We get it, everyone’s mad about something. Kobe died, the “Rona” made everyone sit in the house, sports are cancelled, jobs were lost, and cops are still killing black people for sport. To top it off, in the middle of what’s soon to become a race war, the “Karen’s” won’t mind their own business, and the media wants us to believe that black men are committing suicide by hanging themselves on trees throughout the country. It’s hard to imagine how 2020 could get any worse, and yet, here we are. There’s ongoing debates about which Black Lives Matter most and black women are still begging to be considered, protected, and supported by black men. Enough is enough already.
Black women consistently show up for black men when fighting against injustice, and black men overwhelmingly fail to do the same. As outrage over the death of George Floyd rapidly grew into nationwide protests, the murder of Breonna Taylor had to be amplified through social media to the point it could no longer be ignored. When we say Black Lives Matter, it should never be up for debate as to whether we are speaking specifically about black men or women. It should not have to be broken down into separate categories of police brutality, sexual assault/violence, or crimes against the LGBT community, etc. As people, we are well aware that more than one thing can be true at the same time. The injustices against people of color are not monolithic and deserve radical displays of support as each offense occurs.
Black women are tired. Exhausted with fighting the good fight against a racist, patriarchal system. Exasperated with having to remind the black men we love so vehemently to remember us, consider us, love, and protect us. There’s room enough to fight the world together, why be so hellbent in your commitment to ignore our demands of you? Policing the way in which we speak as if the tone of voice we use is more important than the words expressed. There’s so much more work to be done within our own community in order for us to truly be unified. To stop seeing each other as the enemy and join together to fight the true oppressor with a common goal to be free.
