WHO IS PROTECTING BLACK WOMEN/GIRLS FROM DISAPPEARING?
We have to re-renew our efforts to strengthen our community, as well as be vigilant in #ProtectingBlackWomen Black Women are the most unprotected and unrespected group. Suffice to say, every day we hear about yet another Black Women and/or Girl disappearing. In majority of the cases, they are never found or to be seen again. That being said, as Black Women and Girls, we have to learn how to protect ourselves, and each other. Please join BEWARE, in our efforts to start looking out for and ProtectingBlackWomen# as well as our children from harms way.
Black Womens’ Safety. Black Women# are the most unprotected and unrespected group. Suffice to say, every day we hear about yet another Black Women and/or Girl disappearing. In majority of the cases, they are never found or to be seen again. That being said, as Black Women and Girls, we have to learn how to protect ourselves, and each other.
I am no expert on self-defense. However, the “key” suggestion below, is what I learned in a self-defense class. The other safety tips are my own common sense measures I use. I am in no way promoting violence. Self-defense should only be used as a self-defense measure. Black Women and girls are disappearing at startling rates. That being said, it stands to reason that we began to take Black Women’s Safety, as well as our childrens’ safety seriously. In saying that I mean we should take protective measures to stop us from continually becoming victims.
No one is coming to help us. There will be no white feminists group marching on our behalf. There will be no illegal immigrants, Hispanics, a/k/a Latinos speaking out or standing up on our behalf. Let’s face the truth. It is just us, for us (“JUFU”). No one is coming to help us.From our ancestral slavery until now, Black women have never been protected. We are the most unprotected, and unrespected women on earth. While everyone steals our attributes, and hold their feminist movements, black women’s issues, from slavery until now are not part of their plan.
Together We Stand. We have to unite, and take a Black Women togetherness stand together. We have a common enemy i.e., those that want to make us victims. With this togetherness safety approach, we can stop ourselves, as well as our children from being THEIR next victim. Together We Stand to protect ourselves.
Protecting ourselves and our children. We have to learn to keep our head in a swivel i.e., always looking around. If an attacker or snatcher is a man, go for his testicles. Reach back, grab your attacker by the balls. Hold tight, and twist them as hard as you can. Don’t worry about the pain you will inflict. Just consider the pain they will inflict on you. Your aim is to get home safely and unharmed. Twist as hard as you can.Whatever you have in your hand use it as a defense. If you have some keys, use force and scrape them across your attacker’s eyes. Your objective is to get home and away safe, by any means necessary. You have to get the edge you need.As Black Women we have to learn weaponry. If someone pulls a gun on you, you have to learn to react quickly to possibly disarm the attacker, or get the hell away. You also have to be able to get your weapon in seconds. Not unzipping your purse. You have to be ready.Black Women and Girls, we have to get to the art of self-defense. Oftimes, these classes are not offered in our communities. Get a petition going, whereby police stations in your area or surrounding areas, hold classes for the community to teach you and your children, the art of self-defense. Get local churches in your community to give back by holding self-defense classes for the Black women and children in the neighborhood. Learn and master the art of self-defense. You need to learn how to defend yourself in all kinds of different situations. In your home, as well as outside of your home.Black Women, as well as our children need to begin to carry a whistle as well. Wal-Mart is one of the stores that carry emergency whistles. Give these to your children, and carry one yourselves. Give them a fighting chance. When they see danger, teach them to start running and blow the hell out of that whistle. Teach them STRANGER is DANGER. Do not trust anything a stranger says. Stay arm’s length distance away from a stranger. If a stranger is waiting for them to pass them. Cross over to the other side of the street. Do not go anywhere with a stranger, no matter what lie they say. Teach our children!!! BLOW THAT WHISTLE WHILE RUNNING!!!! Teach your children that no one is to touch them inappropriately!!!!
