#SayHerName: Black Women's Stories of State Violence and Public Silence

by Kimberlé Crenshaw (Editor), Janelle Monáe (Foreword)

Since the movement's founding in 2014, #SayHerName has gained international attention and has served as both a rallying cry and organizing principle in the aftermath of police killings of Black women, including, most recently, the police killing of Breonna Taylor.

Black women, girls, and femmes as young as seven and as old as ninety-three have been killed by the police, though we rarely hear their names or learn their stories. Breonna Taylor, Alberta Spruill, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis, Shelly Frey, Kayla Moore, Kyam Livingston, Miriam Carey, Michelle Cusseaux, and Tanisha Anderson are among the many lives that should have been. The #SayHerName campaign lifts up the stories of these women and girls in order to build a gender-inclusive framework for understanding, discussing, and combating police violence.

Without this knowledge, we cannot have a full understanding of the wide-ranging circumstances that make Black bodies disproportionately subject to police violence, and we cannot understand the ways in which racialized policing and gendered violence intersect and produce lethal consequences. #SayHerName provides an analytical framework for understanding Black women's susceptibility to police brutality and state-sanctioned violence, and it explains how-through black feminist storytelling and ritual-we can effectively mobilize various communities and empower them to advocate for racial justice.

Including Black women in police violence and gender violence discourses sends the powerful message that, in fact, all Black lives matter and that the police cannot kill without consequence. This is a powerful story of Black feminist practice, community-building, enablement, and Black feminist reckoning.

"Kimberle Crenshaw is a national treasure."
—Kerry Washington

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Social Justice, Politics, Race, History, Education

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2022

About the author

Kimberlé Crenshaw (also writes as Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw) is a professor of law at UCLA and Columbia Law School. A leading authority on civil rights, black feminist legal theory, and racism and the law, she is a co-editor of Critical Race Theory (The New Press). Crenshaw is a contributor to Ms. Magazine, The Nation, and the Huffington Post. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Corvus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet booklet putting names, faces, and stories to the often invisible black women who are victims of criminal injustice systems. The info- while nothing new to the demographic it is focused on- is quite useful for everyone else. Unapologetic defenses of people without respectability politics or cherry picking perfect victims. It is available for free on aapf.org. Recommended.

[Wenjing Fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

关于那些由于警察暴力而死的黑人女性的故事。我没想到这些事发生在近10～20年，仅仅因为她们是黑人，就容易因为各种诸如开车、做社区心理治疗等事情而被警察杀害；而后警察可以以“感到有生命威胁”为理由而不受到任何惩罚，即使她们没有携带任何武器；与此同时如果是白女的狗被警察枪杀了，这位警察会被降职。看完多少能理解一些为什么黑人女同女权不搞性别分离了，毕竟到目前为止黑人女性因为女性身份而受到的压迫也是基于她们的黑人身份的。见长评。

--

《有名字，才存在，或，存在过。》

本书讲述的是那些由于警察暴力而死的黑人女性的故事。

#BlackLivesMatter 被大众熟知来自2020年白人警察Derek Chauvin因20美元假钞杀死已经戴上手铐的George Floyd。但其实这项运动在2013年已经开始，当时被知晓也是一些黑人男性被警察杀害，但发起这项运动的人是三名黑人女性。

#SayHerName 开始于2015年，更关注那些由于警察暴力而死的黑人女性。通过“说出她们的名字”，让更多人关注到除了黑人男性，也有许多许多黑人女性正在被谋杀。有名字，才存在，或，存在过（这在中文语境下有着更复杂的含义，下次再讨论）。

她们有的人是在开车、有的人忘了社区心理咨询、有的人对同住的室友表达了不满，被警察以各种理由枪击，甚至有从背后枪击的、被开了三十多枪的。还有更多的女性在受伤后没有被及时送治、在拘留期间非正常死亡的。

而后，这项警察可以以“感到有生命威胁”为理由而不受到任何惩罚，即使她们没有携带任何武器；与此同时如果是白女的狗被警察枪杀了，这位警察会被降职。

“
在美国，黑人女性仅占女性总人口的10%多一点，但却占所有被警察杀害的女性中的五分之一；在那些被警察杀害且未携带武器的女性中，黑人女性更是占了近三分之一的比例。事实上，黑人女性是唯一一个在未携带武器的情况下被警察杀害的比例占多数的种族与性别群体。…… 有57%的黑人女性在被杀害时并未携带武器。
”

