February signals the start of Black History Month. For those of us working in the anti-sexual and domestic violence movements, it is a reminder for us to intentionally reflect on the centuries of Black women leading efforts to raise awareness and end sexual violence, our movement’s history of anti-blackness, and the role we all have in centering anti-racism in our violence prevention practice.
While Black History Month is a powerful reminder and springboard, our internal and external work to amplify and center Black voices should be a focus within our organizations and prevention programs year-round.
Below are several resources to strengthen your internal and external efforts around anti-racism and health equity:
Podcasts
Hosted by Darin Dorsey and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, these five podcasts are a tool to better understand how they can fulfill their commitments and create a movement that addresses gender-based violence against all people while following the lead of the most marginalized among us.
This VALOR Conversations podcast episode explores the roots of the movement to end sexual violence and the social conditions that lead for sexual violence to happen in the first place.
This Leadership Moves podcast episode is a conversation with Tobi Downing, about her three decades of experience navigating the anti-violence movement as a black woman, and how perceptions have impacted her on her path from feeling like an imposter to becoming an authentic leader.
This Leadership Moves Podcast episode is a conversation with Tonjie Reese about her journey to starting Eleven24, an organization committed to developing and sharing educational resources rooted in intersectionality. Tonjie speaks about her experience developing a non-profit and the importance of learning from our ancestors and how we challenge white supremacy culture in our organizations and ourselves.
This PreventConnect podcast episode explores the importance of joy and resilience in the work to fight anti-blackness in the anti-violence movement through a conversation with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and uplifts voices of leaders of color from the 42nd annual Day of Unity.
This PreventConnect podcast episode and instagram live conversation explores the importance of pausing from the constant business of professionalized social justice movements, and centering in ourselves and our mission to advance racial equity and foster communities free from violence.
This brand new podcast, hosted by Black Women for Wellness, shares insights on current events, culture, policy, and important wisdom for Black mothers on life, living, and joy. Episodes are currently dropping and cover topics from housing justice, environmental and reproductive justice.
Web Conferences and Trainings
This web conference and panel discussion explores how current social issues like anti-Black and anti-Trans policies are connected to sexual violence prevention, and our role in addressing them.
This web conference explores how systemic racism and oppression are connected to sexual violence prevention, what white supremacy culture is and how it shows up in sexual violence prevention work.
This web conference discusses the disparities highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, that Black women face navigating systems of care. Presenters discuss the intersections between health equity for Black women and interpersonal violence, the impact of anti-Blackness within healthcare systems and how to center Black survivors in the fight for health equity and violence prevention.
This recording, from the 2023 National Sexual Assault Conference, explores how to take an anti-racist approach to health equity while acknowledging and addressing the historic and contemporary racist ideas, policies and inequities that impact social determinants of health. Featuring a panel discussion, presenters share process and findings from their 2023 Health Equity Capacity Assessment.
This web conference features Black, Indigenous and People of Color leaders who are facilitating truth, telling, healing and transformation at the intersection of racial and gender-justice. They discuss the importance of addressing the historic and present-day legacies of colonization, genocide, slavery and other forms of structural racism for safety and equity.
Research, Guides and Online Readings
This open letter, written by Arlene Vassell and published with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, calls out White Feminism, the role it has played in the anti-violence movement and the harm it causes, while calling in White Women in the anti-sexual violence movement to be active allies in dismantling oppression and violence against Black women, children and communities.
This RALIANCE blog article recognizes and honor the legacies of some Black women throughout history who helped advance the sexual violence prevention and advocacy movement.
This online article explores why Black advocates are being pushed out of the anti-sexual violence movement and what those of us within the movement can do about it. Author Ashley Carter explains the impact that the overrepresentation of White Women in positions of power has on the anti-violence movement as a whole, top contributing factors to why Black women leave the movement and what organizations need to do to recruit, hire, train and retain Black talent.
The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective has compiled a list of resources that promote black healing and wellness within employment organizations. Categories range from mental health to peer support, COVID-19 health, self reflection and more. All resources are free and organized by topic and media type.
This report investigates why there are so few leaders of color in the nonprofit sector. Building on a 2016 survey of Black women of color working in nonprofits, the report documents the challenges people of color face as they reach for and attain senior leadership roles in nonprofit organizations and includes first-hand experiences with discrimination, workplace dynamics and compensation.
Authored by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, his document centers health equity and prevention solutions around the needs of Black women survivors. The document provides framing and information to move from statements of support to continual actions to center, support, listen to, trust and prioritize Black women at the margins.
This two-part written interview with Dr. Crystal Feimster explores the institution of slavery in the United States and sexual violence in the slavery era. The interview details the history of our past to understand and confront its impact today.
This special collection from VAWnet explains the key role nonprofit organizations play in efforts to end gender-based violence. It offers key information on how to manage a nonprofit and offers resources to support organizations in their journey to dismantle structural racism and center racial equity.
