With the recent murder of Breonna Taylor looming over America’s head–a dark cloud that brutally reminds us of how vulnerable Black women are–now more than ever people should understand that Black women need protection, love, and support during these times—regardless of how they identify, what they look like, regardless of anything.
Across social media, many people sing praises of Black women. Powerful, resilient, and empowering, they exclaim with a faux passion that only appears on social media and in hashtags, but in real life, those exclamations and praises from some of those people seem few and far between. Oluwatoyin Salau was murdered. Riah Milton was murdered. Dominique Fells was murdered. Breonna Taylor was murdered. And this is just a brief list of Black women who were murdered in 2020.
These murders have all occurred in the same country that prides itself on freedom, equality, opportunity, and diversity: The Not-So-United States of America. Citizens of a country which chant about “being the land of opportunity” murdered these women–Black cisgender women, Black transgender women, Black activists, BLACK WOMEN.
While America sees these injustices through a different lens, many Black women have to face a harsh reality that they often don’t feel loved in the country they live in; this can take a toll on their health.
So what can we do today to protect Black women, respect black women, and not neglect Black women amid such turbulent times? Below is a list of simple things you can do that will make a lasting impact.
1. Arrest the Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor: Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove
Do I seriously have to explain this?
Officers murdered Breonna Taylor in her own home. LPD fired Brett Hankison, but so far no one has indicted the of the officers involved.
The case is open and shut. Breonna Taylor was sleeping in her home when officers barged in and shot twenty rounds of bullets into her home–eight of them hitting Breonna Taylor–with a no-knock-warrant. The suspect they were looking for was indicted earlier that day. She wasn’t a threat, so why hasn’t there been justice? Arrest Brett Hankison, arrest Jonathan Mattingly, arrest Myles Cosgrove, arrest Kenneth Walker.
Remember their name and demand justice for Breonna Taylor. While Breonna Taylor’s murderers still roam free, we still need to fight for other Black women whose stories haven’t been heard.
We need to make sure they get the justice they deserve.
2. Don’t Just Cape for Black Women You Find Attractive
Just because a Black woman doesn’t have features that are pleasing to you doesn’t mean that her life, her safety, her health, and her peace of mind don’t matter.
In a weird way, we tend to think that people who are prettier and fit the standard of beauty have lives that are more valuable than someone who isn’t conventionally attractive. That’s not the case; all lives matter, but they won’t matter until Black Lives Matter as well.
If you’re going to support Black women, you can’t just support the ones who are aesthetically pleasing while turning a blind eye or disrespecting the ones who don’t fit your agenda of “beauty”. Support Black cis women, Black trans women, brown and dark skin women, Black LGBTQ+ women. Support all Black women regardless of their appearance.
3. Listen to Black Women When They Tell You About Their Experiences (and Don’t Dismiss Them)
This goes for people dating Black women, people who are friends with Black women, and people who have Black women in their family. Honestly, this goes for anybody who works, talks with, or is near a Black woman in any setting–work, school, church, anywhere.
Listen to Black Women. Take it in. Absorb it. Imagine yourself in their position and how you would feel. Just like how you’re allowed to feel upset, angry, or saddened by something, Black women are allowed to feel these emotions too without being labeled as the “Angry Black Girl”.
Don’t disregard their stories or feelings because you’re resting in your cozy blanket of privilege and assurance. Awful things happen in this cruel, little world. Especially to Black women. The least we could do is listen to them, not dismiss them, and comfort them amidst times like these. Even words of assurance can go a long way. Just please make sure to not negate their experiences or blow it off as something minor because what’s minor to you can be major and damaging to someone else.
Be there for Black women.
4. Hot Take: Black Girls, Don’t Bully Other Black Girls
Contrary to popular belief, there is more than enough room for different Black girls. Although we can share the same interests, the same style, and the same behaviors, we are not the same. Please, do not bully other Black girls for these differences.
Black girls and Black women should all be on the same team–no matter their background, their skin tone, their religion, etc. We, as Black girls, should be supporting other Black girls despite our differences, not antagonizing one other. In a world that’s so cruel to Black women already, we shouldn’t be fighting or seeing each other as competition because we’re blessed with something that everyone isn’t blessed with. Being a Black woman.
We’re the blueprint.
Black girls, please let’s protect and respect our own.
5. See Black Women as Equals–Not as Your Ticket Out of Being Called a Racist or as Your Maids
Just because you’re friends with a Black woman doesn’t mean that you’re not racist. You can have racist tendencies and ideologies and still be friends with Black women–or any group of marginalized people for that matter–so when you get called out on your racist behavior don’t refer to Black women as an excuse to negate your racism or as a scapegoat.
Black girls, please reevaluate your friends or partners if, during this time, they treat you, other Black girls, or the Black Lives Matter with less than the respect they deserve. You deserve to be friends with someone who knows that your life matters.
Additionally, don’t treat Black women like they’re disposable in the workplace. Many Black women are hardworking, persistent, and intelligent; treat them as such. Don’t diminish their abilities. Don’t make them have to do your minuscule work or clean up messes that don’t involve them. Black women are also not a token to meet a diversity quota either. Treat them with the respect they deserve.
Essentially, treat Black women like they are humans.
We are more than a token, a stereotype, and a statistic.
We are strong, resilient, and empowering, but sometimes we get tired, we become vulnerable, and that’s okay. Every Black woman reacts differently to different injustices; some take action while some have to protect their mental health.
We aren’t superhuman, so take a day off if you need, take a deep breath, and pray if you need to. At the end of the day, make sure to be there for each other, for yourself, and for others who suffer silently. As long as we protect Black women, respect Black women, and don’t neglect Black women, we’re gonna be alright.
With Love,
