I’m a little surprised you didn’t realize I’m Black, but that’s okay. What I’m still unsure about is why you think this should upset me—or why it would upset you.
There’s a very intelligent and accomplished young African American woman who explains the work she does on behalf of African Americans, and her reasoning actually mirrors what many people do in other contexts. She talks about how she decides who she advocates for and why, describing it as a kind of “triage” process—addressing the greatest harm first. She uses that analogy to help people outside that world understand her approach.
To paraphrase the idea in simpler terms: imagine three people entering an emergency room—one with a gunshot wound, one with a broken limb, and one with a nosebleed. The doctors don’t treat everyone in order of arrival; they start with the person in the most danger. In advocacy, the same principle applies—you help where the need is greatest before moving to those who are relatively stable.
That framework helps explain why advocates might focus on African Americans, particularly young Black girls, when they have historically faced some of the deepest systemic harm. It doesn’t mean others don’t deserve support—it just means the most urgent cases get attention first.
So, is your objection that more advocacy is being directed toward African American girls—or is it that you believe that kind of targeted advocacy isn’t needed anymore?
