Say Her Name. Her Children Will For The Rest of Their Lives.

Korryn Gaines. That’s her name. She’s one of the many black women killed in police shootings over the past few months. She’s also a case that will most likely become buried under the mass of media scrutiny, much like other cases Laronda Sweatt and Janet Wilson.

Korryn Gaines was 23 years old when she was shot and killed, holding both her 5-year old son and what appears to be a Mossberg 12-gauge pistol grip shotgun. This was how the 5-hour stand-off ended when the firefight broke out. The police and SWAT team that invaded the home had no body cameras, as their body cam system was still in it’s early stages, and had also shut down all social media of Korryn’s because she had been taking video of the invasion.

“The consequence of the law’s gender-biased treatment of violence is to place women in a double bind.” — Lucinda Peach

There is a lack of legal protections for women in “private” violence that they have to go through at the hands of men and serves to foster social attitudes that women are helpless victims who are not valued enough or who do not deserve effective protection from violence. Gaines was a victim of domestic violence, and, on top of that, also developmentally disabled as a result of lead poisoning.

She also encountered police brutality earlier this year in March because of traffic stop violation. She had a license plate made of cardboard that had the following written on it: ‘Any government official who compromises this pursuit to happiness and right to travel, will be held criminally responsible and fined, as this is a natural right to freedom.’

Earlier in the month, she had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and her license plates and cell phones were stolen. Gaines resisted arrest and was forcibly removed from her vehicle, not even getting a chance to explain all of that. Shortly after she was confined in isolation and was denied many of her legal rights as she was imprisoned. This serves further to prove that she lacked the agency to defend herself from violence.

And thus, the double bind is completed. The law, made by men and for men, insured that she would always remain a victim to the violence that followed her to the body bag she has been placed in.

All of these actions by police put into question the way they abuse the law in their favor. Social media often gives us leverage and the ability to give the other side of the story in which others, with society’s “higher authority”, have the capability to override and make the law bend to their will.

Although Gaines was armed during the standoff, there was no reason to shut down her social media and there was no reason for the invasion as she was not threatening her own child or anyone else in any way. The negotiations could have come out fine, but I guess the police wanted it their way. To them, it just means another black woman off the “streets” right? Violence is male, whether we like it or not. Unless we do something about it, Gaines and all other black female or minorities will forever be buried under media scrutiny.

Korryn Gaines. That’s her name. Say her name. #SayHerName