If no one has told you today: I love you and I see you, sis.
Regardless of our sexual orientation, economic status, religious beliefs, and marital status, Black women remain the most neglected, unprotected, and disrespected people in America and you, my good sister, deserve better. I deserve better. And so did 19-year-old activist Oluwatoyin "Toyin" Salau, who was recently found murdered in Tallahassee after tweeting the details of her sexual assault.
Here's what you need to know:
Oluwatoyin Salau Fought Relentlessly For Black Lives
Toyin was originally reported missing on June 6 and was subsequently found dead alongside 75-year-old AARP volunteer Victoria Sims by authorities after being missing for eight days. The teenager was a vocal member of the Black Lives Matter movement in Tallahassee and relentlessly pulled TF up for victims of police brutality, including trans man, Tony McDade, who was fatally shot and killed by police officers, until the time of her death.
Oluwatoyin Salau Was Seeking Refuge Before Her Death
Hours before her disappearance, Toyin penned a series of tweets that quickly gained traction and ultimately triggered a statewide search for the young activist. Toyin, estranged from family and without resources, explained that upon searching for refuge, she encountered a man who she initially suspected to be a good samaritan. The teenager shared that although she found shelter at a nearby church, she was ultimately forced to leave in order to "escape unjust living conditions." She wrote:
"He came disguised as a man of God and ended up picking me up from nearby Saxon Street. I entered his truck only because I carry anything to defend myself not even a phone (which is currently at the church) and I have poor vision. I trusted the holy spirit to keep me safe.'
Oluwatoyin Salau Tweeted The Details Of Her Assault
Shortly after, Toyin described being violated, an experience that she became familiar with while navigating life as a homeless teenager. Her tweets continued:
"Once I saw he was asleep I escaped from the house and started walking from Richview Road to anywhere else. All of my belongings my phone my clothes shoes are all assumably at the church where I've been trying to track since I sought spiritual guidance/ refuge. I will not be silent. Literally wearing this man's clothes right now DNA all over me because I couldn't locate his house the moment I called the police because I couldn't see."
...Which Later Helped Authorities Locate A Suspect
While information from her tweets was unable to help authorities find Toyin before her untimely death, they did help police locate 49-year-old Aaron Glee Jr., a suspect who is now being investigated for double homicide and was accused of sexual assault as early as a week before her disappearance.
"Mid 40's lives in a gray painted duplex apartment style house drives a white clean Silverado Chevrolet truck."
The 19-year-old activist was described by friends as "brave" and "passionate" soul who damn sure didn't deserve to die by the hand of a man whose freedoms she was fighting to preserve. Toyin's story is only one of the heartbreaking tales that reminds us that Black women are a national treasure that deserve to be protected and heard at all costs.
As we mourn the deaths of our many sisters who have been silenced by police brutality, domestic violence, and internalized misogyny alike, please don't forget to say their names:
Featured image by Twitter.
Among the many individuals who battle severe asthma, Black women face a unique set of challenges. It's not uncommon for us to go years without a proper diagnosis, and finding the right treatment often requires some trial and error. Thankfully, all hope is not lost for those who may be fighting to get their severe asthma under control. We spoke with Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq. and Jania Watson, two inspiring Black women who have been living with severe asthma and have found strength, resilience, and a sense of purpose in their journeys.
Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq.
Juanita Ingram has a resume that would make anyone’s jaw drop. On top of being recently crowned Mrs. Universe, she’s also an accomplished attorney, filmmaker, and philanthropist. From the outside, it seems there’s nothing this talented woman won’t try, and likely succeed at. In her everyday life, however, Juanita exercises a lot more caution. From a young age, Juanita has struggled with severe asthma. Her symptoms were always exacerbated by common illnesses like a cold or flu. “I've heard these stories of my breathing struggles, but I remember distinctly when I was younger not being able to breathe every time I got a virus,” says Ingram. “I remember missing a lot of school and crying a lot because asthma is painful. I [was taken] to see my doctor often if I got sick with anything so I was hypervigilant as a child, and I still am.”
Today, Juanita says her symptoms are best managed when she’s working closely with her care team, avoiding getting sick and staying ahead of any symptoms. Ingram said she’s been blessed with skilled doctors who are just as vigilant of her symptoms as she is. While competing in the Mrs. Universe competition, Juanita took extra care to stay clear of other competitors to ensure she didn’t catch a cold or virus that would trigger her severe asthma. “I would stand off to the side and sometimes that could be taken as ‘oh, she thinks she's better than everybody else.’ But if I get sick during a pageant, I'm done. I had to compete with that in mind because my sickness doesn't look like everybody else's sickness.”
Even when her symptoms are under control, living with severe asthma still presents challenges. Juanita relies on her strong support system to overcome the hurdles caused by a lack of understanding from the public, “I think that there's a lot of lack of awareness about how serious severe asthma is. I would [also] tell women to advocate and to trust their intuition and not to allow someone to dismiss what you're experiencing.”
Jania Watson
Jania, a content creator from Atlanta, Georgia, has been living with severe asthma for many years. Thanks to early testing by asthma specialists, Jania was diagnosed with severe asthma as a child after experiencing frequent flare-ups and challenges in her day-to-day life. “I specifically remember, I was starting school, and we were moving into a new house. One of the triggers for me and my younger sister at the time were certain types of carpets. We had just moved into this new house and within weeks of us being there, my parents literally had to pay for all new carpet in the house.”
As Jania grew older, she was suffering from fewer flare-ups and thought her asthma was well under control. However, a trip back to her doctor during high school revealed that her severe asthma was affecting her more than she realized. “That was the first time in a long time I had to do a breathing test,” she describes. “The doctor had me take a deep breath in and blow into a machine to test my breathing. They told me to blow as hard as I could. And I was doing it. I was giving everything I got. [My dad and the doctor] were looking at me like ‘girl, stop playing.’ And at that point [it confirmed] I still have severe asthma because I've given it all I got. It doesn't really go away, but I just learned how to help manage it better.”
Jania recognizes that people who aren’t living with asthma, may not understand the disease and mistake it for something less serious. Or there could be others who think their symptoms are minor, and not worth bringing up. So, for Jania, communicating with others about her diagnosis is key. “Having severe asthma [flare-ups] in some cases looks very similar to being out of shape,” she said. “But this is a chronic illness that I was born with. This is just something that I live with that I've been dealing with. And I think it's important for people to know because that determines the next steps. [They might ask] ‘Do you need a bottle of water, or do you need an inhaler? Do you need to take a break, or do we need to take you to the hospital?’ So, I think letting the people around you know what's going on, just in case anything were to happen plays a lot into it as well.”
Like Juanita, Jania’s journey has been marked by ups and downs, but she remains an unwavering advocate for asthma awareness and support within the Black community. She hopes that her story can be an inspiration to other women with asthma who may not yet have their symptoms under control. “There's still life to be lived outside of having severe asthma. It is always going to be there, but it's not meant to stop you from living your life. That’s why learning how to manage it and also having that support system around you, is so important.”
By sharing their journeys, Juanita and Jania hope to encourage others to embrace their conditions, obtain a proper management plan from a doctor or asthma specialist like a pulmonologist or allergist, and contribute to the improvement of asthma awareness and support, not only within the Black community, but for all individuals living with severe asthma.
Read more stories from others like Juanita and Jania on Amgen.com, or visit Uncontrolled Asthma In Black Women | BREAK THE CYCLE to find support and resources.
