A Tired Black Woman
“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.”
Malcolm X said these prolific words over 60 years ago and sadly, even in 2020, these words are still relevant to Black women today. Perhaps, the most hurtful realization is that Black men disrespect Black women more than any other demographic.
Far too many Black men that we continue to cherish and protect fail to have the common decency to even speak words of positivity towards Black women. Instead, we’re told that Black women have attitude problems and are called derogatory names. For example, NBA player Patrick Paterson called Black women “bulldogs.” And an internet rapper named Crougs called Black women “chocolate demons.” These are the same men that Black women risk their lives to give birth to.
Three Black women created the Black Lives Matter movement in 2012 after Black men were brutally shot and killed by police officers and white vigilantes. We protest and fight because we know that Black men matter and deserve every right to justice and freedom, but who is fighting for Black women? Where is our movement? Who is protecting us?
Devastatingly, no one.
Some Black men rush to the defense of other women but are hesitant to speak out in support of us. Terry Crews is an exemplar of this. Crews defended actress Gina Rodriguez who has repeatedly undermined the experience of Black women. For example, in a group interview in 2019, the moderator was explaining how there need for more Black women involved in television. Rodriguez interrupted and stated,” I think that also goes for Latinos as well.” Instead of agreeing with the moderator and group, she had to take away from the experience of Black women in Hollywood. The very Black women who stood by Crews after he came out as a victim of sexual assault. The same Black women who included Crews in the Me Too Movement and defended him felt tossed aside as he ran to Rodriguez’s defense. In addition, he was also criticized for not defending Gabrielle Union, who felt mistreated while working on The Voice.
Crews is not the only Black man to fail to protect Black women. According to the Blackburn Center, Black women are 2.5 times more likely to be murdered by men than white women. Moreover, 56% of the homicides were committed by partners and 92% of the time, Black women were murder by Black men.
In the same light, it is heartbreaking to see some Black men on the internet defending Tory Lanez, who shot Megan Thee Stallion — watching them say that they would get a gun too, calling Megan Thee Stallion ‘Marcus’. Be Heard Talk did a live show last month and in the comments Black men were defending Tory Lanez by saying that he did not do it and that Megan Thee Stallion is lying. This not the first time I have heard this. In 2009, I overheard a conversation from a group of adults. The adults sat around and were discussing how Chris Brown beat Rihanna. The Black men proceeded to ask what did Rihanna do to provoke Brown into beating her. Instead of condemning his abuse, they asked as if there are some situations where Black women deserve to be beat. As if Black women deserve to be abused and put back into their place.
This is the sad reality that Black women face on a daily basis. We do not feel safe anywhere we go. Not only do we face systemic oppression and misogynoir, but we face verbal and physical abuse from the very men that are supposed to be our safe haven. When will we ever be safe?
