BLACKLIVES

 

When I saw this on MSNBC, I cried for my sisters.

When I read twitter feeds and articles and when I saw images on television and online about Black people aka Black men being killed it made my heart break. It hurt not only for the lives lost but also for the Black women and girls we have ignored. The most horrific thing to watch is watching your existence being completely ignored and erased. That is what I see happening to Black women and girls today.

  • Tanesha’s life mattered but you ignored it
  • Ms. Pearlie’s life mattered but you didn’t pay attention.
  • Aiyana’s life mattered but you discounted it.

I can’t count how many times people have told me that they didn’t know about the Black women and girls killed by the police but every single one of them knows about Eric, Mike, Trayvon, Tamir and Oscar. Oscar Grant had a movie made about him. Will there be a movie for Rekia or will you say hands up Renisha?

BW & girls

Seeing the discrepancy I have to ask, why aren’t my sisters, my daughters and my mothers lives just as valuable as my brothers, my sons and my fathers lives? Why aren’t dead Black women and girls worth your collective outrage? How many of us have to die before you care?

I believe the Black community’s and everyone else’s continued silence about the injustices committed against Black women and girls are purposeful acts of complicity and erasure. You ignore us on purpose. And when you do pay attention, the Black media only cares if we are THOTS, getting relaxers, wearing a weave, going natural, perpetually single or one of many baby mammas. The activists only care if we are the “help”  who is marching and organizing for someone else. The Black community only cares when it needs someone to blame.

I know that if I were shot dead today by the police, no one would march for me. No one would speak for me. You probably wouldn’t even know my story but it happened to my brother, who is Black, you would. I sit here knowing that my Black femaleness means that you believe I am not worthy of your collective outrage, protection and love. I know that my Black womanhood means that I am a third class citizen, in a second class community within a “first world” country. I sit here knowing that Black women and girls stories die in silence while Black men and boys stories live in your outrage. I sit here knowing that regardless of how many lists I create and how many times I post this list you want to ignore us. You need to ignore us. You do not see our humanity. I sit here knowing that I won’t stop until you pay attention to us.

A revolution always begins between two ears. Start yours today.

Kisha aka BBG