Dear Sistah Space family,
This week we are grieving. Jane Adetoro, Christina Walters and Rebecca Walters, three sisters from West London, were found in the sea off Brighton on 13 May. Their father Joseph spoke of an "unbearable grief" that no words can describe, and our hearts are with him, with their family, and with everyone in our community who has felt the weight of this loss.
We will not pretend to know what happened that morning. The investigation is ongoing, and the truth belongs to those three women and to the people who loved them. What we do know is how this news has landed in our community.
Black women have been messaging us, calling each other, checking in. There is fear. There is grief. There is the familiar, exhausting feeling of watching our sisters' names added to a list, and wondering who is next.
We see you. We are with you. And we want to talk to you, sister to sister, about safety.
A note before we begin
Some people have told us our concerns are overblown. That this was an accident, that we are being paranoid, that Black women dying near water is a coincidence. We hear them, and we are choosing to act anyway.
Our own research, across more than 2,200 Black women in England and Wales, found that 97% do not have confidence that reporting abuse to the authorities will lead to fair treatment. When the systems meant to protect us have not earned our trust, looking out for each other is not paranoia. It is survival. We would rather our community be cautious and wrong than relaxed and harmed. Until we know more, we look after each other. That is the way it has always been.
Safety guidance from Sistah Space
These are not rules. They are reminders, shared with love, for any Black woman who wants to feel a little safer this week.
Carry a personal alarm. A loud, jarring noise is one of the most effective deterrents we have. Keep it in your hand when you are walking alone, not buried in your bag. They cost from a few pounds online.
Charge your phone before you leave. A full battery is a lifeline. If you are heading out, top up first, and carry a power bank if you can.
Tell someone where you are going. Share your location with a trusted friend or family member, especially if you are travelling somewhere unfamiliar or meeting someone new. Apps like WhatsApp and Find My make this easy. Set a check-in time.
Be cautious around unfamiliar areas, especially near water. Beaches, rivers, canals and lakes can be isolated, especially at night and in the early hours. If you do not know the area well, do not go alone.
Travel with people you know and trust. Group safety is still a strong instinct, and it still matters. But choose your circle carefully. Trust is built over time, not on a single night out.
Be wary of strangers offering help, even those in positions of authority. Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is. You are allowed to walk away, to refuse a lift, to make a scene. Your safety is not rude.
Check on your sisters
Some of us are not okay this week. Pick up the phone. Send the text. Ask the question twice if the first answer feels too quick. If a friend is making plans that worry you, say so, gently and clearly. We are each other's keepers, and that has never been more important than now.
If you are worried about someone in an abusive relationship, or you are not safe at home yourself, we are here. You can find our services and contact details at sistahspace.org.
We are working on more
Our team is putting together a fuller safety guide for the community, and we will share it as soon as it is ready. If there is something you want us to include, reply to this email and let us know.
If this newsletter has reached you, please pass it on. Send it to your sisters, your mum, your aunties, your friends, your colleagues, your group chats. Share it on your socials.
And if you are reading this and you are not of African or Caribbean heritage, this is for you too. Every one of these reminders will keep you safer, and the women you love safer, regardless of background. We have a duty of care to each other that runs deeper than community lines. Forward it on. Every share could be the one that reaches someone who needed to hear it.
Sistah Space exists because Black women deserve to be safe, supported, and seen. That mission has not changed in ten years, and it is not changing now. We will keep showing up for you, and we ask that you keep showing up for each other.
With love and care,
Ngozi Fulani,
Sistah Space