Crimes That Haunt All Bodies

In class we discussed how Kai Miller describes both gender based violence and
racial stereotypes. Miller is able to show both sides of the scale when it comes to these
issues. He writes how negative stereotypes affect black men and the fear that they have
of being feared. Black men have to deal with being villainized in society and the impact
that white accusations may have on them. Miller implores us to understand the power
that white voices have over black lives. He mentions the time he dates a white man
ignorant of the power dynamic and gets a rude awakening in the form of a deportation
threat. In extreme cases such as Emmet Till being perceived as dangerous can lead to
danger against black men. On the other side of the scale Kei Miller discusses how
women live in fear of violence. He mentions his sister's fear in walking at night and how
he didn't understand this perceived danger. He describes the "crimes that haunt"
women's bodies and how we have to be in constant fear of possible violence. These
crimes if they ever do become a reality are blamed on women. Throughout mainstream
media and we see women's actions being analyzed in the cases of rape and murder.
Miller is able to contextualize not only the brutal actions that haunt women's body's but
also the fears that black men face. He tiptoes on the line between these two horrors and
reminds us of the importance of believing women when they talk about the crimes
committed against them and also understanding the power that white voices have. He
mentions the two extremes of Bill Cosby in which we almost go too far with the racial
justification and Emmet Till in which we don't go far enough. Miller ends the piece by
discussing black women and acknowledging how terrible the crimes that haunt our body
are. He mentions that black women that fight against both racial injustice and gender
based crimes. This fighting is rarely reciprocated when it comes to fighting against our
injustices. Our hauntings are not acknowledged or avenged like our black man or white
women counterparts. Miller opens up an interesting conversation about intersectionality.