McKinney Forces Us to Continue the Discussion About Police Violence Against Black Women and Girls

Last weekend, a video of McKinney, Texas police officer Eric Casbolt forcefully arresting and pulling a weapon on a group of black teens surfaced. After being placed on administrative leave, Casebolt resigned. Many say this is not enough. On his Huffpost Live show, Marc Lamont Hill discusses how this case forces us to recognize state violence as a women's issue too. This is a fact that black women have been trying to bring attention to for years.


Hill is joined by Emmanuel Obi, attorney who is representing Tatiana Rhodes' family; community organizer Cherrell Brown; Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African American Studies at Duke University; and Imani Perry, professor at the Princeton Center for African American Studies.

Brown notes, “We have this pool of resources, which is still limited, that goes toward radicalized violence and less than 7% of those resources are specific to black girls and black women.” She adds that in addition to violence, women also often experience rape and sexual assault. And that trans women and girls are often misgendered in the juvenile system and prisons.

“I hope that this troubling incident continues to spark the conversation and keep it going,” Brown said.

Perry notes that as a feminist, policing is of great concern to her. “What institution is more representative of domination, of controlling bodies, of exploiting bodies, or objecting bodies to sexual violence and other forms of physical violence and confinement than policing incarcerality?”

They also cover how black youth are often treated as adults, organizing efforts in McKinney, and talking with young people about how to manage interactions with police. Tune into the great discussion below.



Photo: The Huffington Post

Deonna Anderson is Junior Editor at For Harriet. You can follow her on Twitter @iamDEONNA.

Black women marc lamont hill Mckinney police brutality