On October 22, 2022, 33-year-old Keshia Golden was 8 months pregnant celebrating her baby shower with friends and family. The celebration of life took a drastic turn when Golden’s abuser (the father of her unborn child) attacked her, slamming her head against a kitchen counter. In an attempt to save her own life and that of her unborn child, Golden grabbed a nearby knife and stabbed her abuser in the leg. She fled the scene only to later find out he died as a result of this act of self-defense, an outcome she did not expect. Golden is now facing the charge of second degree murder.
Between 2021 and 2022, Golden estimates calling 911 over 50 times reporting instances of abuse and in July 2022, she received an Order of Protection against her abuser. This documented history, coupled with the fact that 45% of homicides of pregnant women involve Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), clearly shows the vulnerable position Golden found herself in: die at the hands of your abuser or face continued abuse behind bars. No one should ever have to be in this situation, but the continued systemic failure to support survivors of IPV when they seek help and the lack of available resources (housing, financial, childcare, etc.) breed violent environments where no real choice is left except to defend yourself in any way you can.
A recent study suggests that 74% of women incarcerated for murder or manslaughter experienced IPV within a year before their arrest. Men, on average, are sentenced to 2-6 years in prison for murdering a female partner. By contrast, when women kill their male partners, often in self-defense, they get an average of 15 years. Self-defense laws, originally designed to protect property owning white men, are rarely applied in the cases of Black and other oppressed women who have experienced abuse.
When Golden was arrested in 2022, her bond was set at a disgustingly high $2 million and was charged with first degree murder. Golden’s mother had given birth to her sister in prison, and she was facing a similar fate. After the support of advocacy groups, a different judge reduced Golden’s bond to $50,000. With financial support, she was able to post bond and avoid giving birth behind bars. Today, her daughter is 3 years old.
Instead of offering compassion to survivors of abuse, the justice system perpetuates violence and punishment against Black and oppressed women, who are subject to higher rates of dehumanization, abuse, coercion, and monitoring. Over the past 3 years, Golden has done everything asked of her by the court, including attending counseling and reporting to pretrial service every single day. She cannot secure work with pending murder charges and court obligations. Despite not being behind bars, Golden is already being punished, struggling to raise a child while a pending murder trial looms over her head.
Last Tuesday, the State’s Attorney refused to drop Golden’s charges at a court hearing, instead offering her a plea deal for second-degree murder and 2 years probation, a conviction that will follow her for life, continue to prevent her from fully living her life, and admit guilt to a crime she didn’t commit.
On August 15, 1975, Joanne Little became the first black woman in the US to be acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. While incarcerated, she killed a prison guard attempting to sexually assault her. The highly publicized trial inspired a national campaign for racial justice, prisoners’ rights, and survivors’ rights to self-defense. In the midst of this trial Little proclaimed, “My life is not in the hands of the court. My life is in the hands of the people.”
Keshia Golden’s life and those of all criminalized survivors of violence are in the hands of the people. Despite State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s rhetoric around victims of intimate partner violence, that she seeks to protect survivors and bring them justice, she is actively pursuing charges against Keshia and punishing her for standing up.
We stand with Keshia in her fight for justice and demand her charges be dropped. Keshia faces one of the most grotesque forms of oppression against women in this society. She joins the many women who have been persecuted for taking a stand against their abusers. Instead of hiding abuse in the shadows, we must unleash the fury of women to speak out against their abusers and support women like Keshia on the basis that it is justified to defend yourself against intimate partner violence, by any means necessary. Support Golden at her next court date on April 7 at 9:30am at 2650 S. California.
Dare to Struggle 