The Code of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence within the black community is a topic that often passes through the legal justice system either unnoticed or receives massive exploitation.  To be a black women means that you are “are killed by men at more than twice the rate of white women” and yet receive little to no proper aid from the law enforcement due to your race.  In recent years, organizations have been brought to life with the intention of providing sanctuaries and hope for black women who are the victims of domestic violence.  These organizations focus on a key factor in relation to the issues of domestic violence in that they take a very intersectional approach to the issue.  The women endure not only physical and emotional violence, but they also must deal with their own beliefs that it is their duty to protect the men in their life from a system that was designed to work against, while also trying to find help for themselves.  The cruel nature of the current prison system stops many black women from reporting cases of domestic crime for they are aware that should they report their case, it would not receive the attention needed thus allowing their abuser to continue the violence which may the result in the women’s death.  In order for this issue to be alleviated, the legal justice system must support these women by extending to them quick and pinpointed aid so that the women may begin the healing process. This will not occur however until the stigma surrounding black women is wiped from society. The organizations dedicated to the cause of black women in domestic violence cases are making ground, however they cannot guarantee a woman’s safety due to shifty criminal justice laws.  The stigma and dangerous outcomes surrounding black women and reporting domestic violence must be addressed on a grand scale so that change may begin. 

Source: http://www.bet.com/news/national/2017/04/21/when-black-cracks.html