A Tribute To Nia Wilson...

On July 22nd at night, Nia Wilson (18) and her sister Lahtifa were commuting on Bay Area Rapid Transit, after attending a party in Concord, upon stepping out of the BART, the sisters were blindsided by a white man carrying a deadly weapon and mercilessly stabbed. Nia died on the platform just moments after and her sister Lahtifa was left during critical injuries and wounds, but their killer had fled the scene and was long gone.

Oakland Police Department went on a one-day manhunt for John Cowell (27), the man responsible for what BART labeled as an "unprovoked fatal attack." Camera footage showed that the man had been riding BART back and forth that day, which led to his capture and arrest. Many people are concerned as to how he was not caught sooner and think that BART has failed their duties.

Nia was only 18 years old; she was described by her peers and family member as a kind, loving, charismatic, talented, and full of life. It is unjust that such a young, beautiful girl had her life viciously stripped from her.

This horrendous attack has caused nationwide worry and commotion. Various celebrities have recognized this tragedy and shared tributes using hashtags #Sayhername and #NiaWilson, artists have honored her death with beautiful paintings and drawings rich in gorgeous colors that represent Nia's vivid personality, and over 1,000 people showed up to Nia's Vigil in Oakland.

This attack has opened our eyes to see that blatant racism is still very much alive and thriving in our communities, and we do what we can to try to stop it, Black women are targets for homicide 3 times more than white women, This is a perfect example. This man was openly racist and had every intention to commit this hate crime, although his family claimed that the man had schizophrenia and suffered from mental illness for most of his life, this was an indefensible and unjustifiable act of hate towards a member of the black community.