On October 17, youth from the Women’s Leadership Project and community partners took to the streets to rally and raise awareness about the disproportionate impact of rape culture, sexual, and domestic violence on Black girls and Black communities. The Standing4BlackGirls coalition was spearheaded by Black women and girls-led gender justice organizations in South Los Angeles. Coalition demands include the creation of a fund for Black girl domestic violence survivors, the creation of a regional task force focused on Black girls, and the development of safe spaces, housing, treatment, and mental health and wellness resources for Black girls across sexualities. It is important that any girl or woman who has been subjected to domestic violence, is able to get the best help for their situation, whether that be through community support or the utilization of a domestic violence Attorney in Harrisburg or wherever they are based, so they can fight back and have their voices heard. No one should feel like they don’t deserve help, for too long they have been told to not say anything and accept what is happening, no more.
During the event, youth and adult organizers spoke of the toll misogynoirist victim blaming, victim shaming, and slut shaming has on Black girls who (alongside Indigenous girls) are more likely to experience sexual abuse before the age of eighteen than non-black girls. These experiences are magnified by poverty, LGBTQI status, and foster care placement. The coalition has identified key policies on redressing school pushout, reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, and defunding law enforcement and reallocating police funding to African American students and community programs.
