A Note from Habeebah Remembering Sonya Massey
“That’s my mother…But even if that wasn’t my mother and I knew her, that probably would still be the best person on the planet to me. That was my superhero.”
Malachi Hill Massey, Son of Sonya Massey
Greetings Beloved Friends,
In less than a week, America will decide if the first woman of color nominated by a major party will become the first woman to be President.
To be sure, this is a historic moment in American politics but for me, when I think about Vice President Harris’ historic entry into the 2024 presidential race, another Black woman also comes to mind: Sonya Massey.
Sonya Massey was a deeply loved 36-year-old Black woman and mother who was killed by police in her home after calling for assistance. She was unarmed and suffering with lupus and end-stage renal disease. She had recently sought help for mental health concerns.
Footage of Sonya’s horrific murder was released and played on a loop amidst the fervor and excitement accompanying the announcement that Kamala Harris was entering the presidential race. However, the news cycle quickly moved on from analyses of Sonya’s tragic death and en masse, we, with our short collective attention span, moved on. But I have continued thinking about Sonya, her mother, son, and daughter with an aching heart.
The officer who threatened Sonya and then fatally shot her has been indicted. I am grateful there is a possibility for her family to receive some modicum of justice. As a community, we need national systemic change so that a higher level of accountability is possible when police, whose charge is to protect, cause such irreparable harm.
We must persist in our demands for change, which brings me back to the presidential election.
I want to see Kamala Harris, a highly qualified Black woman, become President. I have no hope for positive change in this or any other area of racial justice should her opponent take office.
I also want Black mothers, and our children, to live to realize our power and purpose. I want our days to be filled with ease, peace, and joy. And I want those seeking the highest seat in this nation and those who occupy it to say their names when Black women experience injustice.
No matter what happens in this election, we must never forget Sonya, or Breonna, or Malissa, or Tenisha, or Sandra, or any of our sisters, mothers, and daughters who have been lost to excessive police violence. I pray you’ll hold these women and their families in your heart as we await the outcome of next week’s election.
Peace and blessings,
Habeebah
November 1, 2024
