Black People Don’t Hang Themselves From Trees
Suspicious Deaths Spur Outrage
I’m a white woman, so I’m by no means an authority on Black culture. I can also acknowledge that Black people are not a monolith, and making broad statements spanning the entire race is bound to run into some uncertain ground. But I think it’s important, as we see a rash of Black bodies hanging from trees, to listen to Black people and to uplift their message. The Black community is raising alarm bells.
We also must remember the not-all-that-distant history of Black people hung from trees by measure of sport or leisure in this country, and recall that the official explanation was often suicide—even during the height of Jim Crow as postcards were sold with gruesome images of the Strange Fruit. Still today, as grieving families cry out for thorough investigations, these deaths are often ruled a suicide within just a couple of hours or days. The cases are closed, and the families get no answers.
This is not to say that no Black person could ever hang themself, even from a tree. It’s just extremely unlikely given the historical trauma Black people have faced in this country. This is a sentiment based in reality, not just vibes, and has been meticulously documented. A comprehensive report released this year documents 25 years of suspicious Black deaths. A Crimson Record (homage to “A Red Record” by Ida B. Wells) has found at least 70 documented deaths of Black people in the U.S. which were quickly ruled suicides and swept under the rug from 2000-2025 across seven states. When it comes to hangings, Black people are extremely unlikely to choose this method of suicide. And yet, we have at least six people in the first 8 months of this year alone, three within one month, demonstrating a glaring inconsistency with the statistical unlikelihood that all of these deaths were self-imposed.
Kyle Bassinga - February 2026
Juliana Nzita - May 2026
Tonea Miller - June 2026
Jerard Jackson - June 2026
Justice Kai James - June 2026
Tasia Fortune - August 2026
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Listen to the Black Community:
Black creators and community members are clear about their intuition and understanding of these kinds of events. That’s not to say all Black people hold the same position; but that the community by and large is speaking in relative unison. White people must center this message over our own.
We must respect their wishes. When the family of a victim makes a request, we must honor it.
Donate to funds intended to honor the dead, and facilitate further investigation than what the state might lend. Share, and recommend people you know to do the same if they can.
Demand Accountability:
We must lend our voices to the same causes, missions, and demands. As authorities continue to sweep these deaths under the rug; as they continue to ignore the outcries and the sorrow of friends and family members; and as they attempt to silence calls for justice, we must raise our voices and stand to support the Black community.
Solidarity is more than a fist in the air or a blacked out profile picture. It’s attention. It’s action. It’s advocacy. It’s support. We must show solidarity to our friends, neighbors, and community members.
ICE Moves to Purchase Electric Gloves
The Death Toll Rises
We’re up to at least 32 deaths in ICE custody and during ICE raids and investigations this year. That’s the record set last year, and we still have four months left in this one.
A new tool at the disposal of ICE officers will deliver electric shocks with the push of a button on a pair of gloves. They’re being pitched as an alternative to deadly force. But the devices are capable of delivering up to 380volts of electricity. All it can take is sweaty skin or an open wound for that kind of shock to bypass the skin barrier and deliver a current to the heart, becoming deadly. It’s not unlikely for someone struggling with an ICE officer to be sweaty and/or injured. And what of those with heart conditions or other medical sensitivities to electric shock? Are we expecting ICE to know intuitively who might be at a higher risk during an altercation? Detainees are often in dire medical condition at ICE facilities and have faced extreme medical neglect. Are we expecting a new sense of medical awareness going forward with the use of these gloves?
The manufacturer equates the shock to a bee sting, but videos of the gloves downing large men in police demonstrations prove that description to be an understatement. There are multiple lawsuits for deaths of prison inmates after use of the gloves. And ICE doesn’t exactly have a record of responsible use of the tools at their disposal.
It’s also worth mentioning the no-bid contract for $20 million to purchase this equipment. Our tax dollars are working hard to subject people to what some in the U.S. have already experienced as torture devices.
