Peace and blessings everyone.  Each day, I take time to scroll through social media sites, read news stories, and listen to the local news as I prepare to go to my job. At times I become exhausted by news stories of police abuses, cold hearted murders of my people, and as of lately, political progress as candidates struggle to be the “chosen one”. I do feel it is necessary though for me to remain abreast of current events.

Presently, my eyes are watching for stories that are not making mainstream news. One story in particular that has disturbed me is the story of Wakiesha Wilson. She died in a LA detention center over the Easter holiday weekend from an alleged suicide by hanging. I am disturbed by the number of Afrikan women who have died in jails in the US over the last year. Sandra Bland is the most known but there are others: Raynetta Turner, Kindra Chapman, Joyce Curnell, and Ralkina Jones, just to name a few. What is happening to our sistars who are detained and why is there no action being taken regarding their deaths?

I am not inclined to believe that all of these women are committing suicide. If so,why? What is happening after they are booked? Where is the surveillance video showing what is happening once they are placed into holding cells? I want proof of suicide, not rulings by Coroners of another complexion telling me they offed themselves. I have so many questions and frustrations about their deaths. We are all so enthralled by presidential elections, ISIS, Belgium, and other things that we are not paying attention to what is going on right here under our noses. Someone needs to be held accountable. We cannot allow their deaths to be in vain.

The criminal justice system in the United States of Amerikkka is one of the most atrocious in regards to the treatment of Afrikan people. We are the victims of severe punishment, abuses, and mistreatment. We live in a society that is structured in such a way as to place in imminent danger of death or incarceration, sometimes both, simply by being. We have been unfairly tried and convicted numerous times for as innocent people. Now, I believe they are taking their genocidal efforts to a new level—murdering our women while in custody. I am no conspiracy theorist but there is more to these womens’ deaths than meets the eye. I went to the ACLU website to see if there were any efforts on their behalf regarding investigating the deaths of these women while incarcerated. There are none noted. And of course none of the officials, mayors, governors, etc are saying a word about the deaths.

In my heart of hearts , I cannot and will not be silent about what I view as an attack on Afrikan life. Afrikan women are the original woman. We birthed nations, we led armies, we nursed royalty. We took care of those who in turn abused us. These women (Sandra, Raynetta, Kindra, Joyce, Ralkina) deserve justice. We deserve the truth. It is frightening to think that this could happen to me. But, be advised, if I die in police custody—I did not commit suicide.

 

Hetepu,

Askaki Ali Kenyatta

The Tru Lioness

 

 

Photo Credit: abc7.com