Because we deserve more than band-aids. We deserve truth, safety, and justice—designed with us in mind.What Is IDVAAC? The Institute on Dom
Because we deserve more than band-aids. We deserve truth, safety, and justice—designed with us in mind.
What Is IDVAAC?
The Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community (IDVAAC) is a national research and advocacy institution founded in 1993 and based at the University of Minnesota.
But it’s more than that.
It’s a sacred listening room for the voices of Black Survivors.
A truth archive for our pain, resilience, and complexity.
A bridge connecting ancestral wisdom with modern intervention.
For decades, IDVAAC has been a national leader in naming the unique barriers Black people—especially women—face in the fight for safety, healing, and dignity.
Why It Matters
We live in a world that often fails to see Black survivors as worthy of protection, truth-telling, or repair.
And yet:
Over 40% of Black women experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.
Black women are 2.5x more likely to be murdered by a partner than white women.
Our voices are often erased in mainstream domestic violence movements and criminal justice responses.
IDVAAC never asked us to shrink, silence ourselves, or translate our pain.
They listened. And they still do.
What They Do
🧠Culturally grounded research on intimate partner violence, elder abuse, child maltreatment, and healing frameworks within Black communities.
🎓 Training & education for advocates, educators, faith leaders, and legal professionals.
📚 Publications on topics like spiritual abuse, fatherhood, supervised visitation, and systemic violence—all from a Black-centered lens.
🤝 Partnerships with national and grassroots organizations to shift policy, practice, and public awareness.
The IDVAAC Difference
While many systems demand survivors fit a mold, IDVAAC affirms the truth:
Healing must be culturally rooted.
Safety looks different in communities under constant surveillance.
Not all help is helpful.
Our history shapes our hurt—and our healing.
What We Can Learn
💬 “We are the experts of our own survival. Institutions should follow our lead, not the other way around.”
If you’re building programs, policies, or Boundaried Spaces for Black Survivors—IDVAAC should be in your toolkit.
Their work is a blueprint. A candle in the dark. A reminder that we’ve never been powerless—we’ve been unheard.
