Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 16, 2025 For more information Contact: Lou Walker Lwalker.nan@gmail.com CALL TO ACTION: SUPPORT THE REUNIFICATION AND JUSTICE FOR KHAILA AND IRIS! Press Conference & Court Hearing – March 17 | San Diego, CA San Diego, CA The heart of true civil rights movement and advocacy is under attack as demonstrated with the repeated injustice on the family of one of our most dedicated representatives, Political Scientist and Western Region NAN Director of Education Ms. Christina Laster. In 2023, Laster (serving as a concerned grandmother and mandated reporter) saved her daughter from repeated abuse at the hands of her father. He handed over then 6-year old Iris to Christina, yet over a month later, Khaila Wilks Czereda (Christina’s daughter and Iris’ mother) was wrongfully accused of kidnapping. The documentation (and proof of Christina’s involvement) from child protection services detailing the abuse caused to Iris is kept out of court and off record. Now, Khaila is facing extradition to Tennessee despite the kidnapping charges that stemmed from California courts being dismissed. Neither the courts from California or Tennessee have prioritized or even acknowledged Iris’s whereabouts or medical condition. The state has stripped Khaila of her right to protect her child, and instead of investigating the abuse and fraud upon the court, they are railroading a Black mother into a legal battle designed to break her. This is a pattern of systemic failure all throughout the country, especially California. During Women’s History Month, we must resist the state’s ongoing attack on African women! This fight is bigger than Khaila and Iris. The state’s repeated failures of due process and the attack on Black motherhood is a direct assault on our families, our autonomy, and our right to protect our children. We must stand up and demand justice! We demand: Immediate release of Khaila Crum and a halt to her extradition! Full transparency on Iris’s whereabouts and well-being! Accountability for the fraudulent legal actions used to criminalize Khaila and separate her from her child! SHOW UP & STAND WITH US! Press Conference: March 17 | 7:30 AM | San Diego Central Courthouse Court Hearing: March 17 | 8:30 AM | San Diego Central Courthouse 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101 This campaign is supported by: The African National Women's Organization NAN Western Region NAN Antelope Valley NAN OC NAN Middle Tennessee Chapters NAACRO (National African American Civil Rights Organization) Together, we demand justice, accountability, and freedom for Khaila and Iris! We cannot allow another Black mother to be stolen by a broken system. #WhereIsIrisCrum #JusticeForKhaila #ProtectBlackMothers #StopStateViolence #WomensHistoryMonth WhereIsIrisCrum.com The National Action Network Antelope Valley