What I’m reading today, june 14, 2020
The ‘Say Her Name’ Movement Started for a Reason: We Forget Black Women Killed by Police/ Precious Fondren
Since Floyd’s death, there have been uprisings around the country. There’s also been an influx of people using hashtags like #SayHisName and #SayTheirNames to remember the names of other male victims of police violence. While everyone deserves to be honored and remembered, especially when they are being murdered at the hands of those sworn to protect us, it should be noted that such hashtags muddle the very reasoning behind the creation of the #SayHerName.
Conceived in 2014 by the African American Policy Forum and the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies, the #SayHerName hashtag was meant to amplify the names and narratives of Black women and girls who have also been the victims of police killings; people simply couldn’t name them the way they can name Tamir Rice, Mike Brown, or Freddie Gray.
#SayHerName is not just a catchy hashtag. It’s a literal demand. To be frank, there’s no equivalent need for a #SayHisName or #SayTheirNames. We know them. It’s time we put just a fraction of our energy into commemorating the lives of Black women — even if it’s simply noting who they were.