Black Women In Prison
The prison industrial complex has drastically taken the lives of people of color in mass numbers. Too often the narratives of Black men being unfairly convicted has received more attention from the media, than the narratives of Black women. Yet many Black women are also imprisoned on false accusations or penalized far more harshly than they need to be. It pains me that there are no mainstream feminist movements that focus on the discrimination that Black women face in prison.
In fact, since 1977 to 2003, there are 832% more women in prison. It has proven that Black women are six times more likely to be incarcerated than white women. Many women of color, face dehumanizing and unjust treatment within the system, which receives little public awareness. The many struggles that many imprisoned women are forced to encounter need to exposed. It is evident, that justice is not being served when considering the fact that 1 in 10 of these women experiences sexual assaults and violence within the system. In addition to that, 1 in 25 women will be expected to give birth under gruesome conditions such as wearing belly chains and handcuffs in labor, being denied of family support, and permitted to 24 hours with their infant. In fact, almost 82% of imprisoned women experienced childhood abuse. To make matters worse, 75% of black female prisoners are survivors of domestic violence and most were convicted for defending themselves.
Unfortunately, the connection of domestic violence survivors being prosecuted for defending themselves is severely overlooked. For instance, Marissa Alexander was sentenced 20 years, for firing a warning shot in defense to abuse at the hands of her husband, while she was pregnant. It is unfair that Alexander didn’t hit or harm anyone while she tried to protect herself within her own home. It baffles me that the same attorney for George Zimmerman prosecuted an innocent black woman who was protecting herself from domestic violence. Additionally, she told she should have run outside instead of ‘standing her ground’ yet, Zimmerman stalked, shot and killed an innocent Black child and was proven innocent by the same defense. Thus, leading to an even bigger issue that Black women are not always seen as members of society, which would explain why they do not have the privilege to exercise American rights.
The prison industial complex is a system of violence, punishment, coruption and racial segregation. Furthermore, as discrimination and racism prevail the pain continues and Black lives will be unfairly taken. For example, Crishaun “CeCe” McDonald is a trans woman who got sentenced 41-months for intentional manslaughter as she defended herself from a neo-nazi attack. In fact, McDonald was getting chased down by angry meth addicted white supremacist, who shouted drunk racist, transphobic slurs at her. Not only that, one of the neo-nazis named Dean Schmitz made derogatory comments at her such as,‘look at that boy dressed like a girl tucking her dick in.” Shortly after a fight broke out and Schmitz’s girlfriend slashed a bottle in McDonald’s face which resulted in 11 stitches and as the last resort she pulled out a pair of scissors to defend herself. Schmitz ended up getting stabbed and killed at the hands of CeCe McDonald although she was deeply injured from the attack, her claim of self-defense was denied.Not only the judge does not allow‘ the defense could not call an expert witness who would testify to transgender people’s experiences of violence in their everyday lives but he did not grant her the right of self defense’. In fact, the judge would not even allow the autopsy photo of Schmitz’s body which released a tattooed swastika. Despite the fact, McDonald’s lived her life as a woman she was housed in two male’s prison which increased her possibility of rape, assault, and hatred.This was no mistake the court CeCe was being punished for not dying at the hand of white supremacist violence.
Many would agree that she was a victim of a hate crime and violence against due to racism and intolerance for people who identify as transsexual. What is most disturbing, is the fact that the legal justice system did not hold one racist neo-nazi clan member responsible for the irreversible mental and physical damage they impelled on Cece McDonald.
As long as we have a prison system based on racism, sexism, classism and discrimination these common narratives about the women’s imprisonment will go on. The feminist movement needs to bring awareness to the undeniable fact that women of color are being thrown into prison at such high rates.
The cases of Marissa Alexander and CeCe McDonald are not exclusive, they are commonly repeated within the prison industrial system. There are too many Black lives being consumed and destroyed by the system and it has been overlooked and pushed aside for way too long. We need to burn down the types of the prison system that rely on white patriarchal violence, which preys on race, gender, capital, and discrimination.
