The statistics on domestic violence in the United States are disturbing. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Each year, domestic violence is estimated to affect 10 million people in the United States. Yet for Black women, the numbers are even more stark. More than 40% of Black women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, according to the Institute of Women’s Policy Research’s Status of Black Women in the United St

The statistics are daunting: 22% of Black women and girls will be raped at some point in their lives. For every 15 Black women who are assaulted, just one reports her rape. While there are a number of reasons why any victim of sexual assault do not report their abuse, for Black women and girls, there are unique barriers to both reporting their assault and seeking help. A new documentary, On The Record, explores many of these issues. The film focuses on the allegations of

February is Black History Month — a time to celebrate the achievements of African Americans. Today, we highlight the role of Black women in American history. 1850: Harriet Tubman Returns to the South to Free Her Family Members from Slavery Born into slavery in Maryland, in 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in Philadelphia. The following year, she returned to Maryland to free her family members. From 1950 to 1962, she returned to the South almost 20 times — helping more

Last week, we talked about how many stereotypes about Black women and girls have deep roots in slavery and racism — particularly when it comes to hyper sexualization. In a 2017 study, researchers from Georgetown University found that Americans view Black girls as less innocent, more sexually mature, and more independent than white girls of the same age. As a result, Black girls and women are less likely to be believed when they report sexual violence — which may explain ho

Last week, we explored how the way that our society views Black girls as more mature and less innocent than their white peers may allow predators such as R. Kelly to exploit them. Research has shown that Black girls are viewed through a hypersexual lens — and as a result, are less likely to be believed when they report sexual assault. This begs the question: where exactly does this belief stem from, and how can we combat it? Like many issues involving race in our country, th

February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments of Black Americans throughout history. It is also a time where we should consider our own role in the fight for racial justice and equality in this country. Feminism is rooted in the idea of equality: that men and women should be equal, and that women should be afforded the same basic rights as men. While gender equality is an important aspect of feminism, it isn’t and should not be the