On Monday, June 15, police discovered the body of Oluwatoyin "Toyin" Salau, a 19-year-old Black Lives Matter activist, and Victoria Sims, a 75-year-old AARP volunteer, in Tallahassee, Florida. Both Salau and Sims' deaths have been declared a homicide, with Aaron Glee Jr., 49, taken into custody by the Tallahassee Police Department as a suspect.
On June 6, Salau tweeted that she was sexually assaulted, and has been missing ever since. (It's unclear whether Glee Jr. assaulted her.) Salau had been actively protesting the murders of Tony McDade of Tallahassee and George Floyd of Minneapolis, and was vocal about demanding justice for the Black lives that have been lost.
Now, protestors are doing the same for Salau using the hashtag #JusticeForToyin.
"Toyin was very passionate," Danaya Hemphill, a friend of Salau's, told the Tallahassee Democrat. "She was very vocal, she was very loving, very spiritual, very caring. Toyin she was like a light in a dark room. That was Toyin."
💔 #OluwatoyinSalau helped lead protest for #TonyMcDade, and emerged as a leading voice in Tallahassee. After tweeting about her sexual assault, she went missing. #ToyinSalau deserved so much more. Rest in Power. 💔 pic.twitter.com/eLJaooDTaFJune 15, 2020
💔 #OluwatoyinSalau helped lead protest for #TonyMcDade, and emerged as a leading voice in Tallahassee. After tweeting about her sexual assault, she went missing. #ToyinSalau deserved so much more. Rest in Power. 💔 pic.twitter.com/eLJaooDTaFJune 15, 2020
If you're outraged about Salau's death, here are a few ways you can help demand justice for her:
Sign a Change.org petition that demands an investigation into Salau's assault and death.
This Change.org petition, below, demands the Tallahassee Police Department to conduct a full investigation into Toyin's death and identify the man who sexually assaulted her.
Donate to Justice 4 Black Girls.
The organization set up a Oluwatoyin Salau Freedom Fighters Fund that would "provide monetary relief for Black girl activists up to $250 for housing, food, or other life sustaining supports." As of June 16, the organization received over $50,000 and has stopped taking donations.
Contact Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Call Governor Ron DeSantis directly to demand a full investigation into Toyin's death and encourage him to put pressure on the Tallahassee Police Department.
Phone: 850-717-9337 | Email: GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com
Continue to use your voice.
Say her name: Oluwatoyin Salau. Then say it again. And again. Here's a guide on how to attend a Black Lives Matter protest if you can't be there physically.
Black Lives Matter
Rachel Epstein is an editor at Marie Claire, where she writes and edits culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also manages the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game, finding a new coffee shop, or analyzing your cousin's birth chart—in no particular order.
-
Cory Booker and Rosario Dawson's Relationship Is No MoreAfter three years of dating, the power couple have decided they're better off as friends.
-
Education for Women and Girls Is Crucial for Climate Justice
In an excerpt from her new book, 'A Bigger Picture,' Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate discusses the impact educated African women and girls can have on solving the climate crisis.
-
It’s Time to End Equal Pay Days and Pass the Equal Rights Amendment
The passage of the ERA is a chance for our country to prove it truly values women.
-
In Conversation: Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Emily Tisch Sussman
“It’s ridiculous that we’re the only advanced nation on the planet that doesn’t help families with childcare.”
-
EMILY's List President Laphonza Butler Has Big Plans for the Organization
Under Butler's leadership, the largest resource for women in politics aims to expand Black political power and become more accessible for candidates across the nation.
-
Anita Hill Believes We Can End Gender Violence
Three decades after her landmark testimony in the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, the esteemed professor and lawyer has a message for leaders: The time is now to prioritize anti-gender violence policies.
-
For Teachers, Going to Work Can Mean Life or Death
Stefanie Minguell, a COVID survivor and second grade teacher in Florida's Broward County, almost died of COVID-19 and is immunocomprised. When she teaches in the classroom, she’s forced to choose between her health and her students.
-
Periods Don’t Stop for Pandemics—And Neither Have Our Nation’s Moms
Policies touted in the $3.5 trillion budget plan and other Congressional bills are missing a core component of maternal well-being: menstrual access and health.