我真的很难想象这是发生在近10～20年间的故事，有许多发生在黑人作为美国最高领导人的期间。多么讽刺呢，世界的一边是“黑人终于有机会成为国家领导人”，举国欢庆美国民族大融合达到新高峰，另一边还有那么多黑人/黑人女性的生命如此草率地消失。

本书中的许多故事讲述者是遇害者的母亲，她们讲述女儿的性格、爱好和成长经历，讲述女儿擅长的事情和获得的成就。但在白人媒体那边，如果她们显得太过悲伤，将被解释为脆弱软弱，影响她们后续参与游行和发言的力度；但如果她们太过坚强，又会落入“黑人感情淡漠”的刻板印象。

最震撼我的是2014年8月22日，Michelle Cusseaux的母亲Frances “Fran” Garrett受不了女儿遇害却无人被追责、甚至无人报道，把女儿的棺材带去市政厅，并在市中心进行游行。

这是如何绝望的行动，不被关注的身体，和最后可以利用的身体。

那些母亲（或别的书籍参与撰写者）说，不希望杀死那些警察，而是希望法律能够改革、希望那些警察被撤职降职，我在想这是真的吗？难道真的不想杀死他们吗？还是说作为弱势、作为受害者，更需要表现得“完美纯洁”，不能真的展现敌意、要提出更有价值更有利于社会的建议。

如此想想激女说“希望世界没有男的”虽然或许只是说说，但也是当下无可改变所以才可以这样说的无奈的折射吧，如果抗争的表达真的有用，或许也会想白人女同女权一样创造出更多“可行”的行动了。

“
这个问题的根源在于：某些故事——尤其是那些描述男性遭受歧视的故事——被当作整个问题的代表；而那些描述非男性群体所面临困境的故事，则常常被附加一些特定的解释，从而使得这些故事“并不真正”或“不仅仅”是关于种族问题的。
”

也是读了这样两三本讲黑人女权主义/黑人激进女权的作品后才真正意识到种族性别的“交叉性”应该如何在实际案例中理解。要承认黑人女性遇到的困境是种族的、是女性的，也是种族&女性的。以及，在关注具体议题的时候不是要在女性的还是黑人的中选择，而是关注它们共同存在的地方，关注它们因交叉而产生的新的困境。

以及也多少能理解一些为什么黑人女同女权不搞性别分离了，毕竟到目前为止黑人女性因为女性身份而受到的压迫也是基于她们的黑人身份的。

最后一部分把痛苦变成艺术我过往总是比较难理解，而在这个实践中，我认为艺术既是一种传播媒介，又是一种疗愈方式。在整个表演场景中，母亲们通过和演员的拥抱、观看别人的故事而获得共鸣和力量。



