Real Times Exclusive: A Conversation with Jacob Blake, Sr.

On August 23, 2020, Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot in the back seven times and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The entire incident was captured on video and changed Blake and his family’s lives forever.  Jacob Blake is now paralyzed from the waist down, his children traumatized and his family demanding justice.  Since the shooting, Blake’s father, Jacob Blake, Sr., also known as “Big Jake” by family and friends, has worked tirelessly to bring awareness to police brutality, the need for police reform, and accountability all while helping his son recover from this attempted murder.

I had a chance to sit down and talk with Jacob Blake, Sr., about his family’s long history with the Chicago Defender, his son, his family’s long-standing history of activism, and what his mission is now.

A GoFund Me account has been set up for Jacob Blake, Sr. to cover the family’s immediate expenses. These funds will be used to cover lost wages and other “Right Now” family expenses like bills, rent, mortgages for the next 2 months so they will not have to worry about them and so they can focus on Jacob Blake’s healing and recovery. To donate to the family, please click here.

Danielle Sanders is a journalist and writer living in Chicago.  Find her on social media @daniesandersofficial.

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