Voices from the Sidelines: Black Women’s Experiences of Police Use of Excessive Force

Black women are at unique risk of being victimized directly and vicariously by police brutality. Yet, prominent narratives surrounding anti-Black police brutality center the systematic criminalization of Black men or engage the matter from a gender-neutral perspective. To focus greater attention on the harm and violence inflicted on Black women by police brutality, this study engaged semi-structured focus group interviews with 18 Black emerging adult women to explore their experiences of police use of excessive force. The findings revealed four primary themes and several subthemes. Primary themes elucidate mechanisms of harm, experiences of emotional captivity within a police state, historical continuities: policing as a modern plantation system, and the reclamation of power through critical consciousness. Implications for policing systems, mental healthcare, and community-based healing are discussed.