Dear Black Women,

The first 48 hours are known to be the most crucial in any case,
So, the community came together to make haste,
And in the hours that you fought for your life,
Black girl, you formed a new archetype of a Black life who mattered.
Denied each time we gathered,
To plead justice for Breonna Taylor,
Mercy for Sandra Bland,
And grace for Korryn Gaines,
We gained not an ounce of sympathy,
We cried our tear ducts empty,
While these messages took up residence in our mind and lived rent free…
White Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter.
All things matter if its purpose will make us feel small,
But today it was one for all and all for one.
Finally, a name was called, and it was heard…
Black girl, the world received word that you were God’s child.
A person. A woman. A daughter.
Today, the accumulated tears allowed you to swim out of troubled waters.
Today, the prayers and conviction led to your deliverance.
Today, your return home stands as vindication for the missing black women of prior generations.
Be it 480 or 48 years ago,
Within 48 hours, you disrupted the status quo,
You are not faceless.
You are not nameless.
And you are not to blame.
For the many times we chanted `Say her name’
Out of 98,000 Black women missing, it’s a relief to hear yours…
There was a collective sigh of joy…
Today the community made haste,
To spread the gospel of your story and give thanks that you are safe.