“It could have been one of us. It could have been any one of our black girlfriends riding BART,” explained Sasha Williams ’19, who spoke on the main stage to the attendees of the Ignatian Family Teach-In For Justice in Washington D.C.
Sasha was referring to the July 2018 death of Nia Wilson, an 18-year-old black woman, who was murdered at an Oakland BART station, one station away from where Sasha was that same day. This tragedy was a stunning realization for Sasha that she could have been the target of fatal violence.
In the days that followed, Sasha resolved to take action that would help ensure that young women of color are respected and protected in all communities. She co-founded the “She Could Have Been One of Us” campaign, dedicated to elevating the voices of young girls of color and providing funds to Nia Wilson’s family.
Watch her passionate, powerful speech in our nation’s capital on our YouTube page.