Resources For Black Female Rape Survivors
Women against Rape:This is the joint website of Women Against Rape and Black Women’s Rape Action Project
. Both organizations are based on self-help and provide support, legal information and advocacy. We campaign for justice and protection for all women and girls, including asylum seekers, who have suffered sexual, domestic and/or racist violence.
WAR was founded in 1976. It has won changes in the law, such as making rape in marriage a crime, set legal precedents and achieved compensation for many women. BWRAP was founded in 1991. It focuses on getting justice for women of colour, bringing out the particular discrimination they face. It has prevented the deportation of many rape survivors. Both organizations are multiracial
Black Women’s Rape Action Project
Founded in 1991 by Black women to run services and campaigns, we focus on winning justice for women of colour and immigrant women who have survived rape, racist attacks and other violence.
Black Women’s Blueprint, Inc. is a civil and human rights organization of women and men. Our purpose is to take action to secure social, political and economic equality in American society now. We work to develop a culture where women of African descent are fully empowered and where gender, race and other disparities are erased. We engage in progressive research, historical documentation, support movement building and organize on social justice issues steeped in the struggles of Black women within their communities and within dominant culture
Black Sexual Abuse Survivors
A National online support system for African-Americans
Sylvia Coleman, BA, CMT, an award-winning, health, created the Black Sexual Abuse Survivors Web site as both an extension of her own recovery, and as a result of her work with black sexual abuse survivors.
Black and Minority Ethnic Women Victims of Abuse in Marriage (Community)
Black Women’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission on Sexual Violence
Because history is ever present…and because we must work toward following the imperative of never again! “Whether or not they are visible, the wounds sustained in rape are as inevitable as gunshot and shrapnel wounds in warfare. The symptoms resemble that of combat response, like those experienced by men engaged directly in hand-to-hand combat, in war” (Dr. Judith Herman).
The first of its kind to focus on Black women in America and their experiences with sexual violence, this Black Women’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a bold, innovative and groundbreaking human rights campaign which specifically targets the topic of sexual violence against Black/African-American women in the United-States as it has occurred at various critical historical moments and still does today. Join Us! We Are In The Process of Unearthing The Truth About Our Experiences Across Generations. Truth-seeking processes allow societies to examine and come to grips with past crimes and atrocities and prevent their future repetition. Truth-seeking often occurs in societies seeking to emerge and heal from a period of prolonged conflict, unchecked abuse, such as those which have occurred against Black women from slavery to Jim Crow, to the current persistent lack of justice, acknowledgement and/or remedy where sexual assault is concerned. Truth Seeking Processes prevent the erasure of personal and collective experience. In this case The Black Women’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission seeks to prevent the erasure of the historical and contemporary, personal and collective experiences of Black women with sexual assault.
Seeking Justice for incidences in the OKC community.
Current case spotlight: Daniel Holtzclaw’s case against black female victims of NE OKC
Black Women’s Blueprint engages members of our communities in human rights organizing and advocacy via the arts, cultural exhibitions, research and education in order to develop a culture of empowerment, protection and transformation which centers the experiences of women of African descent.
Articles for Black Rape/Abuse Survivors
Some Faith Leaders Victimize Rape Survivors Again
WOMEN SPEAK ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND SOLIDARITY
Ed. note: This post featuring black women’s voices on sexual violence, rape, race, and solidarity, was organized by Brothers Writing to Live in response to a November 2013 essay that’s recently resurfaced, containing pernicious if not new ideas concerning sex, rape and black women. Here is a good description of the initial article and subsequent fallout. This post is re-published here with permission.
Beyond Superwoman: Justice For Black Women Too By: Nikol G. Alexander-Floyd
Race and Rape: The Black Woman as Legitimate Victim.
Scientific investigations of the relationship between race and rape have been flawed by the acceptance of official statistics and have been influenced by prevailing myths about rape and race. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for understanding rape and race. The thesis is presented that only the black victim of sexual assault is viewed by society as a legitimate victim. The society is able to neutralize such assaults against black victims by denying the responsibility 0 the perpetrator, denying that the black woman was injured by the assault, and denying that such assaults constitute victimization of black women. Historically, this has been supported by the legal system which treats white and black rape victims differently. Public reports, serious treatment in court, criminal charges, and court sentences are less common when black women are raped. Further research is recommended to explore the impact of slavery on the victimization of black females and the influence of the patriarchal system in legitimizing the victimization of all women. New models must be developed for understanding all categories of race and rape.
