Ma’Khia Bryant being killed by the Columbus Police Department at the time we were awaiting a #DerekChauvin verdict proves our exact point about why this case was a drop in a bucket in the criminal punishment system. We need much more than police reform. We need abolition.

There were many things the police could have done to to de-escalate what they saw as conflict. But they don’t know how. The fact that many people can’t believe that to be true means the police have convinced us that there entire job is to kill first and ask questions later.

De-escalation does NOT require or demand using deadly force.

If the police only job is to kill people, then why do we need them? We could all do that.

The fact that so many people desperately believe the police HAD to kill a young Black girl is... exactly how it seems.

Make no mistake: the fact that so many of you went from “fuck the police” to “they had to kill her” literally overnight isn’t sitting well with me particularly because you love the police and you love what’s easy, and just won’t admit it.

What’s easier? The police visibly choking out an adult Black man screaming “I can’t breathe.”

What’s harder? Seeing a video of a young Black girl swinging a knife.

The latter makes you side with the police even without us knowing more.

And it’s disingenuous.

It makes you think shooting 4 times isn’t overkill. It would be hard to honor her life—and we hate hard, we hate nuance, we hate believing young Black girls have a reason to live.

Unless you can justify it.

And I’ll be honest: that’s whiteness. Including for some of you in Black skin.

Ma’Khia deserved to be here. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise.