Recently, Black news and media spaces noticed an uptick of Black femicide with the recent murders of notable Black women in the U.S. When this occurs, it brings to question the many Black female homicides that go unnoticed, uncounted for, and denied media attention. Often, Black femicide occurs through a male intimate partner and/or family member.
Jamilah Jones, a 33-year-old Black woman who works for a creative nonprofit organization, spoke with Our Weekly to share her thoughts about the recent rise of Black femicide.
“When I hear stories like this, the first thing I think about are the families, especially the kids. My heart goes out to them because that’s such a heavy thing to carry. And as a Black woman, it’s just the reality that Black women are not protected—we’re the least protected people, and it feels like we’re disposable.” said Jones. She continued, “If we’re not even protected, how are they really going to shine light on the issues that impact us?”
Chief Legal and Program Officer of Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women, Gretta Gardner, spoke about the notion of Black femicide being a trend on the rise vs. a long-standing crisis, as many media outlets constantly frame it as something new.
“It’s not a trend—it has been consistent. It’s getting some media attention now, which is rare. One of the reports we like to follow—and unfortunately it’s no longer in rotation—is “When Men Murder Women” by the Violence Policy Center,” she said.
She continued, “In 2023 they did a 25-year report. So, I have a friendly debate with the word ‘trend,’ because we’ve always had high femicide rates; it’s just that no one’s been paying attention.”
In April the recent deaths of Dr. Cerina Fairfax, Ashlee Jenae, Devonta Curtis, Barbara Deer, Nancy Metayer Bowen, among many other Black women, have garnered media attention in Black spaces online, but like many stories of violence against Black women, Black community members still advocate and suggest that mainstream media refuse to give Black femicide its proper coverage.
“Why is this not being covered? I don’t think anyone would be shy to admit the reason is, in all cases, when it comes to things impacting us, Black women are always the least covered. It stems from racism and the feeling that we’re disposable—like we’re not really part of this country or this world,” said Jones.
A few recent deaths, among many
Dr. Cerina Fairfax, a dentist and wife of former lieutenant governor of Va. Justin Fairfax, died by gun violence months after filing for divorce. She was 49 years old at the time of her passing. Her college friend, Elizabeth Spiers, shared in a Vanity Fair commentary that Cerina installed home cameras for safety after the divorce filing. Spiers alleged that Justin Fairfax purchased a gun with funds meant for their children’s activities and used it to kill Cerina. This event follows Justin Fairfax’s political career pause due to sexual assault allegations, which he denied. Spiers also suggested marital strain due to Justin’s drinking habits.
Social media influencer Ashlee Jenae, 31, was found dead in a hotel room in Zanzibar. Her death occurred after being moved to a separate hotel room after an argument with her fiancé, Joseph Isaacc McCann, during their trip celebrating her birthday. Initial reports of suicide by hanging were contradicted by autopsy findings of an “unidentified mark” on her neck, indicating death by cerebral hypoxia due to being strangulation/suffocation. McCann is currently held by authorities as an investigation proceeds.
Nancy Metayer Bowen, 38, vice mayor of Coral Springs, Fla, was shot and killed by her husband, Stephen Bowen, on March 31. She was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds during a wellness check after missing a city commission meeting. Her husband was arrested on suspicion of premeditated murder and has been charged with fatally shooting his wife.
Devonta Curtis, a 31-year-old Black transgender woman, was murdered in her sleep by her boyfriend, 24-year-old Deandre Bell, in her Chicago apartment on April 5. Her sister found her during a wellness check. Autopsy reports revealed multiple blunt force injuries. Bell was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Barbara Deer, 51, wife of late Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer, was killed in a murder-suicide by her 23-year-old son, Kaleb Deer, on April 14. Her body was found in her Chicago home after a family member alerted authorities via her Apple Watch notification of a fall. Authorities discovered both Barbara and Kaleb Deer deceased. Authorities suspect it was a murder-suicide. Autopsies indicated Barbara sustained three gunshot wounds to the chest, while Kaleb died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A firearm and shell casings were found at the scene.
The Data
Gretta Gardner, chief legal program officer of Ujima—The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black community—spoke to Our Weekly about the issue of Black femicide. She says that mainstream news headlines and data paint a narrative of Black men being portrayed as being more violent than other racial groups of men, when this is not factually true, as all men are capable of participating in violence against women.
