Black lives matter but does that include black females?

[marym625]

It's been four months since Sheneque Proctor died under suspicious circumstances in an Alabama police department's holding cell. This 18 year old, mother of an infant son, was admittedly no angel. However, that didn't give the police the right to treat her as they did. She was slammed on to a police vehicle before being cuffed and thrown, roughly, into the car. Sheneque had asthma and was pepper sprayed at least twice. She informed the police about her asthma and the fact she was having problems breathing. She was found dead in her cell just a little more than 13 short hours after she was booked.

The autopsy says she died from a polydrug overdose. Yet the surveillance video, which had been promised to Sheneque's family, has still not been released. The cops claim she was checked on every half hour. They claim she was decontaminated after she was pepper sprayed. If there was no foul play and no neglect, why not release the video?

Rekia Boyd was fatally shot in the back of the head by an off duty, Chicago police officer. The 37 year old mother was just standing with friends in an ally when Dante Servin shot 5 times, over his shoulder, through the back window of his vehicle, because he "thought" he saw a gun pointed at him by a male in the group of friends with Rekia. Servin has been indicted but after almost 3 years, he still hasn't gone to trial.

Shereese Francis was a young woman with schizophrenia who had not been taking her medication. Shereese's mother called the police for help ,hoping to have her daughter put into a mental health facility. Instead, with police using excessive force, pounding and pushing on Ms. Francis' prone body on her bed, they killed her. Though there was a civil suit that the family won, no criminal charges were brought against any of the four officers that tackled and crushed her to death

There are so many more stories like these. At least four women killed in no knock raids that were either the wrong home or had nothing to do with them. This includes the murder of the sleeping child, Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Many of these names are unfamiliar to most people, even though their deaths were at the hands of the police and the women were unarmed. Alesia Thomas, Malissa Williams, Shelly Frey and most recently, Yuvette Henderson and Natasha McKenna.

Besides the outright murder of women of color by police, the number of deaths and sexual assault of women of color behind bars seems to go unnoticed and not addressed.

A recent report by the African American Policy Forum, Black Girls Matter, addresses the problems starting from schools through incarceration and potential solutions. It was authored by Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw and Dr. Luke Harris.

The current movement to end police violence against people of color, the outright murder of young black men especially, is a noble and needed demand for equality, transparency, justice and end to the racial profiling as well as impunity of police. What is lacking in the movement is the inclusion of women of color who are systematically abused and killed by police and guards.

Interview with Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw and Dr. Luke Harris and link to the report Black Girls Matter

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/29365-black-girls-matter-an-interview-with-kimberle-crenshaw-and-luke-harris

Article about Sheneque Proctor
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/09/black-alabama-teenager-died-police-cell-sheneque-proctor

Truth Out To Die in an Alabama Cell
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/29300-to-die-in-an-alabama-cell

More articles and blog posts about women of color and police brutality
http://www.ravishly.com/2015/02/09/convo-why-arent-we-outraged-when-police-kill-black-women

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/woman-died-violently-at-hands-of-fairfax-county-sheriffs-lawyer-says/2015/02/14/09f4c84a-b3be-11e4-886b-c22184f27c35_story.html

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6644276

[MrScorpio]

1. Thank you. Kicked and recced nt

[marym625]

2. Thank you, Mr. Scorpio!

[randys1]

3. Thank you...#BlackWomenLivesMatterToo

i am starting a trend for this on twitter, i hope

[marym625]

4. Thank you!

Still can't find your twitter handle. Can you just put it in a reply, please?

[Cal Carpenter]

5. Aura Rosser

She's only mentioned peripherally at one of the above links.

Killed by city cops in Ann Arbor, MI last year. "Independent" investigation by the Michigan State Police determined there was no wrong doing.

Her life mattered. Her death matters.

Thanks for the post.

[marym625]

6. I'm sorry I didn't specifically mention her

Thank you for doing so.

[Cal Carpenter]

7. No worries, I think it is the weird artificial bubble around Ann Arbor

where nothing bad ever happens (...?!) that has kept her story from even getting in these types of articles. As though it couldn't have been mishandled there, there are no doubts, because Ann Arbor is such a shiny happy liberal place. But there is more to her story, there have been protests and some organizing around her shooting, but it barely registered on the national news. It happened fast, the cops were familiar with her, her boyfriend called the cops for help. She was mentally ill.

I dunno.

It's gotta stop.

[marym625]

8. That's true for many of these women

Their murders just aren't elevated like those of the men are.

Women in general just don't get the attention. Women of color are even less likely to. And transgender women, forget it. 6 transgender women have been murdered in the US in 2015. But you seem almost nothing about it.

It sucks!

[guillaumeb]

9. just business as usual for the occupiers?

Police forces in this country had their origin in the slave patrols. The following link gives some information. There is much more out there. http://www.plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-and-origins-american-policing

The police have always been used by the rich to control the workers. They are the domestic version of the army, and increasingly their equipment and tactics are the same.

