Her Justice’s Post

Today marks 3 years since 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant was killed by police in Columbus, Ohio. Ma’Khia Bryant should be with us today. Ma’Khia called the police for help, and an officer killed her. The police did not de-escalate the situation. Instead, they responded with violence and almost immediately the officer chose to shoot her. Police do not protect or keep our communities safe; they inflict serious harm, and their presence creates a culture of fear. As we have seen again and again, interactions with police are devastating, traumatizing, and sometimes deadly for Black girls. Law enforcement and others continue to view Black girls as less innocent and more adult-like—known as “adultification.” This leads to responses from law enforcement that criminalize Black girls, cause more trauma, and do nothing to protect public safety. Our founder Dr. Monique Couvson spoke to the New York Times at the time about the different standards that young Black girls are held to: “Adultification bias is also age compression. This is a way to erase the normal adolescent behavior and development that we have come to associate with young people, and it heightens our propensity to respond to young people as if they’re fully developed adults — referring to girls as women, not allowing them to make mistakes, even how we define their responses to conditions. So when there are things that negatively impact them and they speak up against it, we as adults associate this Black girl behavior with some of the same tropes and stereotypes that have plagued Black womanhood for centuries. Their way of responding and defending themselves is read to be combative, and their way of challenging structures of oppression are deemed to be aggressive. That leaves very little opportunity for us to really think about the prevalence of trauma in their lives.” https://lnkd.in/d9dQ878 #sayhername #makhiabryant #protectBlackgirls #endpoliceviolence

progress can not denied

Important to remember and important to continue our work for #justice. While companies can’t solve for most societal injustices, as leaders we must do our best to make our #workplace #equitable ensuring everyone has a fair chance.

Black women face a relentless array of daily challenges—familial, job-related, and social. From dealing with toxic work environments to enduring discrimination and microaggressions, the stress faced by Black women, with all the intersections of gender, age, colour, class and regionalism, can be debilitating. The trauma of witnessing the repeated murders of Black people, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and neighbors can be disheartening. The summer of George Floyd's murder marked a pivotal moment in our collective consciousness, and the extent of the issue was highlighted by the scope of the protests across the globe. The calls for learning and relearning, of knowing and doing better were heard across the planet, and yet the struggle for racial justice and equality continues to be stifled; and the persecution and murder of those who protest the injustice, persists. Sonya Massey was murdered in her own home for saying “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus”. The mildest of protests. The gentlest of rebukes. The same result. The recent tragedy of Sonya Massey, who was shot in her own home after calling 911 for help, underscores the deep-seated issues we still face. The callousness exhibited by the police and medical workers highlights a horrifying reality, the dehuminization of black bodies and black lives persists. This incident is a stark reminder of how far we have to go in healing a gaping wound that is often ignored, especially here in Canada. In Canada over the past decade, there have been numerous Black lives taken by law enforcement, including Andrew Loku, Abdirahman Abdi, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, D’Andre Campbell, Ejaz Choudry, and Afolabi Stephen Opaso. The general response to this conversation in the wider community is anger, blaming, name-calling, and stifling. Without these difficult conversations, however, people like deputy sheriff Sean Grayson will continue to thrive in the silence and the dark. With great power comes great responsibility. There must be accountability. Taking responsibility for one’s actions is a multi-way street and does not fall on the shoulders of one person or one race. #SonyaMassey Sonya Massey https://lnkd.in/gjx7M974 https://lnkd.in/g7kkSbbc https://lnkd.in/gZuWUxi5 https://lnkd.in/g2FFwVAi

HAPPENING TODAY, April 25, at 1:00 PM ET NASPA Webinar—The Misunderstood Victimization and Trauma of Black Women According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 1 in 5 Black women are survivors of sexual assault. However, their numbers are lower as it pertains to prosecuted cases. Why is this? It is because Black women and girls have historically been dehumanized, considered unrapeable, and left without legal recourse, therefore they become easier targets for sexual violence and are more reluctant to come forward. In addition negative stereotypes and structural biases have had devastating consequences for Black women. Their trauma and victimization are often misunderstood, mislabeled or dismissed by systems (i.e. criminal justice, healthcare etc..) and even by their own culture. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eNqThinf

Solid questions. Check out the video below If you have experienced racism as a white person, were you moved to work to dismantle racism for all? Not saying it does or doesn't exist. Just following the logic that racism should end across the board then. The response to racism shouldn't be, "Hey, we've ALL experienced racism at some point, therefore it's equal and OK." (It's really not.) Shouldn't the response be, "Hey, racism is harmful -- to the giver, to the recipient, to our communities, to our economy. What should we be actively doing to end this problem for everyone?" #endracism #thoughts

“We are devastated and angered by the police killing of 36-year-old Sonya Massey. She called the police for assistance because she was worried about an intruder, and instead of being helped, she was shot by police three times in her own home and killed. "This should have never happened, and Sonya should be with us today. "We are once again faced with the consequences of police violence and brutality that all too frequently take the life of Black women. Police do not protect or keep our communities safe; they inflict serious harm, and their presence creates a culture of fear. "It is baffling that policing continues to be upheld as an effective model of public safety in the United States, when countless Black women have been killed by the very same police officers who they called for help. When Black people are killed by police, “bad apples” are often blamed and less often held accountable. But at what point will we accept that the culture of policing itself is to blame? "Racism and gender oppression are inextricably woven into the fabric of the institution of policing. Reforming police practices and procedures is not enough to prevent future tragedies and protect Black women from the violence and harm inflicted upon Sonya Massey, Atatiana Jefferson, and so many other Black women and girls. We must invest in new models of public safety that are community-based and trauma-informed. Black women’s lives and the safety of our communities depend on it." —Dr. Sydney McKinney, Executive Director https://lnkd.in/e3yvM8tX

Beyond inspired by the work EJS has done, and the work that they continue to do… from contributing to the California Reparations Task Force, to assisting in a class action lawsuit for Black women who have gotten cancer after using hair relaxers, they are doing the work! Check out the video below to learn more. 🙏🏾 #dei #equity #justice #california #racism https://lnkd.in/g7UuCjbR

Despite 40% of Black men reporting that they experience intimate partner violence, there is little research into their experiences. This is likely due to numerous factors including the stereotype that men are only perpetrators of domestic violence, never victims. This prevailing belief makes it difficult for all men to seek help because they report shelters and other services as unhelpful to them (Tsui, 2014). This is further complicated for Black men because of the harmful stereotype that they are aggressive and more likely to be perceived as criminals (Collins, 2009; Roth, 2004). All of these different barriers work together to create a system that does not allow for Black men to be seen as capable of being victims of intimate partner violence and unable to receive support from formal or informal networks. (Stewart, 2021) ALL people experiencing domestic violence can seek assistance at JBWS. You are not alone. Call our 24-Hour Helpline at 1.877.782.2873

Racism casts a shadow over Black trafficking survivors and survivors of color, rendering them invisible. When the isolation deepens, stress intensifies, and the journey to recover from trauma becomes an uphill battle. Our flawed justice system only compounds their struggles, subjecting victims to arrests and prosecutions for their traffickers' crimes.   Additionally, systemic racism, like a silent force, intertwines with human trafficking through discriminatory government policies and private practices. These disparities in access to economic means become breeding grounds for traffickers to exploit victims in sex trafficking or forced labor. The vicious cycle is fueled by unequal opportunities, hindering anti-trafficking efforts. It's time to unveil these injustices, show solidarity, and strive for a system that genuinely supports survivors and provides opportunities for them to flourish and become a better version of themselves. #BreakTheBarriers #EndHumanTrafficking #JusticeForSurvivors