TRIGGER WARNING: The videos in this post speak about and show violence, which can be triggering to some.
Just over a year ago, America was once again challenged to confront its past and present of murderous inequalities when it comes to the policing of Black, indigenous and people of color. The deaths of Breonna Taylor in March 2020 and George Floyd in May 2020 were blatant reminders of police brutality, but they were hardly the first examples of unjust casualties and, unfortunately, they’re hardly the last. As a mother, it’s hard to even write this, but Breonna and George’s lost lives weren’t in vain. How could we not make an effort for a safer and more just society for our children?
Just a few days ago, police officers in California knelt on the neck of a 30-year-old Navy veteran, Angelo Quinto, as he was suffering a mental health crisis and needed help. Help. As the officers knelt on him for five minutes, he lost consciousness and died in the hospital three days later. Also in California last week, police officers killed an unarmed homeless man, Kurt Reinhold, in broad daylight for allegedly jaywalking. Jaywalking. These are just two stories reported in the last seven days. This time lasting change must happen.
Ultimately, change must come from power and — plain and simple — people are more powerful when they band together for a greater good.
It’s exhausting to have to hear and talk about this subject, let alone read about it, but imagine how painful it is to have to live it. Or how detrimentally painful it is to have a friend or family member killed in this way. There’s power in protests, especially protests that are fiercely focused on bringing about lasting change in society. We can already see that there are more peaceful protest rallies than problematic ones … marchers are focused and self-policing, and they are working toward the goal of justice.
We saw on January 6, 2021, what a problematic protest looks like. Regardless of the actions of some, the majority of Americans know how to not only make a commitment to justice but be disciplined in the quest toward the purpose — justice for all.
So why is it important that the Women’s March and the Movement for Black Lives work to make police reform happen?
A common phrase that comes up when talking about police brutality and dismantling the institution that disproportionately kills Black and brown people is “defunding the police.” It’s important to mention because detractors will often tell us otherwise — that protests are troublesome and "defunding" the police means we won’t be safe as a society. But what has been so safe about certain people being unjustly killed daily?
Also, there’s so much confusion around the phrase that many people are missing the point. First, defunding the police means looking at the services police provide and figuring out where that money could better serve society. Police have consistently shown they are unable and/or unwilling to treat everyone equally, so that’s a problem. For example, if someone is having a mental health crisis, (such as the case of Quinto, who was killed when police knelt on his neck), a better-qualified professional can be called in an emergency to provide medical or social assistance. Quinto might be alive today if that had happened.
A snowball effect happens in a beneficial way when the appropriate resources are available for everyone.
If Quinto had been allowed to live, then there wouldn’t have to be public outcry, protests, and investigations into the officers involved in the situation — which costs money and time that officials could put to better use instead of having to go through these horrific situations over and over again. That makes cities, towns, and neighborhoods safer. Yes, there will still be crimes committed and those situations should be handled accordingly. But people can be arrested instead of killed at the scene, can't they? There needs to be a new way of doing things across the board, which is an example of what defunding the police means.
Real police reform isn’t about punishing and putting noble people out of work. It’s about recognizing that some peopl, probably didn’t have the best intentions in joining the police force. What this means is that power lies in the voices of the people. Police have to do a better job at policing their own.
Yes, everyday citizens are important in changing the world and making it a better place, but especially mothers, sisters, daughters, aunties, and grandmothers. As has been said before, when women stand together, we’re unstoppable, great things happen, and anything is possible!
Groups like the Women’s March are integral to uniting everyone because women are powerful.
The Women’s March is a women-led movement providing intersectional education on a diverse range of issues and creating entry points for new grassroots activists and organizers to engage in their local communities through training, outreach programs, and events.
“The mission of Women’s March is to harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change," notes its website. "Women’s March is committed to dismantling systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance and building inclusive structures guided by self-determination, dignity and respect.”
"But if the women’s movement is to make any kind of meaningful progress, it must first make Black lives matter." — Lisa Hofmann-Kuroda
Did you know that on Jan. 21 2017, the Women’s March on Washington led what was then the largest single-day demonstration in recorded US history? Organized by experienced women of color activists and organizers Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory, and Carmen Perez, “the march called on women of diverse backgrounds, including immigrant, queer/trans, and Muslim women, to demonstrate a show of force against the Trump administration's platform of anti-women, anti-immigrant, anti-Black, anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric,” noted Wear Your Voice magazine.
The march had an impressive turnout, but it was criticized because besides the diverse leadership, the actual marchers lacked diversity. Historically, the lack of diverse women fighting for women’s rights also, ironically, supported the oppression of Black and indigenous people, including women. So there was some work to do improving the mission.
Today, the Women’s March has done so and works to directly address police violence against the Black community and the safety of Black women in particular. This is the kind of work that the Women’s March should continue — work that could actually change the world.
In 2020, the Women’s March announced its support of the Movement for Black Lives:
“The Women’s March is proud to support the Movement for Black Lives in their call to #DefundPolice. Defunding the police is a feminist issue because Black, poor, immigrant and undocumented women are disproportionately targeted, abused and murdered by police.
"Women’s Marchers across the country are sharing information with their networks as a means to contribute meaningful conversation. This is our small way to channel energy into sustained organizing to bring about the new world we do desperately need.”
With such a heavy subject, how about an interesting fact?
Something that is rarely shared is that the Women’s March of 1997 (also known as the Million Women March) was entirely conceived and led by Black women. Held on October 25, the march was organized by Phile Chionesu and Asia Coney, two Philadelphia grassroots activists. It was a huge success despite short notice and few preparations, as an estimated 750,000 African American women gathered to march on the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia to focus on their "trials, circumstances, and successes" while addressing the pressing issues of interest to them and Black families.
The daylong march and program of prayer, music, and inspirational speeches was designed to inspire Black women across the nation to work for their own improvement as well as that of their communities. Although the march was portrayed as a gathering of Black women, other groups also were represented.
In honor of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, which both take place in March, the movement must be sustained.
Structural and systematic racism and social injustice, which have taken place over centuries, won’t go away by themseles. We need to continually address racism and other oppressions within feminist organizations to achieve meaningful, specific policy and cultural goals.
Change won’t come easy, but according to Rachel O’Leary Carmona, executive director of Women’s March, “[President] Biden’s win – and control over the House and Senate – is a win for us, and a definitive show of the strength of women across the country. We will celebrate it, but we will also keep fighting,” she shared in a press release.
“For the first time, Women’s March has a seat at the table and a federal government that will actually listen,” the release continued.
The Women’s March helped kick off Inauguration Week by speaking about the legacy of the women’s movement.
“We will continue to find opportunities to elevate the day-to-day realities and concerns of everyday women and hold the Biden administration accountable, and we will continue to be uncompromising and vigilant in our fight,” Carmona noted in the release. “Now, we can look ahead to the next four years with optimism, resolve, and a clear mission. We’re ready to get to work.”