Women and children get no special treatment. But the overemphasis on male victims is indeed troubling. No matter the type of violence it is obvious that females matter less to the media and to progressive groups.

How do we as a society fix this?

Great post

[marym625]

10. I don't know.

I have posted about Sheneque Proctor with very little attention to the post. I had hoped this one would do better. I am not the prolific, beautiful, writer like some here but I think it is good enough to gain some momentum. Perhaps it is me.

That's a great link. I was reading about that yesterday. It is a scary thought to realize that the cops were never here to protect us. The SCOTUS decision that property is more important than lives definitely proved that point

Thank you. I'm trying.

[guillaumeb]

47. trying well I would say

I have read a few posts here about the lack of attention to womens' issues, especially women of color. I have to agree that, based on my limited time here, there are not too many posts about racism or sexism that really point out how racism and sexism are the foundation of this violent, dysfunctional country. And when racism and sexism intersect the dis-functionality is magnified.

When you wrote:
I have posted about Sheneque Proctor with very little attention to the post. I had hoped this one would do better. I am not the prolific, beautiful, writer like some here but I think it is good enough to gain some momentum. Perhaps it is me.

it is definitely not you. Far too many words are used here to argue about the existence or non-existence of a deity and the viability or non-viability of Hillary Clinton as a candidate. More space should be given to how racism and sexism are used to divide people so that all workers can be exploited.

Keep writing, deracinated descendant of Quebec.

[marym625]

51. I tend to agree

I will say that just a few months ago there were many posts about racism. Unfortunately, so many had replies that did nothing but discourage posters.

Thank you. That was very nice. I appreciate it

[KitSileya]

11. K&R

This definitely needs to be kept in the public eye.

[marym625]

12. Thank you!

I appreciate it. I really don't think many people even realize it.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

13. well, today's the first day of National Women's History Month.

It should be a month of hammering the simple idea that Women's Lives Matter.


It seems to me that Black Women are subsumed under Black History Month. Black Women who made a difference are now featured in the many educational spots, and that's good....but to me, it seems the attention paid is thanks to their being black. Their struggle as women is ignored.
The horrific stories of Black history that are told to honor the tortured and remind us we must fight against such evil seem never to include women.

Women's History Month has always seemed embarrassingly palid in comparison. At the college where I work, BHM is a big event, with high profile speakers and events throughout the month.

Compare that to WHM, which is "celebrated" with a one-day free flower given to female faculty, staff and students who go to the Student Union to pick one up.

I hope the Women's Center will get more serious about "our" month.
The Women's Center does sponsor Take Back the Night in the fall, although that event isn't linked with meaningful speakers.

Nor are there important women speakers around the time they present the Vagina Monologues, certainly not noticeably like BHM celebrations, anyway.

VM is also done annually on Valentine's Day, but I've never been on board with it. To my mind, it "celebrates" our identity as victims. And, I'm a FUCK of a lot more than my vagina.

In my opinion, it's more important that women be recognized as important participants in the advancement of humanity. That is how we fight the dehumanization that feeds misogyny.

[marym625]

18. I have to admit

I am a little confused. I believe you are saying that women of color are not included enough in the women's movement? If so, I completely agree.

I agree about how little, and how demeaning the recognition of NWM receives. The stupid flower really pisses me off. It's quite like, here ya go. Now shut up already.

We need to put women of color in the forefront of the women's movement. The movement has been neglectful as to woc, sometimes even down right negative. Time to elevate the movement altogether and show off the women of color that have done so much. Additionally, show the horrible discrimination that happens to woc more than any other group.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

33. no argument here :)

What I was trying to say is that the women honored durin BHM seem to be included because of their work in Civil Rights. But their pioneering for Women's Rights, their experiences specific to being female, are ignored.

This isn't the only example I see where a Woman of Color's oppression or her heroic work is recognized only in its race aspect. The female experience is removed from the narrative.

Hope that's clearer?

Oh, K&R, by the way. Thank you for an excellent OP.

[marym625]

38. I sort figured that is what you meant

But I appreciate the clarification.

Excellent points. Thank you.

And thank you for your kind words.

[romanic]

14. I thought BLM included black women.

I remember Renisha McBride a victim shot by a white homeowner here in Metro-Detroit was among the victims named during the protests. Yes she and others like her weren't at the forefront like Brown and Garnier were, but she was included.

[marym625]

19. They have been to an extent

And different local groups have included women from their localities. But none of these women's names are nationally known like Eric Garner, John Crawford, Michael Brown, etc. If the BLM included women of color like they include men of color, that wouldn't be true

[salin]

15. Excellent post

thanks for writing this.

I wish we lived where there would be no need for such a discussion - as there would be no names/stories to add. Tragically, it is necessary.

[marym625]

20. wouldn't that be wonderful

Thank you

[ismnotwasm]

16. K&R

[marym625]

22. Thank you

[Wella]

17. This is a necessary post. Thank you for compiling this information.

The police are very much out of control and black women do bear much of the brunt. We had a case in California recently in which a male CHP officer beat down a black woman on the freeway. There was a settlement in September of this past year, but no charges were filed.

