Why Does America Hate Black Girls and Women?

In 2020, we learned that a global health pandemic can drastically change the trajectory of our society — with the murders of countless Black men and women during the same year — we also learned that police violence is endemic. The exploitation and killing of Black and Brown people is deeply embedded in our nation’s history. 2020 was a particularly traumatic year for Black Americans — from the gruesome killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, we were forced to #SayTheirNames so many times that Black death is akin to having your coffee in the morning; it became very routine and habitual.

The constant exposure to technology and social media means that acknowledging and watching Black death is inescapable — as much as you try to tune it out, technology is an undeniable force. The reality of simply existing while Black and every-day ordinary activities like going for a run, walking to a store, and sleeping in your own bed could be met with the penalty of death. There is no more frightening experience than being Black in America. For many Black people in America, justice has always been an illusion. Justice and fairness have never been bestowed to Black Americans — -when white police officers are given the power to be the judge, jury, and executioner on our nation’s streets, and openly kill and murder Black people — all while facing little to no…