by C. Imani Williams


Black women’s lives matter. Our lives matter, even when the violent crimes committed against us go unpunished. Violence against Black women is not new. Our plight is discussed in some circles, but often ignored in many others. This leaves women feeling unprotected and vulnerable.

by Valerie Jean-Charles


This year has been a great year for feminism. Whether it be the social justice movements led by Black women to protect and uplift Black lives in the midst of oppression, or simply Beyoncé standing righteously in front of the word “feminist” in bright, bold letters. Women—Black women—have been winning. Yet, we have also taken some major hits: Internet trolls, white feminists stealing and undermining our work, and controversies. Looking back two of the most major stories of the year in our community have twisted my insides with disgust, and have also led me to ponder the issues we face in our own community in moving the feminist/womanist movement forward.

by Leah C.K. Lewis


It seems every skeleton in the closets of notable African American men is coming out. Historically, there have been claims of domestic violence against men like Miles Davis, James Brown, Ike Turner, and Bill Withers (who will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015).

by Erica Thurman

As an advocate for survivors of sexual and domestic violence, cases of such violence in the news usually catch my attention. There seem to be a considerable number of cases involving Black male celebrity perpetrators: The Game, Dream, Columbus Short, Michael Jace, and—most recently—Ray Rice are just a few of the Black male celebrities who have recently made headlines for various acts of violence, including assaulting a pregnant woman (Dream) and murder (Jace).

By Rev. Dominique C. Atchison

I grew up hearing stories about the generational domestic violence that seemed to be ever-present in my mother’s family. As witness to that violence, my mother would always say, “I hate the way that the word ‘domestic’ gets put in front of the word ‘violence’. As if somehow it’s nicer because it’s domestic.” I never quite understood what she meant when I was child. But as I came into adulthood, I began to see what she is talking about. There is an assumption in our culture that if you are assaulted by someone with whom you share intimacy, it is somehow different or less problematic than if you were assaulted by someone you didn’t know.

Speculation and misinformation about the realities of abusive relationships abound in light of the emergence of a video recording showing former professional football player Ray Rice striking his now-wife Janay in the elevator of an Atlantic City hotel. This misinformation not only inhibits productive dialogues about domestic violence, it potentially endangers and isolates those who experience it.