Who protects Black girls?

Malcolm X said it best so many years ago. And his words are constantly proven still today, ad nauseam.

“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman,” Malcolm said.

Albeit Aaliyah (and all other RK victims), Anita Hill, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Megan da Stallion, the list goes on and on… Now Cassie… A Black woman emerges with the courage to tell her story, and she proceeds to be dogged, not only by the outside, but solidly from the inside, from her People. The voices are so incredibly loud from within that dog, disrespect and drag these women that the outside voices don’t even matter.

Those voices are far quieter when it comes to supporting them and uplifting them through what they’ve experienced and lived through. And that’s indicative of so much that is wrong within our community, exactly what Malcolm described. Today, those women become click bait. The men are forgiven. The women are forsaken.

My biggest takeaway from the latest “scandal” with Cassie and Diddy, or whatever his damn name is… His toxic behavior towards women and people in general is very well documented. Cassie met him when she was a child, 19 years of age. That child fell into a predator’s den that succumbed years of her life. Now, as a seemingly functional adult, she has seemed to process what she lived through and now wants closure and retribution. I can relate. I was an adult before I could speak on the sexual abuse I experienced as a child. I didn’t have the strength or courage until I was older to put language to what I had been through.

Relating back to the music/entertainment industry, in my view Cassie’s situation is similar to what happened with Aaliyah. Unfortunately, Aaliyah tragically didn’t live long enough to truly tell her story or to receive any sort of retribution. Fortunately, her abuser is now getting what he deserves. But in both the case of Aaliyah and Cassie, neither of these young girls had anyone in their lives to protect them. That is clear. And their predators, RK and Diddy, chose them and pounced on them for that exact reason, no doubt.

Nonetheless, those men, today, seem to have more vocal defenders than detractors. Perhaps there are more of them in action than there are those of us who care enough for and are willing to defend the Black woman. Such a sad reality!

I repeat…

“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” — Malcolm X