Speaking Out As a Black Woman Brings Death Threats from Trump Supporters
By: Jeanette C. Espinoza
Tags: Women, Congress, Equality, Racism, Republican Party

Elevating the voice and concerns of Black women is imperative to securing our safety in this country.

Our voices need to be heard, taken seriously, and validated across all parts of America. The fact that we live in a country where members of society would call an elected official to pose death threats or spew racist comments without pause speaks volumes for the overall lack of humanity. Add to the fact that the victim was a Black woman and the bar for maintaining human decency drops even lower.

The outrage expressed towards Rep. Johnson should have been outrage voiced in support of her safety and of anti-racism. The examples are far too plentiful where racist acts are dismissed, the culprits are not publicly reprimanded, and the victim is left to carry the burden of proof for the violence she experienced. We should not have to wait until these types of threats are acted on and risk the loss of human life. Black women deserve more and we deserve it NOW, not later.

We are doing our part in the effort to secure our safety and value in America. For hundreds of years, Black women have been at the forefront of every protest, every rally, every uprising, and every organized meeting to discuss racism and define ways to combat it. We are effective when we come together and join forces, but this is not a condition we created and we should not be tasked with solving it alone.

There must be advocates from the majority population to also take the stance of ensuring that all women receive the same protection, the same reverence, and the same level of respect in this country. I write a series of articles entitled “Dear White Women” that some find offensive, but the point of my articles is to drive home the reality that a White woman’s voice carries more weight in America. And when the lives of Black women are on the line, we need to work together to achieve true equality and autonomy for everyone. We answered the call to fight for women’s rights, and the “American way” would be to return the favor.

If this country insists on billing itself as the land of the free, it is 400 years overdue to actually practice what it preaches. Black people are not free in this country and Black women continue to receive “bottom of the barrel” treatment at every level of this society.

Rep. Johnson has continued to report to her job and fulfill her commitments as an elected official without skipping a beat. She is able to see beyond her current circumstances and stay focused on the task at hand, which is ensuring she is serving the people of her district to the best of her ability. Even in the face of her immediate safety being put in danger, she marches on, still posting on Facebook and still speaking her unapologetic truth about the world around her. Black women have long since learned we don’t have the luxury to hide from adversity nor do we have much protection from it. Instead, we must gather ourselves, rely on faith to get us through the day and dodge the verbal — and sometimes physical — bullets that come our way in the form of racism and oppression.

Rep. Johnson’s example of resilience in the face of racism and disrespect is a message to the world that a Black woman is not easily broken and racist voicemails will hardly get the job done. Better people have tried and failed miserably. This is a new day and Black women are exhibiting different energy that only grows stronger with each challenge. We will not be intimidated, we will not be disrespected, and we will not be silenced when actions are taken against us. Although we came to this country by force and not by choice, we are Americans have every right to exercise the benefits of our citizenship just like anyone else. Rep. Johnson rose to the occasion to defend herself and her position, and there are millions of Rep. Johnsons in this world to be reckoned with.