DC police admit botching 11-year-old girl’s rape case, arresting her instead of her attackers
How To Support Each Other When Rape Looks Different From What We’re Taught
Demands for Justice Are Failing Black Women and Girls
Nairobi’s ‘miniskirt’ march exposes sexual violence in Kenya
‘A woman has the right to dress the way she sees fit,’ protestors proclaim, but many argue that ‘scantily clad’ women only have themselves to blame
When Partners Rape and Women Stay Silent
8 Women Detail Sexual Assault Claims Against Former OKC Cop at Preliminary Hearing
STUDY: More Than Half Of Black Girls Are Sexually Assaulted
SEXUAL ASSAULT OF BLACK WOMEN: A NON-ISSUE FOR BLACK ORGANIZATIONS?
African-American Community
College Rape: Does the Media Focus Only On White Survivors? By Wagatwe Wanjuki
The Loud Silence of Rape Survivors (Part 4 of 5 Part Series)
Empowering Silenced Voices: Counseling techniques for Black rape survivors
This Sexual Assault Victim Didn’t Report Her Rape Because She Wanted to Protect Me
A community’s response to an alleged gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in Texas tragically reminds us that when it comes to the sexual assault of girls and women of color, instead of blaming the attacker, too many unjustly blame the wounded.
Trying to Break A ‘Culture of Silence’ on Rape
Videos/Movies/Documentaries About Rape in the Black Community
NO! The Rape Documentary: Ending Sexual Assault and Violence Against Women By: Aishah Shahidah Simmons
Produced and Directed over a period of eleven years, seven of which were full time, by Aishah Shahidah Simmons, an incest and rape survivor, this award-winning, internationally-acclaimed, groundbreaking feature length documentary features riveting testimonials from Black women rape survivor stories who defy victimization.
Silence: In Search of Black Female Sexuality in America (2004)
Why have black women been ‘mute’ about their sexuality? What has prevented them from expressing their feelings about this important subject within their own families and with each other?
In this provocative documentary, filmmaker Mya B. explores the reasons for sexual silence in the black community. She also aims to destroy misconceptions about black women and reveal the truth about their sexuality. Experts from the medical, academic, cultural, and religious communities weigh in on this “forbidden” topic, but more importantly, everyday women express uncensored views about what black female sexuality means to them.
Crime After Crime The Battle to Free Deborah Peagler
“In 1983, Deborah Peagler, a woman brutally abused by her boyfriend, was sentenced to 25 years-to-life for her connection to his murder. Twenty years later, as she languished in prison, a California law allowing incarcerated domestic-violence survivors to reopen their cases was passed. Enter a pair of rookie land-use attorneys convinced that with the incontrovertible evidence that existed, they could free Deborah in a matter of months. What they didn’t know was the depth of corruption and politically driven resistance they’d encounter, sending them down a nightmarish, bureaucratic rabbit hole of injustice. The outrageous twists and turns in this consummately crafted saga are enough to keep us on the edge of our seats. Meanwhile, the spirit, fortitude, and love all three characters marshal in the face of this wrenching marathon is nothing short of miraculous. We fall in love with the remarkable triumvirate as they battle a warped criminal-justice system and test whether it’s beyond repair.”
Tapestries of Hope is the story of filmmaker Michealene Cristini Risley who traveled to Zimbabwe to document the work of Betty Makoni and the Girl Child Network. The film exposes an issue that continues to be ignored: the rape and abuse of thousands of young girls in Zimbabwe by men who believe it will cure their HIV/AIDS.
Black Butterfly is about 16 year old Ariel - a girl with a dream. Making the Women’s U.S. Swim Team will change her life. Ariel excitedly begins training when… tragedy strikes. She is brutally raped. Her dreams of swimming, relationships, and life are tossed to and fro as she struggles within the aftermath. Should she tell? Should she hide? Adrenaline and anticipation rise as her coach, family and friends find out about the rape in various ways. Now, what will each do to seek revenge? How will they deal with a rapist who is no stranger to their lives? What draws the line between pain and possibility for Ariel?
Books for Black Women who are Rape and Abuse Survivors; Books about Misogyny and Sexism in the Black community against Black Women
Wounds of the Spirit: Black Women, Violence, and Resistance Ethics
In Wounds of the Spirit, Traci West employs first person accounts-from slave narratives to contemporary interviews to Tina Turner’s autobiography-to document a historical legacy of violence against black women in the United States. West, a black feminist Christian ethicist, situates spiritual matters within a discussion of the psycho-social impact of intimate assault against African American women.
Distinctive for its treatment of the role of the church in response to violence against African American women, the book identifies specific social mechanisms which contribute to the reproduction of intimate violence. West insists that cultural beliefs as well as institutional practices must be altered if we are to combat the reproduction of violence, and suggests methods of resistance which can be utilized by victim-survivors, those in the helping professions, and the church.
