Black Women, Police Brutality, and the Violence Against Women Act: How Pro-Arrest Policies Facilitate Racialized and Gendered Police Violence
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a critical centerpiece of President-Elect Joe Biden’s messaging and proposed agenda on championing women’s rights and equality once he is inaugurated President of the United States in January 2021. Biden has touted his extensive history with the legislation as a testament to his commitment to ending gendered and domestic violence, calling VAWA his “proudest legislative accomplishment.” While the legislation has arguably contributed to a revolution in the national culture around domestic violence and made significant advancements in increasing protections for some, the bill that Biden sponsored in 1993 and its subsequent iterations have not been successful in protecting all women, particularly Black women, against violence.