Black Women in San Francisco are 6% of Population but 50% of Female Arrests

A recent report released by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice revealed alarming statistics on the arrests of African American women in San Francisco. African American women only make up 6 percent of the female population in San Francisco, but according to the report they make up 50 percent of female arrests and are arrested at rates 13 times higher than women of other races.

This disparity in arrests rates has been on the rise over the past 35 years. In 1980 Black women were arrested at rates 4.1 times higher than women of other races.  Today, Black women are being arrested at rates 34 times higher for narcotics, 31 times higher for prostitution, and 17 times higher for traffic violations.

Although disparities in arrests rates are raising, the report concludes by saying these rates are not due to increased crime by Black women.

Black women in San Francisco have been coming together to fight against injustice. Most recently, Black women staged a topless protest in downtown San Francisco as apart of nation wide #SayHerName rallies against police brutality. These women used their bodies to bring attention to the discrimination and violence black women and girls face at the hands of police enforcement.