Say Her Name
Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salau’s Story and Cautionary Tale
Please Note: Every dime that I earn from this piece and related pieces will be put in a fund to help pay for housing and supplies for homeless youth. I will post the link to the fund and more details soon.
I am writing this piece because as Clarkisha Kent so eloquently said, “I believe I am duty-bound to witness all of the stories so that they do not die a second death.” (WearYourVoiceMag.com)
We must remember and say her name Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salau! She joins a growing list of Black women like Breonna Taylor, who’s lives senselessly and tragically ended. I have to admit, when I saw Pamela Turner’s shooting, something shifted. All the lost lives are weighing on me…I guess seeing her struggle was so jarring that it made me hyper aware of my own mortality as a Black woman. I thought about the lack of safety and security for Black and brown women in and out of our communities. So many Black activists and authors have written legendary works on the subject, like:
Sonia Sanchez’s “Wounded In The House Of A Friend”
Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”
