Solange has called out the treatment of Black women in the United States after Sonya Massey was fatally shot by the police.
The R&B singer took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday (July 23) to reflect on the tragedy and demand change in her home country.
“First words Sonya Massey said at her front door were ‘don’t hurt me,” she wrote. “She was told ‘why would we hurt you, you called us.’
“When have those words meant anything when your Black and woman in this country? When do those words protect you from not being murdered in your kitchen, in your bedroom, with your babies, or on your lawn? What is ‘reassurance,’ in this place?”
Solange added: “Rest in power Sonya Massey, and an abundance of love and power to Sonya’s family on this journey.”
Check out her powerful statement below.
first words Sonya Massey said at her front door were “don’t hurt me”
she was told “why would we hurt you, you called us”
when have those words meant anything when your black and woman in this country
when do those words protect you from not being murdered in your kitchen,…
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) July 23, 2024
Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman from Springfield, Illinois, was shot and killed by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy at her home on July 6 after calling the police for help.
Massey, whom her daughter confirmed was paranoid-schizophrenic, had called the cops because she feared that someone was trying to break into her home.
Authorities released bodycam footage of the incident earlier this week, sparking outrage.
The video shows two sheriff’s deputies, both of whom are white, searching Massey’s home and asking her for ID. One of the deputies then notices a pot of boiling water on the kitchen stove and asks Massey to remove it in case of a fire.
When one of the deputies moves away from her as she carries the boiling pot, Massey jokingly alludes to throwing it at them, saying: “I’ll rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
One of the deputies then sternly replies: “You better fucking not. I swear to God, I’ll fucking shoot you right in your fucking face.”
The same officer then pulls out his gun and aims it at Massey, who quickly apologizes and cowers behind her kitchen counter while seemingly still holding the pot of boiling water.
Moments later, he fires three shots at Massey, with one of the bullets striking her in the face below the eye.
“That’s a headshot. She’s done,” the deputy says before going to get the med kit as Massey lies on the floor “still gasping,” according to one of the officers.
Massey was later taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The officer who fired the fatal shot, Sean Grayson, has been arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He is currently being held without bond until his trial is set to begin.
These conversations are ONLY sparked if it is a white person killing a black person. When it’s the other way, no convo. When it’s a black person killing a black person, which accounts for over 93% of black murder victims, it is NEVER talked about. Using this particular situation to act as if black women are just murdered by white men or any colored cops often is misleading and ridiculous. Black people actually kill more cops annually than cops kill blacks. Look it up.
This case was about mental illness, not racism. The only way to improve upon what happened here is to address how we deal with the mentally ill, not race bait and pretend this was a racist murder.
The bitch legit alluded to throwing a boiling pot of water on someone. Wtf thus got to do with being black? Can’t joke about causing possibly deadly burns on someone.
How we deal with the mentally ill in thus country is disgusting! Just get rid of all of em. Same way you put down a dog with an illness. Yes, that includes transgenders.
More whites get killed by the cops all honesty, more blacks get killed by other blacks by vast percent. Racism and all forms of ism exist but it’s not 1920 Mississippi bro. Rip this woman all could’ve been prevented if We have better mental health treatment and access and cops teachers first responsers are trained with a raise on how to deal with such people. No joke it’s more prevalent idk if it’s society, processed foods or mixture of such. Back in the day there was special needs 1 on 1 ECT now days cause half the class now has a learning mental or behavior disability your avg public service worker is a part time casework, counselor as well
This isn’t about Black on Black crime. This is about people who are supposed to be upholding the law breaking the law in the most egregious and cowardly ways. This is about extrajudicial murder. It’s why there’s also an uproar when Black cops are the perpetrators as well. See Baltimore and Tennessee.