Jessica Lenahan
Human Rights Hero
For me, the concept of human rights means that we are treated as people, not a number. It means that an average person like me can stand up and fight for what she believes is right. It means education, becoming involved with our government and opening a whole new door to what it means to be an American citizen. There’s a pretty broad definition of what human rights means and to me personally it was my children—it meant my children’s right to have their lives, to be protected equally under the law. However, my hope is that the decision in my case and my advocacy has and will continue to reach people in many ways and can be used by a woman still sitting in jail for protecting herself and her children against abuse, and other victims and survivors. I especially hope that my work can continue to be inspirational for my people. My heritage as a Native American woman has meant so much to me throughout this process and has grounded me and made me stronger. As a people, we have faced an almost insurmountable amount of challenges.
