In 1848, Virginia forbade free Black people from owning dogs. Two years later, South Carolina began taxing enslavers for every dog enslaved people possessed.
President Thomas Jefferson was an enslaver who, in 1808, was "fearful" of his sheep being killed by enslaved people's dogs. His solution? "The negroes dogs must all be killed. Do not spare a single one…Let this be carried into execution immediately." A century and a half later, dogs would literally be unleashed on us.
During the Civil Rights Movement, police departments introduced K9 units, often using them to attack protestors. Police dogs aren’t old news; they still exist. In 2018, an Alabama police dog killed Joseph Pettaway after its handler, Nicholas Barber, released it within seconds of entering a Montgomery home. He then laughed about "getting a bite" with other officers as Pettaway lay dying.
White people walking their dogs in historically Black neighborhoods has become a standard indicator of gentrification today. This proved true in 2019 when white people trespassed on Howard University's campus, treating the historic grounds like a dog park. One person suggested the university should "move" if it didn't like them walking dogs there.
Dogs aren't the problem. It's the deep-seated anti-Blackness that pervades our everyday lives. This is your reminder to stay vigilant, to name anti-Blackness when you see it and move accordingly to protect yourself and our community.