In 1962, during a speech to women, Malcolm X declared one of his most famous quotes, 

“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.”

Fifty years later, nothing much has changed.

Many women, irrespective of their race, have been murdered in cold blood; each time such horrendous acts occur, the media goes on a frenzy unless it's a Black woman.

There have been many instances of the mainstream media ignoring crimes meted out of Black Women; these include the latest murder of African American women; their names are Asia Maynard, Lauren Smith Fields and Brenda Rawls.

Besides the color of their skin, all three of them have one thing in common,

"They met their Waterloo when they went to see the men they met on dating sites

The Murder of Asia Maynard, 

On Saturday, 19th of February 2022. Asia Maynard's date, Isiah Crown, called the police to report that 

 'He found Asia unresponsive.'

According to Isiah, Asia wasn’t feeling well; he found her lying down, so he rolled her over to see if she was still alive but stiff. 

The police went over to Crown's apartment in Kansas City to confirm her death; they took her body and left.

But one remarkable act occurred that day: the police didn't deem it necessary to search for or  inform Asia's next of kin or family members of her death, instead, when Teara, Asia's older sister, came to the same police department to file missing persons report for her sister, the investigators reassured her

'that Asia would be fine and get in touch soon.'

But nothing can stay hidden forever: Asia's family eventually got to know of the demise of their sister and daughter, they still waited for the police to give them feedback on the cause of her death. 

But to their greatest dismay, the investigators returned with a statement stating that there was no foul play; there won't be any further investigations.

When it was time for Asia's family members  to see her corpse at the funeral home, they confirmed what they had long suspected;

'She was murdered.'

"Her eyes, ears and her clothes were saturated with blood."

Since the police had failed Asia, her family members took to social media to create more awareness about their sister's death.

Teara uploaded the photo of her sister alongside her date; what they discovered from people who knew Isiah Crown, Asia's date was more than they bargained for.

Floods of messages came in from Isiah Crown's ex-friends saying that there have been other instances when Isaiah gave people drugs that caused them to overdose or die.

Teara later learnt that Isiah had a different name from what Asia, her sister, initially told her. 

The Murder of Lauren Smith Fields and Brenda Rawls.

Photo Credit: Connecticut post
Shantell Fields, Lauren Smith-Fields’ mother, stands with family members during a protest rally in front of the Morton Government Center, in Bridgeport, 

Four days before Asia Maynard's death was the murder of two Connecticut women, Lauren Smith Fields and Brenda Rawls, both aged 23 and 53 respectively, who were found dead after going on a date with a man they had met on dating sites

Although the identity of Brenda Rawls date is unknown, Lauren Smith Fields date was a 37-year-old man known as Mattew LaFountain

The families of the deceased women were never notified of their death by the police; they only learnt about their death as they made inquiries of their whereabouts.

Like Isaih Crown, Mattew LaFountain Lauren's date called 911 to report that he had awakened to find her unresponsive with a nosebleed. 

The chief medical examiner's office concluded that  Smith-Fields' death was an accident resulting from "acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine and alcohol."

But all who knew Lauren insisted she didn't take drugs

Before Brenda Rawls left for date's house, she gave her loved ones her acquaintance address.

So when they waited for her and didn't see her, they stormed off to his house only for him to tell them that Brenda had died and that the coroner had picked her up.

He then handed over Brenda’s belongings to them.

These stories hardly make headlines; the reports are only made famous on social media by the victim's family members, loved ones, influencers and celebrities like Cardi B.

Cardi B was instrumental in getting the police to investigate Lauren Smith Fields' death as a crime.

As we all know, anybody can get  killed anywhere and for any reason, but there are dangers of online dating, and Black women need to be aware of them for the following reasons:

1. Your Date May Have Created a Fake profile;

Studies have shown that one out of every ten profiles on dating sites is fake, serial killers are also known to target their victims on dating apps

2. Stereotypes:

 In R. Kelly's 2008 trial, a juror voted to acquit Kelly, in his own words

“I didn’t believe them, the women. I know it sounds ridiculous. The way they dress, the way they act — I didn’t like them. I voted against and disregarded all that they said."

You don't know what opinion your date may have about you.

3. People may not believe you if you tell them you were raped or assaulted:

In 2015, Oklahoma police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was convicted of multiple counts of rape; he specifically targeted Black women with the expectation that no one would believe his victims.

4. There Is Data to Show, Black Women Are Not That Safe

According to the FBI, at least four Black women and girls were murdered per day in the United States in 2020, a sharp increase compared with 2019.

4. In a worst-case scenario, nobody will care except your loved ones.

The mainstream media and the society at large do not see the need or create awareness or publicise the murder of Black women; before George Floyd was murdered, Breona Taylor was murdered in cold blood, yet, it was swept under the rug until the news of George Floyd's death went viral.

There is still a deafening silence by the authorities and the press about Asia Maynard and Brenda Rawl's murder.

Although the dangers of online dating can never be overemphasised, there are still numerous beautiful couples who met on dating sites and are still in love with each other; make sure you look before you leap!

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Thank you!

Work Cited:

Blackburncenter.org

Link.springer.com

theguardian.com

Washington Post 

Kansas City defender

19thnews.org