#SayHerName 下面是她们的名字

Priscilla Slater – Died in police custody on June 10, 2020
Breonna Taylor – Killed by police on March 13, 2020
Atatiana Jefferson – Killed by police on October 12, 2019
Crystal Ragland – Killed by police on May 30, 2019
Pamela Turner – Killed by police on May 13, 2019
Nina Adams – Killed by police on March 13, 2019
Latasha Walton – Killed by police on March 12, 2019
Brittany McLean – Died in police custody on March 9, 2019
Angel Decarlo – Killed by police on December 18, 2018
April Webster – Killed by police in her home on December 16, 2018
Tameka Simpson – Killed by police on December 11, 2018
LaJuana Philips – Killed by police on October 2, 2018
Dereshia Blackwell – Killed by police on September 9, 2018
Cynthia Fields – Killed by a stray bullet by police on July 27, 2018
LaShanda Anderson – Killed by police on June 9, 2018
Shukri Ali Said – Killed by police on April 28, 2018
DeCynthia Clements – Killed by police on March 12, 2018
Crystalline Barnes – Killed by police during a traffic stop on January 27, 2018
Geraldine Townsend – Killed by police on January 17, 2018
Sandy Guardiola – Killed in her bed by police on October 4, 2017
India N. Nelson – Killed by police on July 17, 2017
Charleena Chavon Lyles – Killed by police on June 18, 2017
Jonie Block – Killed by police on May 15, 2017
Alteria Woods – Killed by police while pregnant on March 19, 2017
Morgan London Rankins – Killed by police on February 22, 2017
Deborah Danner – Killed in her home by police on October 18, 2016
Korryn Gaines – Killed by police on August 1, 2016
Jessica Williams – Killed by police on May 19, 2016
Deresha Armstrong – Killed by police on May 5, 2016
Laronda Sweatt – Killed by police on April 6, 2016
India M. Beaty – Killed by police on March 19, 2016
Kisha Michael – Killed by police on February 21, 2016
Sahlah Ridgeway – Killed by police on February 12, 2016
Gynna McMillen – Died in police custody on January 10, 2016
Bettie Jones – Killed by police on December 26, 2015
Barbara Dawson – Died December 21, 2015
Marquesha McMillan – Killed by police on October 26, 2015
India Kager – Killed by police in her car on September 5, 2015
Redel Jones – Killed by police August 12, 2015
Raynette Turner – Died in police custody on July 27, 2015
Ralkina Jones – Died in police custody on July 26, 2015
Joyce Curnell – Died in police custody on July 22, 2015
Kindra Chapman – Died in police custody on July 14, 2015
Sandra Bland – Died in police custody on July 13, 2015
Nuwnah Laroche – Killed by police on May 7, 2015
Alexia Christian – Killed by police on April 30, 2015
Mya Hall – Killed by police on March 30, 2015
Meagan Hockaday – Killed by police on March 28, 2015
Janisha Fonville – Killed by police on February 18, 2015
Natasha McKenna – Died of police-induced trauma on February 8, 2015
Tanisha Anderson – Killed by police on November 13, 2014
Aura Rosser – Killed by police on November 9, 2014
Sheneque Proctor – Died in police custody after being refused medical treatment on November 1, 2014
Iretha Lilly – Died in police custody on October 6, 2014
Latandra Ellington – Killed in her jail cell on October 1, 2014, 10 days after writing to her family that she was threatened by an officer
Michelle Cusseaux – Killed by police on August 13, 2014
Pearlie Golden – Killed by police on May 7, 2014
Gabriella Nevarez – Killed by police on March 2, 2014
Yvette Smith – Killed by police on February 16, 2014
Tracy A. Wade – Killed by police in 2014
Ariel Levy – Killed by police in 2014
Angela Beatrice Randolph – Killed by police in 2014
Dawn Cameron – Killed by police in 2014
Shonda Mikelson – Killed by police in 2014
Renisha McBride – Killed on November 3, 2013
Miriam Carey – Killed by federal agents on October 3, 2013
Kyam Livingston – Died in police custody on July 24, 2013
Kayla Moore – Killed by police on February 12, 2013
Angelique Styles – Killed by police in 2013
Shelly Frey – Killed by police on December 6, 2012
Malissa Williams – Killed by police on November 29, 2012
Erica Collins – Killed by police on October 13, 2012
Shulena Weldon – Died after being run over by a car by police on August 9, 2012
Alesia Thomas – Killed by police on July 22, 2012
Shantel Davis – Killed by police on June 14, 2012
Sharmel Edwards – Killed by police on April 21, 2012
Rekia Boyd – Killed by police on March 21, 2012
Shereese Francis – Killed by police on March 15, 2012
Jameela Barnette – Killed by police on December 25, 2011
Unnamed – Killed October 3, 2011
Catawaba Howard – Killed by police on August 12, 2011
Brenda Williams – Killed by police on April 27, 2011
Derrinesha Clay – Killed by police on March 14, 2011
Shelley Amos and Cheryl Blount-Burton – Killed on February 19, 2011, by an on-duty police officer who was driving twice the speed limit and was not responding to an emergency call
Carolyn Moran-Hernandez – Killed by police on February 14, 2011
Latricka Sloan – Killed by police on January 22, 2011
Aiyana Stanley-Jones – Killed by police on May 16, 2010
Ahjah Dixon – Died in police custody on March 4, 2010
Sarah Riggins – Killed by police on October 23, 2009
Katherine Hysaw – Killed by police on September 9, 2009
Barbara Stewart – Killed by police on March 24, 2009
Duanna Johnson – Died in 2008
Tarika Wilson – Killed by police on January 4, 2008
Kathryn Johnston – Killed by police on November 21, 2006
Alberta Spruill – Died of police-induced trauma on May 16, 2003
Kendra James – Killed by police on May 5, 2003
Nizah Morris – Died in 2002
LaTanya Haggerty – Killed by police on June 4, 1999
Margaret LaVerne Mitchell – Killed by police on May 21, 1999
Tyisha Miller – Killed by police on December 28, 1998
Danette Daniels – Killed by police on June 8, 1997
Frankie Ann Perkins – Killed by police on March 22, 1997
Sonji Taylor – Killed by police on December 16, 1993
Eleanor Bumpurs – Killed by police on October 29, 1984
以及，#李莹

