How The Black Lives Matter Movement Is Failing Black Women
Elisa N Tilley
The support for the Black Lives Matter movement has surged tremendously following the killing of George Floyd. People of all races have taken to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd and changes in how Black people are treated in America. While the movement has brought about rapid progress in how government, police departments, and corporations tackle racial injustice in this country, one major flaw becomes blatantly clear as time goes on: BLM continuously leaves Black, queer, and Trans women out of the conversation.
For years now, BLM has focused primarily on Black men who are harassed and killed by the police. When a video of an unarmed Black man being shot and killed by a police officer surfaces, the movement immediately jumps into action. They create protests, marches, hashtags, and petitions to raise awareness and demand justices. Black women and Black Trans women, however, do not receive the same treatment. It is not that Black women experience police brutality less frequently; it is that our stories are often buried and overlooked.
The recent death of Oluwatoyin Salau encapsulates the neglect Black women face within the Black Lives Matter movement. Salau was a 19-year old activist who was incredibly vocal following George Floyd's death. She organized protests and demanded justice for the Black brothers and sisters who are consistently targeted in this country. She used her voice and quickly gained support for her bravery and courage. Unfortunately, Salau did not receive the same love and support when she tweeted that she had been molested while looking for refuge from her living conditions. She was given even less support when she went missing for an entire week. A Black woman who was doing more for the Black Lives Matter movement than some of her male counterparts was forgotten when she needed help the most.
As a Black woman, Oluwatoyin Salau's death is incredibly heartbreaking. We are the leaders of the BLM movement. We are the ones demanding that our brothers get the justice they deserve. We are the ones tweeting petitions and donations tirelessly for change. We are the ones at the frontlines of protests, begging the world to treat us like human beings. The fact of the matter is, Black women are praised for what we do but ignored when we are in need. The idea that Black women are in less need of protection than others is a conviction deeply rooted in racism and sexism. Black women are not inherently "strong," "bold," or "thick-skinned." We had to develop those traits because we knew from an early age that we were the only people we had for protection. If the Black Lives Matter movement functions as its name states, it must create the same awareness for Black women as it does for cisgender Black men.
Breonna Taylor was shot by undercover police officers on March 13th, 2020, while sleeping in her bed. Louisville police consequently lied to Taylor's mother by telling her that she had been transported to a hospital when she was actually dead in her apartment. It was not until June that people began to advocate for her killer's arrest. Why is it that Breonna Taylor's death did not receive any attention until George Floyd was killed? Why are Black women thrown into the conversation instead of being the conversation to begin with? After six long months of grief and protests, a grand jury indicted only one of the three officers for wanton endangerment. To put things into perspective, a woman was murdered in her bed, and the perpetrator is merely charged with potentially harming her neighbors. Her name has lined the pockets of corporations, celebrities, and influencers, yet her pain, and the pain of millions of Black women around the country, will never know peace.
The attention that Black Trans women receive is significantly less than cisgender Black women. In June, two Trans women–Riah Milton and Dominique Fells–were killed. There has been little to no social media coverage of their deaths, and if it has, it has said: "Trans women killed." How can a movement that emphasizes the importance of saying the names of victims refer to non-cisgender victims by their gender identity alone? The problem that many people are afraid to discuss is that there are people within the Black Lives Matter Movement who are very transphobic. The oppression and violence that Black Trans women experience will not be included in the movement until transphobic individuals are purged from it.
As per usual, Black women will continue to advocate for Breonna Taylor, Riah Milton, Dominique Fells, and Oluwatoyin Salau. We will continue to crusade for Black life, but do not think we are doing so without mental and spiritual fragmentation. We need more Black men and non-black activists to use their voices on our behalf the same way we do for others. Black women of all identities, cis and trans, need to be protected. The Black Lives Matter movement cannot exist without hypocrisy until all Black lives are fought for equally.