Violence Against Women: Black Women Interventions & Courage

 Sometimes discussions with others outside of the Black community, especially around racism, quickly travel to a classic defense tactic:  “Well why don’t Black women do the work in their own community.”  

What an ignorant response. A response that either lacks exposure to knowledge or is intentionally blocking readily available knowledge.  

Surely, you must know that Black women work extremely hard to end violence on all fronts. 

That Black women have sacrificed and continue to.

That Black women are tortured and brutally murdered for standing up to violence inside of our communities, outside of our communities, and all around the globe.

 You must.

The answer is we are working. We have always been working and we are always working. Our very survival depends on it.

 YOU may not be aware of that because you aren’t in our community. Even if you married a Black person, have Black children, or other Black family relations…you may not be plugged into some things within the Black community.  As open as the Black community is, there are many aspects of our community that are closed to outsiders. 

Just because you as an outsider to a community don’t see work being done inside of a community doesn’t mean the work to end violence against women and girls isn’t being done. 

Did you know?

Dionne Warwick has now revealed that in the 1990s she hosted an intervention at 7am sharp for Snoop Dogg and other rappers over their misogynistic lyrics. 

Snoop Dogg says that they were so intimidated by the legendary singer that they were all in her driveway by 6:52am.

When the group arrived, Dionne Warwick demanded that they call her a “b*tch” to her face. B8tch was a slur that rappers frequently used in their lyrics to refer to women.  

“These kids are expressing themselves, which they’re entitled to do. However, there’s a way to do it.”