For our Black Children. We know they cannot carry weaponry. Get one of those old fashioned link chains from the Hardware stores that we use to carry our keys on. Put some old keys on there for them. We know as a child you can’t make sense of this, but your aim is to get away. When you see anyone getting to close to you. RUN! Just take off running. Stranger means danger. RUN AND BLOW THAT DAMN WHISTLE! That will alert people. Noise attracts attention.
The Black Community. It is time we woke up, and stay woke. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. It is OK to be a snitch, when you save life. Why should criminals operate under a deceitful code of silence to harm the community? Silence is our enemy. When something harmful happens; time is of the essence. Instead of allowing our lives to be taken. Help save our lives. Black lives matter not only for the police, but in our communities as well. Again, if you see something, say something. Take a license plate number, get a description. See which direction they are heading. We know all blacks are not the same. Worst yet, slavery threw all these warring tribes together. Some black faces are disgraces. They don’t mean Blacks any good. The Black Community has to get back to what worked for us. Our community always looked out for each other. It worked, let’s get back to the basics again Black Community i.e., looking out for each other. If you see a child walking down the block, everyone should be looking out of the window to watch the child pass your house safely until that child gets home. Look out for these women and children in the community. Don’t let anyone make them pry. Form block clubs, watch parties, etc., to keep the bad elements out no matter what ethnicity.
More safety tips
First, I am no expert on safety, but I just want to impart to you some safety things I do. I want you to feel free to add to these safety tips OK.
Listen. Stop walking in the streets. You are an easy target as cars drive by you. Stay on the sidewalk. Stay further away from the streets on the sidewalk as you can. Remember earlier I said always keep your head in a swivel and look around. If it even looks like a car is slowing down, where you are, because you are further away from the streets, they have to get out to try to get you. This will give you time to run, and holler your ass off, and blow your whistle.
Fall down on the street or wherever you are, so they have to drag you, as opposed to hurriedly snatching you. Drop and blow that whistle if you can’t run. Remember how children fall out and have temper tantrums. Have one. Fall out!!!
Wherever you go look for a way out. Look for an exit.
Get a family and friend code word
Blow a whistle.
Walk in twos.
Parents who are home, get back to waiting on the corner for your child. If you all did this, you become a watch group in the black community.
Don’t ever let anyone force you to walk away from the public’s view, because you may never come back. No matter if they have a weapon. Don’t!!!!! Don’t be compliant with someone who is taking you away to harm you.
If you have to use a restroom, go to a public restroom. Not an alley.
Always be careful when you go into a women’s washroom now.
Do not let anyone get too close to you. If a car pulls up close to you and someone hops out. RUN. BLOW YOUR WHISTLE, OR FALL OUT!!.
If you run and they run after you, run to someone’s home and try to bust or knock on their window. They may never respond to your cry for help, but they will damn sure come out when you mess with their window. Blow that whistle.
Stop walking in the streets. If you walk on the side walk stay furthest away from the street as possible. As least that way if a car pulls up and they jump out, you have a reaction time, as they have to use more time to get to you. If a car is turning while you are waiting at the curb, move back from the curb so you are not in snatching distance. Look up self-defense classes in your area. If there are none, get together with other Black women in the area to organize, Black Women’s Safety self-defense classes.
When you go to your car, and if a van is parked next to your car. Go back to the store, and wait until the van moves, or be armed just in case that van door pulls open. If you meet someone who does not talk or understand English, proceed no further. If you don’t understand them, keep arm’s length distance. Better safe than sorry.
In ending, these are safety tips from the bottom of my heart to help us help each other. Too many Black Women and Girls are coming up missing. No one cares about us. We have to start looking out for each other. Again I am not an expert, and if you have any safety tips you would like to share with Black communities women and children, please feel free to do so. Remember JUFU (Just Us For Us)
Photo by Eloise Ambursley on Unsplash
Written by: Versie C. McClay©BEWARE2018
Black Women#, as well as our children need to begin to carry a whistle as well. Wal-Mart is one of the stores that carry emergency whistles. Try different varieties. Whichever one makes the most noise. Remember noise generates attention. Criminals thrive on silence. Give these to your children, and carry these whistles yourselves.