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting a term paper when I checked this out from the library, but that's essentially how it reads. That or a research paper published in an academic journal. So while it sounds very templated, it contains a lot of information and some strong arguments for increasing standards for police officer behavior in the United States.

Full of anecdotes and many, many names, this book lays out the argument that Black women are treated humanely by law enforcement even less often than their male counterparts. We often hear in the news about police brutality against Black men, but Black women are many times more likely to suffer--for a variety of reasons--at the hands of those who stand blameless behind the badge.

Complete with photos, dates, and locations, this is a quick read that gives a straight-forward account of many moments in recent history, concluding with questions for discussion when used in a group setting. It's not as deep or thoughtful as a full book, but it's a good start toward understanding this particular perspective on a crucial situation.

[Debbie Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly sad. Very eye opening. A book that is an important read. Women are low on the totem pole. Black women even more so. Black LBGTQIA+ women even more so. And yet they are often the glue to the family. The caretakers of Mom, Grandma, sister's kids. The gap left behind is crushing. I also never thought about the intergenerational impact that follows these suffering families for decades to follow. #SAYHERNAME is important and yet the very least we can do as a society.

[Chad Statler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank the publisher for an advance readers copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

#SayHerName by Kimberlé Crenshaw and the African American Policy Forum draws attention to the plague of underreported and seldom noted deaths of Black women and other women of color at the hands of American police. Several times throughout the text it is noted that while Black women make up ten percent of the female population in the U.S. they make up a staggering one-fifth of all women killed by the police. This is juxtaposed against the well-known names of people like Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, and Tamir Rice in Cleveland, OH. These deaths sparked days and sometimes weeks of protests, vigils, and civil unrest. Too often the names of black women killed by police go remarkably unnoticed.

Each chapter in this book begins with a story of a murdered black woman told through the words of a sister or mother. Beyond relating the tragic circumstances of their death the reader gets a sense of each person. We get to hear about their personality, their life, and their hopes and dreams. The world and their communities find themselves deprived of loving and caring mothers, sisters, and daughters. What we also read about are police departments that leave relatives to find out of the tragic deaths through reporters at their doors or on the evening news. Police departments then begin to obfuscate, distort, and lie about the interactions with the victim, the actions of their own officers, and then cast blame on the victim. In some instances families are left with bills from local municipalities in the wake of these deaths. Adding another layer of injustice on top of another. A final tragic consequence of these deaths is too often family members then suffer extreme health events afterwards. It’s described as a double-pandemic.

While this book is primarily about the tragic deaths of these Black women, it is also a call to build a community of loved ones and activists to draw attention to their deaths and call out for change. Some of the avenues of change addressed is a need for trained crisis interventionists rather than armed police while someone is experiencing a mental health crisis. The ending of qualified immunity for police which enables police forces to shield officers from prosecution. An end to armed security guards at stores, which increases the likelihood of a weapon being used to apprehend people suspected of shoplifting. While none of these reforms is a panacea taken together they could prevent some if not many of the violent interactions between police and civilians.

This book should be read by anybody involved with the movements against police violence, anti-racism, police reform, and community building. If this book appeals to you, you may also want to consider reading some of the following titles, which will complement this one: Margaret A. Burnham’s By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners, Elizabeth Hinton’s America on Fire: The Untold History of Police Violence and Black Rebellion Since the 1960s and finally No More Police: A Case for Abolition by Mariame Kaba and Andrea J. Ritchie.

[Natalie T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is devoted to lifting up the names and life stories of Black women whose lives were taken by police officers. So many lives. Breonna Taylor and Sandra Bland were not exceptional horror stories, but part of a pattern of violent overreaction: I found the name of a woman from my own community killed in 2014, while I was living here, and yet I knew nothing about it, so little publicity was given to her death. #Gabriella Nevarez; she was only 22 years old.

