Black women’s unique vulnerability in American society has become an increasingly hot-button issue. Even as more Black women have come forward to share their stories — many more are shamed and blamed for the violence they’ve suffered. (Re: everything that’s gone down with Megan Thee Stallion over the last few years).
As Malcolm X put it, “The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman.”
New research published in the Lancet on Thursday highlights just how dangerous American continues to be for Black women and how little has changed. Researchers from Columbia University examined homicide trends over the last 20 years, and what they found was disturbing.
Black women between the ages of 25 and 44 years old were roughly four times as likely to be victims of homicide as white women. The homicide rate for Black women was around 11.6 per 100,000 compared to 3 per 100,000 for white women. (Researchers looked at this age group because it’s when being a victim of homicide is most likely).
The study also looked state-by-state, which yielded troubling findings. For example, in Wisconsin, Black women were 20 times more likely to die by homicide than white women.
Potentially even more concerning than the pronounced racial disparities is the intractability of the homicide disparities. Despite widespread consensus that Black women disproportionately suffer from violence, researchers say the inequities have remained “virtually unchanged” over the last two decades.
While there was a dip in the homicide rate for Black women between 1999 and 2013, the homicide rate for Black women has steadily increased in the intervening years.
Research like this highlights why “protect Black women” isn’t just a trendy slogan — it’s a necessary call to action.