Annual March for Black Women reminds voters to fight for justice, equality ahead of election: 'We are still fighting'

On September 26, Black Women’s Blueprint hosted the fourth annual March for Black Women amid a tumultuous time for Black women in the U.S., following a grand jury’s decision not to charge the Louisville police officers who fatally shot 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in her bed.

Black Women’s Blueprint (BWB), a nonprofit organization that focuses specifically on fighting for social, political and economic equality for Black women and girls, streamed the march virtually this year. BWB said in a press release that while the pandemic might have prevented thousands from marching in Washington as has happened in previous years, “with the 2020 election on the horizon it’s more important than ever” to continue promoting BWB’s mission.

This year’s march aimed to emphasize the importance of getting out to vote and understanding how electing women of color to public office will best serve Black women’s interests. BWB advocates for reparations, fights for the rights of Black trans women and denounces the continued sexual violence made against Black women and girls.

“We march in the name of Breonna Taylor, we march in the name of Sandra Bland, we march in the name of Korryn Gaines, we march in the name of Oluwatoyin Salau, we march in the name of Tony McDade, we march in the name of Atatiana Jefferson, we march in the name of Renisha McBride and all of the other countless Black women who have been slain in our streets and in their own homes,” a narrator says to introduce the start of the virtual march.

Speakers at the event included U.S. representative Ilhan Omar, Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi and Rosa Clemente, the first Afro-Latina woman to run for Vice President.

“We are still fighting for you to add our issues to the feminist agenda, even at these modern marches where Black women remain the backbone of political protest in the 21st century,” poet Staceyann Chin said in a powerful reading during the march. “We are still swimming against the same tide of racism Black women suffragists broke through.”

The full event can be re-watched on BWB’s Facebook page here. Even though the event was free, BWB is still accepting donations to continue opening up spaces and offering services for Black women. You can donate here.

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