Another young woman has been forced to suffer at the hands of the toxic masculinity that plagues our culture.

An unidentified minor pushed Taijae Edwards away last month as he tried to kiss her. He responded by punching her in the face, subsequently breaking her jaw. He has been arrested and charged with simple assault according to police reports in Steelton, PA where the incident occurred.

This is just another example in a string of violence toward black women who don’t make themselves accessible to men as requested. Just last weekend, Tiarah Poyau was shot in the face and killed by a man whom she asked to stop grinding on her at Brooklyn’s J’Ouvert festival.

While we continue to dig deep into conversation about what justice and liberation look like for black folks, the experiences of violence that black women face, often at the hands of black men, take a back seat. Despite the leadership roles that black women hold within the movement, the focus seems to remain rooted in the experiences of black men.

Now more than ever, it seems to important to remember: “Ain’t no free unless we all get free.”

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