Sterling K. Brown is using his latest film role to spotlight a real-world crisis that continues to claim lives at an alarming rate. While promoting Is God Is, the Emmy-winning actor spoke candidly about femicide—particularly the disproportionate impact on Black women—and the deeper societal fractures that contribute to the violence.
Brown, who plays a character known as “The Monster” in the upcoming film, framed the crisis as part of a broader breakdown in understanding between men and women. “There is a way in which we can be in concert with one another and not in competition,” he said to The Grio, pointing to systemic forces that have historically created division.
He emphasized that conflict within communities often distracts from larger structural issues, adding that “if we are beating up on each other… it keeps us from focusing on anything above and beyond us.”
The actor also highlighted the tension between independence and vulnerability, particularly for women navigating safety in relationships. “Can you have something that is authentically melded harmonious, if you are waiting for the other shoe to drop?” he said, reflecting on the emotional reality many women face.
At the same time, Brown called for mutual empathy, urging both men and women to consider each other’s lived experiences: “If you try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes… you’d be like, ‘Oh, I understand how this could be a scary situation.’”
The conversation arrives at a moment of heightened awareness. In recent weeks, multiple cases involving Black women killed by men they knew have drawn national attention—including that of influencer Ashlee Jenae, who died shortly after her birthday under suspicious circumstances while on safari in Africa.
Data from the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime shows that 9 out of 10 Black women murdered by men are killed by someone familiar to them, and at rates significantly higher than those of white women. The issue extends globally as well: in 2024, roughly 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members—an average of one every 10 minutes.
Globally, the numbers reinforce the urgency. Women account for about 60% of all homicides committed by intimate partners or family members, compared to just 11% for men. Regions like Africa and the Americas report the highest rates, while the United States continues to rank among countries grappling with persistent domestic violence-related killings.
For Brown, Is God Is is more than a revenge-driven narrative—it’s a conversation starter. He acknowledged that his role may provoke strong reactions, but hopes it leads somewhere productive.
“I feel like the beginning is really trying to understand somebody else’s perspective,” he said.
