BLACK FEMALES MISSING IN UK

As a child growing up in London in the late 70s and 80s there was always a child going missing. Moreover, it was regularly reported on the news that a woman had disappeared, a child vanished after going out to post a letter. The common thing was they were all white. Throughout my childhood I had only seen one person of colour, a mixed race child, last seen in a car. He went missing, and a member of the public recalled seeing someone that could have been him. I never forgot that feeling.

Now I understand the outrage that most women felt when Sarah Everard went missing and murdered. There was a powerlessness and frustration, that a Police Officer would dare to kidnap and murder. If you look at images of the protests all over London you will see the diversity of the protesters. However, the group largest protestors were white females.

Now we have a situation where Black women are going missing and turning up dead. There has already been discussions and coverage about the inequality of reporting. Joy Morgan, a 20 year old Midwifery student, missing in December 2018 and murdered by someone she knew. In 2020 Blessing Olusegun, 21 years old on a work placement in Bexhill, found dead on a beach. Sabina Ness 28 year old a Primary School Teacher, British Asian, murdered in Cator Park, in Kidbrook. Then Taiwo Balogun 53 year old, who was missing for 4 weeks. She was found in a Lake in Blue Water, Kent, December 2022.

WHERE ARE OUR PROTESTS?

There has been complaints in our communities that we have not organised or come out to protests these deaths. Our lack of enthusiasm is due to various reasons. Possibly due to the lack of media attention, so people where unaware that a protest was being organised, which is valid. Another consideration may be that many of us believe protests won’t make any difference. Or may be, while we demand that Black lives matter, we actually doubt if it does! We then complained that white women did not support us in our protests and grief.

BURNT OUT COMMUNITIES

For instance, Black people in the UK have been beaten down so much fighting with Institutional Racism and Systematic injustices. Daily we battle with negative images in the media, unfair and unequal treatment in our workplaces. Our mental health is constantly being impacted. We are burnt out fighting unless we take a break by retreating to the Caribbean or Africa. Often we just get away from these shores to fight another day. we need to seriously think about being in an environment that is detrimental to our health and our lives.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

We cannot expect the media to treat us equally, we’ll just get disappointed, so why bother. We basically need to take care of ourselves. Sabina would advise her friends not to travel unsafely, alone at night for example. But it was reported that on the night of her death she was running late and took a short cut through a park. We cannot afford to take such risks or be complacent. I know for a fact since her death women have continued to walk through that park alone at night.

KEEP IN TOUCH

I know we are adults and our family may have got used to us staying over at a friends or just not coming home. We have to check in with our family/friends and let them know where we are going. Joy Morgan was killed by someone she knew and trusted. Joy may not have told anyone where she was going because she was staying with a married man when she was killed.

ASSESS RISKS

Blessing was taking a walk late in the early hours of the morning because she couldn’t sleep, it was reported. We should be able to walk the streets, or go on the beach whenever we like but we have to be real. The reality is that we are at risk of being raped, attacked or killed if we become too complacent. Her family are still seeking answers, I pray that they find out what really happened.

BE HUMBLE – SEEK SUPPORT

Taiwo disappeared for weeks before she was reported or found. She was a mother so why did it take that long for her to be reported missing? I think people had got used to her not coming home. May be she had mental health issues may be not. Where was she during the weeks before she was found dead in a Lake? Someone must know, but someone is not talking. We have to be compassionate to our family members who may be struggling. We have to ask other family members for help and stop being martyrs. That is the whole purpose of family, to assist in times of trouble. To provide support for each other while we live.

DEFEND YOURSELVES

How do we defend ourselves? Firstly by knowing our value. We know that we wouldn’t leave our cars unlock and go shopping, even if the car is an old banger. Then why do we put ourselves at risk, taking short cuts through unlit areas, coming home alone intoxicated. We can book a taxi, call an Uber or take the bus and ask someone to meet us at the other end. Believe it or not, many women do not like to make a scene. Seriously, we could be being followed or accosted and some will not raise their voices. We need to learn to KICK UP HELL AND SHOUT LIKE A ‘MAD’ WOMAN.

Lastly, find a self-defence class in your area, guard your mental health and know that you are VALUABLE.

Let’s not take anymore chances.

Take care of yourselves and live your lives safely.

Akilah