Open Letter to Breonna Taylor

Dear Breonna Taylor,

Hey girl.

Life's been crazy girl.

Your name is ringing across America.

There’s murals, paintings, hashtags with your name and photo attached

Yes, girl. Your name.

Are you shocked?

I know you are.

Black women names just don't ring across America.

We gotta be extraordinary for that to happen

And you are.

Oh, for what?

Well people are screaming,

Writing,

Protesting,

Posting,

Demanding justice for your death.

I would tell you that you are a martyr

But sadly you were killed for just being Black in America.

And the cops haven't been arrested yet.

But am I shocked?

Not really.

You are a young black woman.

"The most disrespected person in America" according to Malcolm X.

And that statement is still true 58 years later.

But

You are an extraordinary black woman.

For just being.

As I look at your name and even your picture.

The question remains: who are (were) you?

Before the police killed you.

Your name is the same as my younger sister.

But she spells her B-R-I-A-N-N-A

And she's quick to correct a white person on the pronouncement

"It's-Bree-ONNA. Not -Anna"

You know how we say aunt and they say "ant"

Same thing.

She's 26. Same age you were when you were alive and well

I wonder to myself how similar and different you two are

What's your favorite color?

Brianna's favorite color is pink.

What's your favorite food?

Brianna's is fish.

Is your nickname Bree?

Growing up, my sister's nickname started with Breezy and now we just call her Bree.

Your boyfriend. Is he your first love?

Admittingly, I never asked Bree who her first love was. I guess I assumed it was the man she had a child with.

I see your pics. You are thick in all the right places. You have a bawdy girl! Were you always secure about your Thickness? I hope so!

Bree is thick too. Her friends used to call her big booty Judy. And she embraces it.

What music do you like?

Bree loves hip hop. Trap music specifically.

Do you like Meg the Stallion?

Bree like her. I like her too! She representing for real bodies. And black women being intelligent and carefree. Girl! Speaking of Meg.

She was recently shot in both feet.

Can you believe it?

People and some celebrities immediately started questioning her validity.

Some black men even.

I recently read a tweet that said: "have y'all noticed when black women say anything there's always a rebuttal instead of a reflection."

That's the reality of the black woman's plight.

I also recently read this book called "Black Girls Must Die Exhausted" by Jayne Allen. It's a fictional book about a black woman in her 30s navigating race, romance and womanhood.

Great book. The title. I can't seem to forget the title.

I wonder if you died exhausted.

Exhausted from being a black woman.

Meg the Stallion is exhausted.

Exhausted from the lack of support in America for black women. Our words and actions are questioned every step of the way. Despite that black women being the most educated group in America. 50% of black women have a college degree to be exact.

We are de-valued and disrespected constantly.

How I know?

How much money does a college educated black woman make compared to white woman?

Or a man?

De-valued.

But we are duplicated so much.

The body you have, other races are getting fat transfers just to acquire the "shape" and then get called exotic.

But you know what's more exhausting? Fighting with our black men.

There's a fight going on in among the black community about who's more traumatized: the black man or the black woman.

I hold a special place in my heart for black men. Ain't nothing like black love from a black man.

You know this. You were being held the night of your death by a black man. He supported you. Protected you the best way he could.

Black men know how to support and love us individually.

Black men love individually.

They love mothers, sisters, aunties and lovers. They support them with everything they got.

But.

Black men fall short in supporting and loving black women as a whole entity

Black men are so used to being victims, they don't know how to stop.

Or they don't see black women collectively being victimized.

Instead they resent us.

Resent us for even saying we are traumatized

Resent us for even asking them to do better.

Girl. I’m a “Scandal” fan. A show about a powerful black woman. I was addicted.

The season finale included this monologue spoken by actress Khandi Alexander:

"Damn shame. I tell you... being a black woman. Be strong, they say. Support your man, raise your man, think like a man. Well damn, I gotta do all that? Who’s out here working for me, carrying my burden, building me up when I get down? Nobody. Black women out here trying to save everybody and what do we get? Swagger jacked by white girls wearing cornrows and bamboo earrings. Ain’t that a bitch? But we still try. Try to help all y’all. Even when we get nothing. Is that admirable or ridiculous? I don’t know.”

Is it admirable or ridiculous that black women save everybody and get nothing in return? Is it admirable or ridiculous that a black women fight is harder than a black man’s?

And different.

We just make our fight look easy.

Black men watch their mothers and sisters be strong and independent that they forget they’re the feminine vessel. Or forget that just because she had to be a matriarch doesn’t mean she wanted to.

We need protection.

As black women we need to be protected by black men as a collective or group.

We are the freedom of blackness.

We are the liberation of blackness.

We are birthing the children of black men to keep the legacy of blackness And

Because we protect them collectively.

We may fight with “baby daddies” and use derogatory terms to describe black men individually

Despite

We as black women unitedly are at the front lines of every doctor appointment.

Every struggle.

Every jail sentence.

Every protest.

Every riot.

We collectively know the issues that black men face and face them with open arms and public voices.

We stand with black men.

We want black men to unite and support and love us

Black men stand with black women.

You know some black men didn't realize "Tiffany" from Insecure was showing signs of postpartum stress and depression.

Or that 80% of black women will have fibroids by age of 50.

Or that domestic violence is still a thing.

These are the issues that black women deal with as a group.

We want black men to unite and support us publicly and collectively.

Support the Megs publicly

And loudly.

In front of his “boys”

And especially in front of America.

They are starting with you.

Supporting you publicly

At basketball games

At arenas

On t-shirts

In peace

I'm still waiting for the riot.

Tearing the country down

For the death of a black woman.

Maybe then, the police officers will be arrested

And maybe then we won't be the most disrespected person in America.

And maybe then black girls won't die exhausted.

-Signed a fellow black woman