Interrogating the dynamics of black women’s experiences of emotional and spiritual trauma through the diverse disciplines of psychology, sociology, and theology, this important work will be of interest and practical use to those in women’s studies, African American studies, Christian ethics, feminist and womanist theology, women’s health, family counseling, and pastoral care.
Violence in the Lives of Black Women: Battered, Black, and Blue
by Carolyn M. West (Author)
Break the silence surrounding Black women’s experiences of violence!
Written from a Black feminist perspective by therapists, researchers, activists, and survivors, Violence in the Lives of Black Women: Battered, Black, and Blue sheds new light on an understudied field. For too long, Black women have been suffering the effects of violence in painful silence. This book—winner of the Carolyn Payton Early Career Award for its contribution to the understanding of the role of gender in the lives of Black women—provides a forum where personal testimony and academic research meet to show you how living at the intersection of many kinds of oppression shapes the lives of Black women. With moving case studies, in-depth discussions of activism and resistance, and helpful suggestions for treatment and intervention, this book will help you understand the impact of violence on the lives of Black women.
Topics you’ll find in Violence in the Lives of Black Women include:
using the arts to deal with sexual aggression in the Black community
racial aspects of sexual harassment
the consequences of head and brain injuries stemming from abuse
domestic violence in African-American lesbian relationships
strategies Black women use to escape violent living situations
lifelong effects of childhood sexual abuse on Black women’s mental health
references and resources to help you learn more!
No Secrets No Lies: How Black Families Can Heal from Sexual Abuse
With a foreword by Joycelyn Elders, M.D., No Secrets, No Lies is a powerful and daringly honest resource guide for families seeking to understand, prevent, and overcome childhood sexual abuse and its devastating impact on adult survivors.
An estimated one in four women and one in six men is abused by age eighteen, most often by someone they know. Most of these sexual assaults are never disclosed, much less reported to the police.
No Secrets, No Lies demystifies the cultural taboos and social dynamics that keep Black families silent and enable abuse to continue for generations. Among them:
Fear of betraying family by turning offenders in to “the system”
Distrust of institutions and authority figures, such as police officers
Reluctance to seek counseling or therapy
A legacy of enslavement and stereotypes about black sexuality
Through compelling personal accounts from everyday people, Robin D. Stone, a sexual abuse survivor herself, illuminates the emotional, psychological and hidden consequences of remaining silent, and provides holistic, practical steps to move toward healing. No Secrets, No Lies candidly speaks to:
telling them they are not at fault, not alone and how they can seek help;
parents, guardians and caretakers
explaining how they can keep children safe and help survivors recover; and
family, friends and other loved ones
showing ways to lend support.
Black Women’s Lives: Stories of Pain and Power
by Kristal Brent Zook (Author)
Kristal Brent Zook explores the lives of contemporary African America women from all walks of life. Based on her travels across America and years of interviewing and building relationships with women from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds, she offers vivid archetypal portraits of a school principal in Georgia, a filmmaker in Los Angeles, a factory worker in Mississippi, a corporate executive in New York City, a prisoner in Seattle, and an organic farmer in Vermont, among others. Through these portraits, Black Women’s Lives explores common overlapping themes while highlighting the shared dreams, hopes, and disappointments of ordinary women. This book also reveals the many challenges and inequalities that black women still face, and how far this nation has yet to travel if it is to live up to its promise to create an equal and just society for all citizens.
The Enemy Between My Legs
by Stephanie L. Jones (Author)
Have you ever been molested? It’s a simple, yet profound question. The answer is either yes or no. Unfortunately, for as many as one in three females and one in five males, the answer is yes. Sexual abuse is not bound by race, economic status, or social class. It strikes every family. Because of the hurt, shame, and embarrassment it brings to families, no one wants to talk about it. Do you think that it hasn’t happened in your family? Think again! Have you or someone you know been sexually promiscuous? Are you feeling lonely, confused, or depressed and don’t know why? Do you wonder if the person who abused you ever thinks about it? Do you have problems being intimate with your spouse? Before you send your child off to another babysitter… Before you let your child play Hide-and-Seek… Before you let your child spend the night anywhere else… Before you call another pregnant teen a fast little girl… Before you say, My husband would never touch my child… YOU MUST READ THE ENEMY BETWEEN MY LEGS!
Beautiful & Bipolar: Life,Love, and Mental Illness
by Ms. Erika Nicole Dennis (Author)
Beautiful & Bipolar is a look into the life of Erika Nicole Dennis. An Educated, Witty, and Down to earth young social worker discovering life, love, and mental illness. Throughout the story, Erika defies odds while struggling with the day to day stigmas associated with mental illness and its taboos.
