"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
I don’t find it coincidental that I was born 19 years to the day that Malcolm X said these words during his remarks at Ronald Stokes’ funeral. Ronald was, ironically, killed by the LAPD. My how history continues to repeat itself when it comes to Blacks in America. Here’s why…
The Night Breonna Taylor Was Killed…
Many of you know the background but here is a quick overview for those who are unfamiliar. Breonna Taylor was murdered on March 13th, 2020 by the Louisville Metro Police Department. She was only 26 years old. She wasn’t murdered because she was a violent criminal that was participating in menacing activity against the city of Louisville. In fact, Breonna had no criminal record whatsoever. Yet on that evening, the police department busted down her apartment door where she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in bed winding down from their day. Kenneth was being a protective and loving black man (I make it clear that he was a black man because it’s important to understand and OVERstate the fact that black men do love black women), grabbed his gun when someone was banging on their front door. Several witnesses along with Kenneth stated the police did NOT announce themselves when they broke down the front door.
Behaving as any good man would, Kenneth grabbed his REGISTERED 9mm gun and fired ONE warning shot in the direction of the intruders. He was unaware that it was the police coming into their home. What happened next was nothing but an atrocious violation of the training that police officers receive. The officers fired 32 shots, according to the FBI, into Breonna’s apartment from outside of her home and at the front entryway. THIRTY-TWO shots. One officer was shot in the leg and the initial reports were that the shot came from Kenneth Walkers gun. However, new information in the ballistic reports, released state that the FBI investigation determined it was inconclusive if the bullet that hit the officer was fired from Kenneth’s gun.
All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk - The Kentucky Attorney General
Daniel Cameron is the Kentucky Attorney General who presented his “evidence” to the
grand jury last week. Daniel is Black. Many have asked or questioned if his race should have anything to do with his presenting the facts and my answer is ABSOLUTELY yes. In a society where Blacks receive little or no justice at all, all we ask is that our cases are presented ACCURATELY; especially from our Black brothers and sisters. But all skinfolk ain't kinfolk.
Daniel presented his case which as more and more of the evidence is uncovered due to the diligence of “Until Freedom "and the attorneys representing Breonna Taylor’s family, we are learning that some of his facts were in fact lies. He stated that the officers were all carrying .40 caliber handguns and that Kenneth was the only one with a 9mm. We have found out that one of the other officers was also issued a 9 mm handgun as well. Another point worth mentioning and then I will get off of this shoo-booty (as DL Hughley has appropriately named Blacks “dancing” for white people) is that he stated that the officers were acting in self defense when the THREE of them fired THIRTY-TWO shots against one man who fired one shot. The only charge the grand jury, supposedly a jury of Breonna’s peers, issued was against one officer for “wanton endangerment “. Essentially, they charged him for shooting up Breonna’s neighbors walls not for the bullets that hit and killed Breonna.
Plot twist
I’ve had to update this blog from when I originally wrote it in to include this new information. A grand juror has come forward with a suit seeking the release of the documents of the trial so that ‘the truth may prevail’. Furthermore the unidentified juror stated “Attorney General Cameron attempted to make it very clear that the grand jury alone made the decision on who and what to charge based solely on the evidence presented to them,” the juror’s filing states. “The only exception to the responsibility he foisted upon the grand jurors was in his statement that they ‘agreed’ with his team’s investigation that [two officers] were justified in their actions.” According to Slate.com.
Under this pressure, Daniel has agreed to release the tapes on Wednesday, September 30th.
The Cover-Up
There have been so many areas in which the city of Louisville has attempted to cover up the egregious infractions that happened from before Breonna’s murder and the months following. It began with the “surveillance” they conducted on Breonna, the incident report where it stated that there weren’t any injuries, the delay in which they revealed any information to Tamika Palmer, Breonna’s mother and the list goes on. Bottom line, they didn’t value her life and they didn’t respect her death.
The emails that have been released from one of the officers as well as a police major further let us know what the police climate is not only in Kentucky but in many precincts across the country. Not only have departments not shown an ounce of remorse or sympathy for the loss of Breonna’s life, they further exacerbate the problem by spewing hate about people simply seeking justice. Deplorable.
Same Stuff, Different Day
Sadly, Black women continue to be the most marginalized group of people in this country. While I would love to say that Brother Malcolm’s words no longer have merit today, history I mean present day; continues to prove to the world the truth in his statements.
The microaggressions we face like “You are so articulate” implies that we can’t possibly be intelligent and carry a great conversation. “You’re so pretty for a black girl” is presented as a compliment but in no way do we define that underhanded comment as complimentary. This is saying to us that only white skin can be seen as beautiful. We are meant to feel inferior in this world. “Are you the owner”? The implication that black women can’t own a business even though we are the leading demographic for all new small businesses.
All of these thoughts create the theory that we are downtrodden and unworthy of simple justice and decency. Our women and children go missing and immediately it’s treated as a runaway or simply a missing person with no real investigation done to locate us. Our rapes and assaults are many times spun to make us look like we are the enticer and somehow the crime against us was justifiable. Finally, you can kill us in public, in our homes, in our workplaces or in a jail cell and you and we and our families will receive no justice.
The Fight Continues!
Today, tomorrow and until we start receiving the justice we deserve, we will continue to be loud, bold and confident in our truths. We are no longer playing small or allowing others to minimize us to a point of oblivion.
While Breonna has become a symbol of the continued oppression of Black women, there are many others awaiting justice as well. To all the Black men who are doing white people’s dirty work, you know the Daniel Camerons, Shaqs and Charles Barkleys; just move out of our way. Don’t impede our fight with your misdirected rhetoric. Even worse, all the Black women such as Candance Owens who would prefer to fight against their sisterhood for the approval of white people; please SHUT UP! When yall finish all the “dancing” for white people you are still a Black person in America and they (racist white people) will undoubtedly treat you that way.
Love & Light,
Trese, Unapologetically