“Protect Black Women” Is More Than Just a Mantra
It’s time for Black men to step up and answer the call
I was raised in an abusive environment. So when I see Black women mistreated, silenced, and erased, it hits close to home.
One in three Black women will experience either physical or sexual assault at some point in their lives. That number has always felt much higher in terms of the women I knew, given the cultural, political, and economic violence targeted toward Black women globally.
Many of the women I’m close to have shared countless stories of abuse in their personal and professional lives. In some cases, we’ve been able to work together to take meaningful action. But often, we’ve chosen to keep their experiences in confidence.
In our community, the belief that secrets stay in the family has always been a source of inner conflict for me. As a confidante, it’s often difficult to distinguish between who the silence really protects: the women who confided in me or the reputations of their abusers. This silence was troubling. I can‘t even begin to comprehend the depths women have to navigate when sharing their truths.
What routinely follows this disclosure is no less predictable than it is problematic. The default reflex to question women who come forward before…
