As Chicago's top prosecutor, Kim Foxx has led a number of notable charges, including mass exonerations of men imprisoned based on the testimony of a corrupt police fficer. And she made news in January when, after the premiere of Surviving R. Kelly, she publicly asked other survivors of the disgraced singer's alleged abuse to come forward. (R. Kelly is from Chicago.) While she didn't comment at length on a possible case against him — according to new reports this week, a grand jury has been convened in connection with new allegations against him — she said "it's awful."
Foxx's plea to survivors of the former R&B star was especially powerful given that she is a survivor of both childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault. At today's event, Foxx said it's important to her to "own that whole part of me" as a survivor when she goes to work. When Ling asked how she responds to those who might dismiss her as seeking justice because of her own experiences and background, she didn't flinch.
"I have a father-in-law who was killed by a drunk driver. I have a mother who was a victim of domestic violence. I grew up in public housing in Chicago. I've been the victim of the violence of poverty," Kim said. "I have an ax to grind about poverty. I have an ax to grind about systems that oppress people of color and the poor. I do."
Continue on to see more pictures of the notable attendees at today's event.