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Protect Yourself:
As these devices are rolled out (by March of next year), know when you might be at a higher risk of encountering an agent donning them. Unlike tasers, the devices require direct contact to bare skin to work, so wear thick layers with long sleeves. Full coverage rubberized fabrics like Raincoats, or even denim and leather clothing can prevent an electrical current from being delivered.
Stay Vocal:
Demonstrate your outrage and call for these tools to be outlawed. They have resulted in deaths before even being launched by ICE. Make sure your local police departments and prison systems don’t use them. If they do, speak out.
Make sure your state and federal representatives understand that you do not support the use of these weapons and call for a state and national ban.
The War in Iran
No End in Sight
The U.S. has threatened new sanctions against any country who does business with Iran. Iran has said that any state that joins our sanctions will be considered an enemy and promises to respond in kind. Their foreign minister has mocked our economic policies as backfiring against us with a boomerang meme.
Iran is already under immense sanctions and analysts have questioned the likelihood of further sanctions producing any desired result. They say that Trump hasn’t learned from his predecessors.
Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln is finally heading home from it’s time in the war after a record 9-month deployment. Typical naval deployments are 3, sometimes 6 months. Reports of poor conditions and sailors attempting suicide by jumping overboard spurred Trump to comment that the deployment didn’t last “nearly long enough,” demonstrating a remarkable lack of respect for our soldiers even as they’re deployed in his war of choice. According to new official totals, 18 Americans have been killed, and more than 600 have been wounded in this illegal war.
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Don’t Look Away:
As the war wages on, don’t turn away. Keep an eye on the deaths and the treatment of our troops as the war that was supposed to last days or weeks stretches into months.
Talk About it:
Make sure your friends and family know about the sacrifices being made. Deaths are just the tip of the iceberg. Injuries and the strain on our troops as they’re forced into poorly planned operations and deployments will have lasting impacts on them and their families.
There is no exit plan. There is an inexplicable lack of strategy of foresight to this war which is jeopardizing our troops and negatively impacting our economy. Don’t let that slip from conversations on the conflict.
Trade Wars Escalate
Canada Promises to Retaliate
Trade negotiations with Canada collapsed at the last minute. Canada claims we made unreasonable demands at the latest round of negotiations, while our officials claim it was them who issued demands. Neither side went into detail, but a new round of 50% tariffs will affect 5% of Canada’s exports to the U.S., about $20 billion in goods including agricultural products as our farmers continue to struggle under tariff policies.
Canada is promising to respond dollar-for-dollar as soon as September 8th and has specifically promised to target steel, dairy, appliances, and agricultural equipment, among other products.
These tariffs stack on top of existing policies, including ones Trump issued last month among unproven accusations of forced labor. It’s an ongoing pattern of escalating trade wars amidst rising prices for Americans. Trump does not care about Americans’ finances. He’s said so himself. And his tariff policies appear to come with little to no strategic goals. The Negotiator-in-Chief continues to fail to negotiate trade policies that benefit the American people.
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Let Your Dollars Talk:
Support small businesses. Shop local when you can, especially when you know small business owners in your community don’t support this administration.
Reduce and Reuse. Withhold your dollars whenever possible. Reduce your overall spending if possible, and reuse what products you can as much as you can. Not only will this help balance your budget, it’ll also improve the environmental impact of your spending choices.
Encourage your friends and family to do the same. But keep in mind that not everyone has the privilege of making the same choices. Do what you need to do while doing what you can to limit your support for large corporations and MAGA-friendly businesses.
If you can help someone in need, do that. Donate to food pantries and local resale shops. We need to stick together within our communities.
Additional Thoughts
As always, keep your heads up. Stick together and stand united against hatred, bigotry, and fascist policies. Stay informed to the best of your ability while protecting your mental and emotional health. Stay involved, or get involved, but don’t burn yourself out. It can be tempting to dive all the way in when given the opportunity, but always make time to tend to yourself and your loved ones.
Let me know if there are any stories you’d like to see highlighted in future issues.
Around this time next month I’ll be giving birth for the first time. I’ll try to stay on schedule, but if next month’s issue is late, that’ll be why. It’ll come.
Keep fighting,
Brandi MV