In this photo taken Nov. 6, 2014, entertainer Bill Cosby pauses during an interview about the upcoming exhibit, Conversations: African and African-American Artworks in Dialogue, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in Washington. The Smithsonian Institution is mounting a major showcase of African-American art and African art together in a new exhibit featuring the extensive art collection of Bill and Camille Cosby. More than 60 rarely seen African-American artworks from the Cosby collection will join 100 pieces of African art at the National Museum of African Art. The exhibit “Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue,” opens Sunday and will be on view through early 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Bill Cosby Will — Finally — Stand Trial for Sexual Assault

Today a judge decided that there is enough evidence to proceed with a sexual assault trial against Bill Cosby in Pennsylvania. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

You’ll remember that Cosby is accused of drugging and violating an employee of Temple University, who, fitting with patterns described by literally dozens of women, considered him a mentor. While the trial is a hopeful sign for those of us who refuse to simply “forget these women“, it also feels a bit bittersweet for those of us who hold critiques of carceral politics, and have seen the devastating impacts of the criminal justice system on communities of color firsthand. And of course, there’s the usual fear that comes with any sexual assault case in America: that no matter the circumstances, victims tend to face an unjust measure of scrutiny and slut-shaming in their search for justice.

Lest you forget that we live in a victim-blaming society, and that no verdict is a given, consider that it took ten+ years, a male comedian lifting up dozens of women’s accounts, and a firsthand confession for people to pay attention to these claims to begin with. On top of that, the media regularly describes those who raise these allegations as “rude” or out of line, and people somehow still to this day claim his innocence. So while I hope the victim in this case and the rest of his victims receive some measure of justice, I’m unfortunately not holding my breath for justice anytime soon.

Brooklyn, NY

Lori Adelman started blogging with Feministing in 2008, and now runs partnerships and strategy as a co-Executive Director. She is also the Director of Youth Engagement at Women Deliver, where she promotes meaningful youth engagement in international development efforts, including through running the award-winning Women Deliver Young Leaders Program. Lori was formerly the Director of Global Communications at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and has also worked at the United Nations Foundation on the Secretary-General's flagship Every Woman Every Child initiative, and at the International Women’s Health Coalition and Human Rights Watch. As a leading voice on women’s rights issues, Lori frequently consults, speaks and publishes on feminism, activism and movement-building. A graduate of Harvard University, Lori has been named to The Root 100 list of the most influential African Americans in the United States, and to Forbes Magazine‘s list of the “30 Under 30” successful mediamakers. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Lori Adelman is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Partnerships.

Read more about Lori

Join the Conversation