“The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.” These phrases were spoken by Malcolm X and still hold true today. It is not my place to speak on behalf of black woman and I will not attempt to do so, for I am not black, however, it is more than obvious that black women are undervalued, belittled and immobilized most in our society.

A study by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement found that every 40 hours, a black individual is killed by police, security guards, or even self-appointed law enforcers. However, black women’s deaths are rarely discussed. Consider the fact that the killing of Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, and Eric Garner made headline news (rightfully so), while the death of Aiyana Jones, a 7-year old girl killed by a police officer, the death of Yvette Smith, unarmed and killed by police in Texas, and the death of Tarika Wilson, shot in front of her son, are rarely mentioned. Let’s be clear, I am in no way claiming that the deaths of Brown, Rice, and Garner should not be headline news, or should gain less attention. I am simply explaining that the murder of black women should gain equal recognition.

In an attempt to call attention to the violence against black women in the US, “Say Her Name: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women” was issued to allow for a better understanding of black women’s experiences. “Although black women are routinely killed, raped, and beaten by police, their experiences are rarely foregrounded in popular understandings of police brutality.” The lives and names of black women should echo just as loud within the media and society.