$1.5 million settlement for woman beaten by California patrol officer

[marym625]

23. Marlene Pinnock

Thank you for this. Just another victim with no one being prosecutes. Disgusting.

[Wella]

26. What is interesting is that this case actually had a video

And most Southern Californians didn't seem to care after the initial showing of it. I wonder how immune we are all getting to police violence. In 1991, the Rodney King tape was a shock to the Los Angeles system and people were appalled. Now, we're just excusing this level of violence. It now takes a concerted effort to keep these stories in the news, even the local news, that seems hell-bent on providing celebrity fluff and PR videos from fast food corporations.

[marym625]

28. excellent point

We have become immune. And frankly, MSM doesn't care as much about women being mistreated by cops.

[Wella]

30. I worry about this country for that reason. We don't recognize brutality anymore.

We don't react to it. We don't care. I remember being floored when I saw the CHP video of that woman on the freeway. I was also floored when I saw the Kelly Thomas video (which I posted in Video & Multimedia). But unless you have someone--like a news program or a talk radio host on your side--you don't get traction. KFI radio took up the banner for Kelly Thomas, putting the murdered man's father on the John and Ken show many times. No one put the family of this young woman on the radio--at least not mainstream AM or FM radio. (I can't speak for satellite or internet feeds.)

[marym625]

34. Yes, I remember Kelly Thomas well

I remember Marlene Pinnock well. But she's a woman, an older, black woman It's not going to get the play a man will. No matter what color.

Our desensitization to brutality is mind boggling. I agree, it's one of main things going wrong in our country

[smirkymonkey]

21. K&R!

Great post!

[marym625]

24. Thank you!

[daredtowork]

25. At the Oakland Town Hall Keith Carson Declared #BlackLivesMatter is a Black Male Problem!

I couldn't believe my ears!

When Oakland held it's first Town Hall with THREE ROWS of city, county, and state politicians, hosted by Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, to discuss Black Lives Matter protests, he defined it as primarily a BLACK MALE problem! You could practically hear the strained silence in the room after he opened the meeting with that.

As a white woman who had been getting no help from Carson as my representative, I suddenly had an inkling why. He was super-focused on problems of "black men" only. What really made this bogus is at the time one of the major Black Lives Matter incidents related to a trans woman who had died at the hands of police in Berkeley. Recently there was an incident of a black woman - Yuvette Henderson - who was killed under questionable circumstances after shoplifting at a Home Depot. I would say male political representatives have an "obsession with male problems" problem.

[marym625]

27. wow

I hadn't read that. There's no doubt that black men are incarcerated at an insane percentage, and longer, for the same crimes as whites. But to say it's only a black male problem? Ridiculous.

[daredtowork]

31. He was the HOST of the Town Hall!

And I would bet the audience was 70% women - being the "concerned citizens" of the community. I'm sure they all had sons. But they had daughters, too. And you could cut the silence with a knife after Keith Carson said that.

I wonder if they were thinking what I was thinking: whether Carson handled women's problems with the same attention that he handled men's as a political representative.

[marym625]

35. I'm sure they were

Too bad for the silence. But I am sure people had to think, he's going to correct that before he stops speaking

[daredtowork]

48. He didn't. D: n

[stage left]

29. K&R nt

[marym625]

36. Thank you.

[LWolf]

32. I sure as hell include black females. nt

[marym625]

37. As do I

And probably most here do. But, unfortunately, they are not included in the same degree as men by many. Especially MSM.

[LWolf]

39. That's true.

Just as female lives don't matter as much as male lives to many, black female lives are going to matter even less to those cognitive function is limited and whose empathy is impaired.

[marym625]

40. exactly.

Unfortunately, that seems to be rather prevalent in our society. Empathy seems to be almost completely gone.

Take the movie American Sniper. Those that think the movie is great and call Chris Kyle a hero, have zero sympathy for those that are killed. That tells me two things, the movie sucks because it doesn't show every person as human and that people are incapable of empathy.

Just my opinion. Not so humble

[LWolf]

41. I share that opinion.

It seems like hubris and aggression is solidly embedded in mainstream American culture.

[marym625]

42. yep

I am with you there

[Exhibit A]

43. Most of the commentary I've seen in the media --

-- has only talked about "young black men." Women and girls are being ignored by many when it comes to this issue, just like female victims of sexual abuse by clergy have been ignored. Women are consistently the lowest priority in any social movement. Good for you for putting all this information together!

[marym625]

44. Thank you

Yes, female abuse is acceptable. The laws the right wing have passed and are trying to pass against women proves that. As the girls abused by clergy being ignored, as you stated, does. And women of color? Almost completely ignore. By everyone.

[sheshe2]

45. KnR

and thank you Marym.

[marym625]

49. Thank you Sheshe.

I appreciate it

[Fumesucker]

46. K&R

[marym625]

50. Thanks!

[Borchkins]

52. K&R

[stevenleser]

53. K&R nt