Yesterday, the media and internet were set ablaze when an old video of Chicago rapper Lil Reese surfaced, showing him and a friend violently punching and stomping his teenage girlfriend into the ground. Although, the young emcee tried to shrug off the swift backlash, he was rightfully bombarded with criticism from media and fans alike.
However, Reese’s disturbing beating is just the latest incident in a dark trend of violence against black women, both behind closed doors and in the public eye.
But, just as damaging as the numerous cases of abuse and violence that we will never see and that will, tragically, never be reported, is the psychological effect of seeing black women abused on camera, online and in stories on a regular basis.
From reality TV shows, to viral uppercut videos, and even the way negative terms are use to describe black women in the media, there seems to be a certain level of comfort in society with seeing black women be degraded, beaten and subjugated.
Tragically, this trend may never come to an end as long as apathetic black people deem it okay for black women to be treated in such a manner. And, unfortunately, this isn’t the first time something like the beating has happened. Check out some other famous acts of violence against black women below. – nicholas robinson