“Just because Black women have higher rates of femicide does not mean Black men are more violent than other men. Other men [of other racial backgrounds] are just as violent—there may be fewer homicides because other women have more resources, and those resources are more accessible,” said Gardner.
Multiple factors contribute to Black femicide, such as intimate partner violence (IPV), a lack of resources to successfully leave an abusive partner, financial instability, gun violence, and misogynoir. Intimate partner violence is a pattern of abuse that stems from a romantic relationship and incorporates types of behavior such as physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC).
As of 2026, data shows that Black women are being murdered at a rate four times more than white women; Black women are killed by gun violence from men at a rate disproportionate to their share in the U.S. female population, which was 14 percent in 2011 and as of 2024 has increased to 30 percent, according to the Violence Policy Center.
Gardner then spoke about the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and despite its creation to help protect women through providing funding for resources for survivors of domestic violence, it still cannot help Black women combat a system that is not designed to protect them.
“The Violence Against Women Act brought money for programming and specialized units, but they weren’t built for us. They weren’t designed for us. So when Black women try to use protection orders, criminal charges, police, or shelters, there are immense barriers—and you’re left without a safety net, without resources, and without consequences for the person who uses violence,” she said.
According to data from Everytown for Gun Safety, referenced by Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community, nearly 40 percent of Black women have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual assault, or homicide at some point in their lives. Key findings indicate that Black women between the ages of 18 and 34 are five times more likely than white women to be murdered by men and that IPV and gun violence are the primary causes of death for these women.
67 percent of known trans homicide victims who were killed with a gun were Black women, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
The Violence Policy Center’s 2022 data shows that while firearms are used in 72 percent of domestic violence homicides in the Black community, gun violence accounts for 61 percent of domestic violence homicides. The 2023 data shows that 91 percent of Black women murdered by men in single victim/single offender situations knew their killers.
Black women’s rate of suffering from gun violence-related homicides has remained significantly higher than that of all other races during the last 25 years based on data collected in 2022 by the CDC/WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System).
Children are particularly impacted by intimate partner gun violence, which can lead to severe PTSD, behavioral issues, suicidal thoughts, and subpar academic performance, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
Black children are ten times more likely than white children to die from gun violence. Firearm killings of younger children frequently involved intimate partner or family conflict according to a 2017 Fowler report.
What are Black women saying about Black femicide?
Kai Grayson, a 30-year-old Black woman who is a screenwriter in Los Angeles, shares thoughts about the underlying critical issues that contribute to Black femicide and what can be done to prevent it from a systemic level.
“What I usually see is that the person who harms her sees himself as ‘less than’ in comparison to the Black woman who becomes the victim. It feels as if by hurting or killing us, they think they’re somehow ‘leveling up.’”
She continued, “That comes from power structures and systemic misogyny, which becomes misogynoir when it’s coming from Black men. As a woman who has dated men, we have a real fear of saying no, because we don’t know what men will do—and that’s not limited to one ethnicity. Misogynoir is a form of racialized sexism that Black women experience specifically due to their race and gender, which women of other races do not experience.
Grayson then spoke about how misogynoir and violence towards Black women is reflected through the media consumed by youth and adults. She also said messaging of violence towards girls is taught socially to boys, by way of the institution of media and also lack of education about violence against girls in schools. Ultimately, it all is intertwined, according to Grayson.
“I want to see communities of Black women and Indigenous women really thrive. Supporting each other, building our own spaces, and teaching the next generation to protect one another is how we end this—and the emotional work should always be on the people causing harm, not the victims,” said Grayson.
Jones also said that the lack of mental health support for men may be a contributing factor to Black women experiencing intimate partner violence.
“I really think mental health is a huge layer. A lot of men in relationships, to be honest, they’re not really talking to anyone, and they’re dealing with something that’s triggering them to act violent or to act in these ways. The more we seek out therapy and are able to talk to people and help ourselves mentally, I think that would definitely reduce the rate of femicide.”
She also suggested that more legal protections are needed for Black femicide to stop. “There has to be stronger legal protection and real enforcement when it comes to domestic violence.” For more information about Ujima, please visit ujimacomunity.org.
Editor’s note: Please note that interviewee Jamilah Jones’s name is an alias due to her family members and friends that are currently experiencing intimate partner violence. She seeks to protect her identity. If you or someone you know is experiencing or is in need of domestic violence, please call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799 SAFE (7233).