Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salau, a 19-year-old Black Lives Matter protester from Tallahassee, Fla., was found dead after she tweeted about being sexually assaulted and went missing for a week.
The hashtag #JusticeForToyin began trending when photos and videos of Salau, a recent high school graduate, speaking passionately on the frontlines of the Florida protests made the rounds on Twitter, where she previously detailed her sexual assault from June 6. The public outcry from musicians on both Twitter and Instagram speaks twofold to the failure and commitment to protect Black women.
Kehlani poignantly called out those who discredit and neglect female sexual assault survivors as part of her lengthy Instagram post dedicated to Salau. “You see the direct outcome of your lack of support for women, especially Black women, who need help? who need protection. who need to be believed,” the R&B crooner wrote. “This is for all of us, Toyin’s story is tragically the story of way too many we don’t know the names of. ones we pass on the street everyday. we really have to do fuckin better at supporting eachother.”
Common called on his 5.4 million Twitter followers to give credit where it’s due when it comes to who’s leading these movements defending the livelihood of Black people yet who’s constantly underestimated and unsafe. “#JusticeForToyin: She spent the last days of her life fighting for justice for her people. It shouldn’t be lost on us that Black Women have been at the forefront of these Movements,” the rapper wrote. “We have to stand up against violence happening to our Black Women and Girls. God Bless her soul.”
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Scroll through the stars’ grief-stricken posts below.
rest in power queen ❤️❤️ such a beauty… gone too soon pic.twitter.com/B0SVOXNKln
— chloe x halle (@chloexhalle) June 15, 2020
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdcZY9B1PH/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBgCS84DMsd/
Oluwatoyin Toyin Salau.
— black (@6LACK) June 15, 2020
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdWMkxpOUd/
Where is the safe place for us? We're fighting too many battles at once.
Oluwatoyin Salau the warrior.— Kiana Ledé (@KianaLede) June 15, 2020
#JusticeForToyin: She spent the last days of her life fighting for justice for her people. It shouldn't be lost on us that Black Women have been at the forefront of these Movements. We have to stand up against violence happening to our Black Women and Girls. God Bless her soul. pic.twitter.com/SeJ43b7n6y
— COMMON (@common) June 15, 2020
#BlackLivesMatter: Florida Protester Oluwatoyin Salau Killed In Tallahassee After Going Missing. https://t.co/mk7A2mxzjy
— COMMON (@common) June 15, 2020
💔 rest in power Toyin…I keep telling myself God must be taking up their angels right now so they no longer have to suffer in this hell. But it does little to ease the pain of knowing so many are not safe here. So many beautiful souls. Stop killing black women. STOP. pic.twitter.com/IiXczeUEvX
— PRELUDE (@LaurenJauregui) June 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/brentfaiyaz/status/1272565200974036992?s=20
rest in power Oluwatoyin Salau
— Aminé (@heyamine) June 15, 2020
OLUWATOYIN SALAU – you deserved so much better. rest in peace ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cJjngtJYOs
— HAN (@berhana) June 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/queennaija/status/1272630183539945474?s=20
— Mk.gee (@Mk_gee_) June 15, 2020