Protecting Black Women: Everyone’s Priority

“Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person” and “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
These are some of the fundamental human rights to be universally protected, set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established by the United Nations in 1948. However, the brutal murder of Sonya Massey at the hands of Illinois police officers is a sobering reminder that this “universal human right to be protected” is often denied to Black women. It was the case for Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, and other Black women who died at the hands of law enforcement. These are not isolated incidents but the pervasive systemic failures that harm Black women regardless of age, geography, or socioeconomic status.
Krystal Anderson, a software engineer who won a patent for designing a software program to assess a woman’s risk for postpartum hemorrhage, died from sepsis in 2024, shortly after giving birth to a stillborn daughter. She is one of countless Black maternal deaths caused by medical negligence and racial bias. The Fearless Fund, founded by Arian Simone and Ayana Parsons, two Black women who established a fund to award small grants to women of color, led businesses to address gaps in venture capital funding, a gender-biased industry that favors white men, was sued for discrimination. Over $130B in venture capital funding is raised for US Corporations, yet only 2% of those funds go to women-led businesses, and less than 1% go to women of color-led businesses. And even Vice-President Kamala Harris, a US Presidential nominee, is not shielded from vicious and degrading attacks designed to kill dreams for new possibilities.
The Black Equity Collective recognizes that when the system fails, Black women lead the charge to protect, heal, and restore communities. However, these same women are leading under attacks and are the victims of the systemic failures they are fighting desperately to change. We send infinite love to Black women nationwide who are grieving and tired yet remain committed to fighting for themselves and others.
Our movements for justice and equity cannot thrive without Black women. Our families and communities cannot thrive without Black women. Our democracy cannot be upheld without Black women. Our pursuit of Black liberation and permanency cannot happen without Black women. Therefore, protecting Black women must be everyone's priority.
In Community,
The Black Equity Collective
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