#SayHerName bears witness to these losses and awakens the reader to this injustice. While it is heartrending to read the stories, it is also a process of recovery and repair, because those lost are uplifted, known, and surrounded in loving memory. Properly mourned and grieved and celebrated, as they were not at the time of their passing. As painful and shocking as this book is, it is not unrelenting darkness, but a journey toward meaningful, positive action. I felt hopeful and empowered by the end, and am deeply grateful to the authors for that.

#SayHerName offers healing rituals of community mourning that are creative and deeply moving; families who lost loved ones to COVID and could not hold a funeral might find solace in this way as well.

[Melanie Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is powerful, heartbreaking, and important. Each chapter begins with the name of a black woman who was killed by police, their story told by a surviving family member. Each chapter ends with a scholarly account of the structural and systemic racism, how they operate to kill black people and the history of how these systems came to be. There are also accounts of how this group of survivors work toward justice and healing through the #sayhername movement. The grief in this book is palpable, but by reading this book, you hold space for the grief of family members who never saw justice for the people they lost to senseless violence.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deeply admire Kimberlé Crenshaw. The SayHerName movement is very important and my heart goes out to all the survivors who found the strength to share their stories.
That being said, I have to admit that I found this book quite difficult to read. Not just because of the content, but because of the writing style. The language is not geared towards lay-people or English-as-a-second-language readers. I found myself having to re-read many sentences.
I'm not trying to discourage people from reading it - it contains very valuable messages - I just want to clarify that this isn't a "read a couple pages before bed" type of book. This is a "sit down, focus, and learn" type of book.

[Brittany]

Devastating, but required reading to put faces and names to the very real and infuriating epidemic of police violence against Black women. I am grateful to the people who shared these traumatizing stories and to help their loved ones' memories live on, and to have their pain and suffering named. Hard to read at times, but I do recommend it.

[Tibby]

I read the first half then skimmed the second. I liked the narratives from the family members because it gave more on who the women were. The essays were so-so for me. I felt like they were pretty repetitive but didn't say much. They could have been tighter.

[Siya Kumar]

EVERYONE should read this report

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much was shared that I never knew about. My heart aches. #SayHerName

[Kendall Lauber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a tragic book, but also a book full of strength and love too. Absolutely required reading.

[Gail Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important message, reminding us that black women are victims of police violence at a rate higher than white women and yet often forgotten when folks rally against police brutality. The stories related by family members of the victims made them more real and showed how more than "just" the women killed were victims. Those stories were very moving, but I did feel the rest of the book seemed to be repetitive and had less impact.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads and Haymarket Books for the free copy of this important book.

I’m severely delayed in posting this review, but I wanted to make sure I had the right words. I still don’t know if I do, but I will try.

As a human, I empathize with all the family members and loved ones of victims of horrific police brutality, misconduct, and murder. As a mom, I grieve with those mothers who lost their babies in such a cruel and senseless way. As a white woman, I will never fully understand the way Black Americans are continually targeted by law enforcement and the fear that must consume them any time they see flashing blue and red lights. But it is my duty to stand with them and speak against the injustices they face.

Many of us are familiar with the cases of Black men and boys who experienced this violence and made national headlines, but far less attention is given to the Black women who have suffered the same oppression and had their lives taken from them by officers of the law who swore to protect and serve.

#SayHerName sheds a light on these women and, as the title states, lists them by name, among them Breonna Taylor, Alberta Spruill, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis, Shelly Frey, Kayla Moore, Kyam Livingston, Miriam Carey, Michelle Cusseaux, and Tanisha Anderson. The book highlights a number of these lesser-known cases, detailing the facts of what happened and exposing the heinous actions of the police. It is a call to action for readers to speak up and do their part to put an end to police brutality and the “brotherhood” that too often protects them from being brought to justice. It has the added effect of also speaking on gendered violence and the unique experience Black women face in that regard.

I highly recommend this book as a starting point to examine and evaluate the racial discrimination of the police and how it affects specifically Black communities.

[Genesee Rickel]

I read the chapters "Say Her Name" and "Gender and Sexuality Policing" for a book club. This is a short but intense read. I plan on reading it cover to cover (hence to rating right now).