Say her name — Assembly

Black women’s experiences are continuously ignored or sidelined — and not only within justice systems.

Despite growing momentum for the Black Lives Matter movement since the cruel murder of George Floyd, there has been very little emphasis in petitions and protests on Black women killed by the police. Breonna Taylor’s murderers still walk free. The recent murder of Merci Mack is yet another example that attacks against Black trans women are on the rise. In South Africa, Nigeria and Brazil, violence against Black women occurs alarmingly often. But these crimes get very little visibility even though Black women are at the center of the movement (Black Lives Matter was started by three Black women: Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors).

The recent death of Oluwatoyin Salau, a 19-year-old Black Lives Matter activist, started the debate again: who is concerned about Black women except for us? It is not about competing with other marginalized communities about our oppressions but about showcasing the need for visibility. Black women’s experiences are continuously ignored or sidelined — and not only within justice systems.

Let’s take a look at the stereotypes Black women suffer. The most well-known example is the “angry Black woman.” Black women are called angry, aggressive and sassy as a way to diminish our struggles and make us seem like we overreact and are violent. This may seem harmless but it leads to incredibly serious situations.

One example of this can be seen in the healthcare industry. Many Black women have expressed that they felt silenced by their doctors and felt that their pain did not matter during childbirth. These are not isolated incidents. Black women have the most childbirth complications because of this. According to ProPublica, Black women in the U.S. are 243% more likely to die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes than White women. Most complications are said to occur because doctors tend to downplay Black women’s cries of pain. Because these stereotypes are rampant in the media, doctors may not even see their own biases.

Black women and girls are also victims of increased rates of misogyny and sexual violence. More than 18% of Black women in the U.S. will report being sexually assaulted in their lifetimes — and that just accounts for the women who report. Because Western media hypersexualizes Black women and girls, Black girls are often seen as women when we are in our pre-teens. This phenomenon, known as “adultification,” aggravates the issue of sexual harassment and predatory behavior against Black girls. Only one in 15 Black women report their assaults because of their fear of the police and not being believed. And Black women are at highest risk of any group for experiencing sexual violence perpetrated by police officers.

“I don’t have all the answers but what I know is that there needs to be a conscious shift in the way we think about and represent Black women.”

— Tiyi Ayeva

I don’t have all the answers but what I know is that there needs to be a conscious shift in the way we think about and represent Black women. The #SayHerName campaign is an important step in raising awareness about the names and stories of Black women and girls who have been victimized by police violence. Moreover, portrayals of Black women in the media need to change. There must be an active effort to hire Black producers, screenwriters and directors in order to highlight Black women in roles that do not accentuate harmful stereotypes.

But there needs to be more. Structural racism and stereotyping have allowed the police force in the U.S. to use excessive violence against Black women. Police forces need intensive diversity and anti-racism training. Not only that but the entire U.S. justice system should be examined — including judges and lawyers who perpetuate these stereotypes and contribute to Black women often not getting the justice we deserve.

Black men also need to take responsibility and publicly address the misogynoir that Black women suffer from. Both Black men and non-Black people need to be allies to Black women and make sure that our voices are heard within racial and feminist movements as our needs differ from those of Black men and White women.

Because we deserve justice, we deserve to be celebrated, we deserve to be at peace.

No justice, no peace.