For those of you who followed the Trayvon Martin case, you have to remember Trayvon’s friend Rachel Jeantel. Rachel was a key witness who received tons of criticism throughout her time on the stand because of what appeared to be a lack of education. At one point during the trial she was forced to admit that she couldn’t read a letter written in cursive. That along with some broken English and untimely mannerisms made her the subject of major criticism day in and day out of trial.
Moments before Trayvon was shot and killed he and Jeantel spoke about their futures over the phone. Even with the odds stacked against them, the two teens believed in each other. It was for this reason Rod Vereen, a Miami defense and civil rights attorney decided to mentor Jeantel.
“Rachel was in need, and the whole world was watching,” he said.
With financial assistance from the Tom Joyner Foundation, Vereen, 52, hired three tutors, a psychologist and other mentors to help Jeantel. For months, the team tutored her after school – a couple of hours a day, five to six days a week – until the young lady who was prejudged to basically be the village idiot was able to finally graduate.
“I did it,” she said. “The witness who didn’t know how to speak English knows how to speak English through the 12th grade now. I never quit.”
Congratulations Rachel Jeantel!
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