No one could have predicted what the year 2020 could have brought us. Seven months in, we have been dealing with a global pandemic, the 2020 election, and fighting for human rights through the Black Lives Matter Movement.
For years, the black community has not been getting the justice they deserve in regards to the police officers, the very people who wear a badge sworn to protect us, get away with murder. Yes, I said murder.
National outrage sparked concerning police brutality towards black people igniting protests starting in Minneapolis, Minnesota due to the unfortunate death of George Floyd.
Not only did every state in America participate in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests, but several other countries joined the movement as well.
To me, that was powerful. When have you ever seen all 50 states do something together?
As someone who is a Black Woman, and a Criminal Justice Activist I need to say this: black women need to be protected.
As Malcolm X once said, “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.”
Let’s talk about the death of 28-year-old African American Sandra Bland.
On July 10, 2015, Bland was pulled over for failure to use a turn signal by State Trooper Brian T. Encinia, which is apparently an arrestable offense in the state of Texas.
Enicinia orders her to “get out of the car” and, when she repeatedly refuses to exit, he tells her she is under arrest. According to the released video footage from Enicinia’s dashboard camera, Enicinia is heard threatening her, shouting ““I will light you up! Get out! Now!” with a taser pointed directly at Bland. Sandra Bland was arrested and taken to a jail in Waller County, Texas. However, three days later Sandra Bland was found hanged in a jail cell and her death was ruled a suicide.
A more recent example would be the murder of 26-year-old African-American Breonna Taylor.
On March 13, 2020 Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend Kenneth Walker were asleep in their bedroom.
Around 12 am, the couple got up from bed when they heard loud banging at their door. Walker did not hear anyone announce that they were the police so according to his arrest citation, he fired a shot because he thought intruders were trying to break in.
Walker’s bullet struck Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly. In return, Mattingly, and officers Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove returned fire, shooting at least 22 rounds. Breonna Taylor was shot multiple times and died in the hallway of her apartment.
Protests for Breonna Taylor have been ongoing for 49 days.
However, as the killers still roam free, 435 protesters have been arrested.
And it’s not just the police killing our people.
It’s white citizens being able to kill us on the street while it takes years for us to get our justice or more than often not even at all.
There are white doctors killing us as well.
According to the CDC, pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births also known as the pregnancy-related mortality ratio (PRMR), they found that for Blacks and women older than 30, it was four to five times as high as it was for white women.
The entirety of the system that needs to be abolished.
We want our reparations.
Renaming street names after the black lives that are lost is not enough. Saying that you will not play black characters in adult animation is not enough.
Realtors saying they will stop using ‘master’ to describe bedrooms or bathrooms is insufficient.
“The white man will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories rather than
economic equity and real justice,” said Malcolm X.
We want justice.
We want equal rights.
All Black Lives Matter.