Surviving the Silence: Black Women’s Stories of Rape
by Charlotte Pierce-Baker (Author)
In this “intelligent”, “stunning”, and “honest” book, Charlotte Pierce-Baker weaves together the accounts of black women who have been raped and who have felt that they had to remain silent in order to protect themselves and their race.
It opens with the author’s harrowing and courageous account of her rape and includes the stories of the author’s own family’s response, plus the voices of black men who have supported rape survivors.
I Will Survive: The African-American Guide to Healing from Sexual Assault and Abuse
by Lori S. Robinson (Author), Julia A. Boyd (Foreword)
In this comprehensive self-help guide, Lori Robinson has created a valuable resource for African-American survivors of sexual assault (as well as their families, friends, and communities). Robinson walks readers through the ways survivors can achieve emotional, physical, sexual, and spiritual healing, reflecting her firsthand insight into the particular difficulties African-Americans face on their journey toward recovery. Examining the issue of sexual assault in African-American communities, she discusses why African-American women are more likely than white women to experience sexual crimes-an insightful discussion framed in the context of the American slave system and modern institutionalized racism.
Through interviews with prominent African-American lawyers and judges, Robinson offers accessible explanations of police and legal systems, advising readers on ways to navigate them effectively. Doctors and counselors weigh in on the importance of getting good physical care, using self-care techniques to heal, and finding the best therapist. I Will Survive also includes chapters on educating children and adults in Black communities to help prevent sexual assault; prayers and affirmations from Black spiritual leaders in a variety of religious traditions; an extensive resources section; and encouraging first-person accounts from Black women (and men) who have healed from sexual assault and abuse.
To Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf
by Ntozake Shange(Author)
From its inception in California in 1974 to its highly acclaimed critical success at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater and on Broadway, the Obie Award-winning for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf has excited, inspired, and transformed audiences all over the country. Passionate and fearless, Shange’s words reveal what it is to be of color and female in the twentieth century. First published in 1975 when it was praised by The New Yorker for “encompassing…every feeling and experience a woman has ever had,“ for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf will be read and performed for generations to come. Here is the complete text, with stage directions, of a groundbreaking dramatic prose poem written in vivid and powerful language that resonates with unusual beauty in its fierce message to the world.
Misogyny and the Emcee: Sex, Race and Hip Hop
by Ewuare X. Osayande (Author)
PHILADELPHIA– Taking on the single most controversial issue in the hip hop world, award-winning author and political activist Ewuare X. Osayande pulls no punches and takes no prisoners in this tour de force of critical essays on the exploitation of Black women in the rap industry. Written at a time when most debates on hip hop are reduced to rhetorical prattles between liberal defenders and conservative detractors that center on “free speech versus censorship,” Osayande turns the corner with Misogyny & the Emcee and offers a nuanced look that puts the interests of people before profit.
Covering the major controversies in hip hop for the past several years, he dissects the lives and lyrics of such hip hop stars as Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Emimen, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Nelly, The Ying Yang Twins, OutKast, R. Kelly, Beanie Sigel, Busta Rhymes, Ma$e, Common, Dead Prez, Kirk Franklin and many more. But he doesn’t stop there. Osayande locates these artists within a nefarious web of corporate seduction and cultural imperialism. His writing targets the exact location where racism, sexism and capitalism intersect as it wreaks havoc on the lives and aspirations of Black youth and distorting how they are viewed worldwide. The net result is a systemic attack on the integrity of Black life and culture.
Misogyny and the Emcee is an unprecedented work – a Black man critically engaging the socio-political constructs of hip hop culture through the radical lens of Black womanist thought without compromise.
Black Woman’s Burden: Commodifying Black Reproduction
by Nicole Rousseau (Author)
Black Woman’s Burden examines the historical endeavors to regulate Black female sexuality and reproduction in the United States through methods of exploitation, control, repression, and coercion. The myth of the “angry Black woman” has been built over generations through clever rhetoric and oppressive social policy. Here Rousseau explores the continued impact of labeling and stereotyping on the development of policies that lead to the construction of national, racial, and gender identities for Black women.
The Conspiracy to Destroy Black Women
by Michael Porter (Author)
It has long been argued that women, especially black women, have been relegated to a second-class status in American society, and despite modern advances remain subject to a debilitating discrimination in many areas of life. This book presents a fresh perspective on the many facets of sexism experienced by African American women, addressing such issues as wage disparity, spousal abuse, and the rising rate of AIDS among black women. It also examines the roots of sexism among African American males, including the effect of gangster rap music on perceptions of black women, and offers strategies for change.
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