark real action, real apology, or real change.

Imagine—just imagine—if Celeste were white.

I’m reminded of the powerful courtroom scene from the film A Time To Kill, where attorney Jake Brigance describes in horrific detail the brutal assault of a young Black girl, then challenges the jury:

“Can you see her? Her raped, beaten, broken body, soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood—left to die. Can you see her? I want you to picture that little girl. Now imagine she’s white.”

It shouldn't matter—but it unquestionably does. A white child's pain mobilizes entire communities, commands immediate action, and demands accountability. Celeste’s experience proves that Black pain—even among our own—is dismissed, minimized, and ignored.

The Fight for Celeste’s Law

Despite this profound betrayal, my daughter remains brave, brilliant, and worthy of every support, every protection, every ounce of justice. I've fought tirelessly—often alone—for transparency, accountability, and meaningful legislative change. Celeste’s Law seeks to ensure no other child endures this neglect.

Yet many remain more concerned with their reputations than with protecting children. Many prioritize controversy avoidance over confronting injustice. Many refuse to say Celeste’s name.

Please watch the above video of Donnie Tuck shutting Celeste down at a city council meeting.

But I will say it again and again:

Celeste is brave.

Celeste is brilliant.

Celeste deserves justice.

Demand Better, from Hampton and All of Our Communities

It’s time Hampton city leaders—Gaylene Kanoyton, Anton Bell, Ex-Mayor Donnie Tuck, current Mayor Jimmy Gray and every silent enabler—hear clearly:

You have failed Celeste. You have failed countless others. Your silence is complicity. Your inaction is consent. And your excuses—unacceptable.

We demand accountability. We demand transparency. We demand institutional change. Celeste’s trauma is not a public relations problem—it is your moral crisis. Act accordingly.

Support Celeste’s Law.

Demand justice for every child, regardless of race, status, or politics.

Show Celeste—and every child victim—that their pain matters.

Stand with us. Speak her name. And let your voice shake every corridor of power that continues to look away.

Visit 8forCeleste.org to learn more and join our fight for justice.

Further Reading:

Chris Bowman Extortion Case: www.wavy.com/...

www.wavy.com/... Anton Bell and Codi Bigsby Case (convicted) www.13newsnow.com/…

www.13newsnow.com/… The Walk Out - Even with Video, HCS Ignores the Kids Who Spoke Their Truths ON VIDEO: www.dailypress.com/...

Your fight is our fight. We see you clearly. And trust me, we will never let this go.



This isn't just about justice; it's about survival. It's about truth.

The systems that raced to investigate Chris Bowman deliberately dragged their feet for Celeste. The institutions that framed his incident as criminal behavior tried to diminish hers as ignorable.



It wrong. It’s morality deficient. It’s unethical. And I won’t rest until it’s made right.

Learn More, SHARE & Take Action:

📌 www.8forCeleste.org

📧 [email protected]

📜 #CelestesLaw

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