Jan 25
#SayHerName #DevonnaWalker Didn’t Deserve To Die
White People Don’t Understand, Because…They’re White
“Use WhatsApp if you need anything,” I said to Roz one night, thinking we were going to lose each other through Twitter, and the rapid changes coming about.
I’ve known Rosalyn Morris for about a year. She’s a writer and a member of Writers and Editors of Color. She’d mentioned she’d been having a hard time, and I felt bad because I’d deliberately wanted to reach out earlier and talk to her, but two things: one I was busy and two I was a bit intimidated.
I know I’m the Loud Mouth Brown Girl, but naturally, I am very gunshy when it comes to reaching out to new friends, and since I don’t have much experience being a friend to really great people, I struggle at knowing when to be there without being told.
But Roz and I exchanged numbers in case of Twitter’s inevitable downfall, and I decided I wanted this person in my life, so I reached out.
On the day that Roz’s cousin was stabbed, I sent her a message asking how she was doing. She was devastated. A friend, a love, a cousin, gone forever, because a white man decided that a woman half his size was a threat enough to stab her.
Then she told me she was a video. I warn you, the video will be hard to watch.
Police have chosen not to press charges in the case of Devonna Walker, and they’ve also decided to tell people that the reason they haven’t pressed charges, is that they are still investigating.
Even with all the witnesses, and video proof of what happened, they are choosing not to press charges.
This is my greatest fear as a person of colour who spent more than twenty years living with gangs and cults as well as domestic violence.
Each of us needs to take a serious look at the world that we’re living in and then ask ourselves if this is the world that we want to be living in.
Her name was Devonna Walker. My name is Devon. It’s not a huge leap to think that I could be next. “But Devon, you live in Canada.” Oh ho, you think we don’t have racism in Canada? I’ve reported what happened to me at least half a dozen times — to several different cops — and no one has ever investigated — publically — my case, or my claims.
I worry every single day that I am not good enough, that I am not pure enough, to warrant justice if something happens to me, and I have to, because the world has taught me that it doesn’t want people who look like me, to live here freely.
I don’t have the right to go anywhere or do anything, because I’m on disability and according to people who aren’t, this means I don’t deserve softness, I don’t deserve to spend money on a film when I should be paying bills with that money.
I can’t afford medication, and I’m at risk of losing my apartment because I live below the poverty line and my wealth and fame are minimum, so my voice isn’t as powerful as the woman who is rich and famous.
Devonna Walker was just a mom defending herself from racist comments when she was murdered. She should be seen as a victim, but instead of just being a victim, she’s a Black woman being denied justice, because she is a Black woman and I have to ask.
Where the fuck are the leaders of Black Lives Matter? We’ve lost dozens of folks recently and they are nowhere to be seen and I’m really angry about this. What makes George Floyd’s death more important than Devonna Walker’s? are we that immune to the violence already? Are we that desensitized to the trauma?
Several writers have written about Devonna Walker, so instead of posting links today, I’m going to post their articles here for you to check out.
Devonna Walker deserved better. Demand more. Say her name and never forget, Devonna Walker.
Sending all my love,
Devon J Hall, The Loud Mouth Brown Girl
