Professor Beth Richie Quoted in Murder and Abuse Trial
Professor Beth Richie of the Departments of Criminology, Law and Justice and African American Studies was quoted in a Defender Network article about a case involving an African Amercian woman being set free after being jailed for the murder of her ex-husband. Professor Richie comments on the implications of the Black Lives Matter movement and how it may give rise to ideas about women’s rights.
Beth Richie comments in the article, that “historically, violence against black women has not been taken as seriously as violence toward white middle-class women. When black women act in self-defense, she said, they are more likely to be seen as culpable for their actions, instead of as victims.
“‘It’s a version of ‘black lives just don’t matter as much,’’ Richie said. ‘And black women’s lives in particular don’t matter as much, especially when it causes the death of another person.’"