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Source: Steph Yin / Steph Yin

In recent years, the phrase #SayHerName has become a powerful global rallying cry and social media hashtag in the fight for racial justice, bringing attention to the often overlooked stories of Black women who suffer from police violence and systemic oppression. While the phrase is now widely recognized, its roots lie in a long history of grief and pain.

As we mark the 10th anniversary of this vital movement, it’s important to reflect on the journey that brought us to this point.

The Birth of the “#SayHerName.”

Coined by civil rights activist and African American Policy Forum (AAPF) founder Kimberlé Crenshaw in 2014, #SayHerName was born out of the urgent need to center the experiences of Black women victimized by police brutality and violence. While the Black Lives Matter movement had been widely recognized for drawing attention to the murders of Black men like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner, the stories of Black women …