Anjanette Young, whose wrongful police raid in 2019 drew citywide attention, released her book “Past the Pain: How to Emerge from Trauma with Purpose” last month. The announcement was made on April 1 and comes seven years after the incident that changed her life.
Young’s experience became a focal point for discussions about police search reforms in Chicago. Her new book recounts not only the events of the raid but also its lasting impact on her personal life and her journey toward becoming an advocate for victims of wrongful raids.
In an interview with Block Club Chicago, Young said, “Before the raid, strength was kind of like you fight through adversity as best as you can, and you keep going — that whole strong Black woman mentality. Resilience [after the raid] looked like finding my way, navigating through the complexities of trauma in my own way, and finding my own path forward.”
The February 21, 2019 incident involved twelve officers entering Young’s home based on faulty intelligence. Body-camera footage later showed Young repeatedly telling officers they had entered the wrong home while she stood handcuffed and undressed until a female officer arrived. The fallout included apologies from then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, staff resignations at City Hall, disciplinary action against involved officers, and a $2.9 million settlement to Young.
Despite efforts by some City Council members to reform no-knock warrants following her case, legislation has stalled. “The progress I want to see is literally changing the laws about no-knock warrants. That has not happened in the city of Chicago, state of Illinois or across the country,” Young said. “We still have a broken system that believes that the police don’t have to be held accountable for their bad actions.”
Young’s advocacy extends beyond her own case; she has supported other victims such as Peter Mendez and families affected by similar incidents involving Chicago Police Department raids resulting in settlements.
Her book details how family history—particularly lessons from her grandmother Lucendia Young’s civil rights activism—inspired her resilience after what she described as being “baptized by fire.” Each chapter includes letters from therapist Alicia Troff-Meade offering self-care advice for readers coping with trauma.
Reflecting on how advocacy became part of healing after high-profile cases like those of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor came to light nationally, Young said: “I started to feel like fighting back was a part of the healing journey because I no longer felt like I was just a victim … I moved to ‘this happened to me but I’m going to do something about it.’”
“Past The Pain,” published by Chicago Review Press, is now available.
