In Support of Black History Month

Surrey Women’s Centre stands with Black survivors of gender-based violence. We join WomenatthecentrE – a Black survivor-led grassroots agency – to build a national equity strategy that fights anti-Black gender-based violence.

Black people are often at the forefront of social justice movements. But the contributions of Black women, girls, and trans folks are often ignored, erased or rendered invisible. Meet just a few of the Black activists in Surrey fighting to address anti-Black racism AND gender-based violence.

BHM Group Photo

Melanie

Melanie

"As a black woman in today's society, it is important to me that I am a part of the work to positively impact our communities.”

 

As a young girl I struggled with my mental health. From an early age, I remember having this negative perception of mental illness, and I was reluctant to speak out about it. Having been raised in a community and by a generation which viewed mental illness negatively, I knew there was a lack of understanding and support for what I was going through, and as a result I didn’t seek help as I feared judgment. That fear of judgment is what kept me struggling in silence for so long. The unspoken generational fear of being judged is what has allowed for so many women of color to also suffer in silence. Not only suffering with internal struggles, but also, external issues such as intimate partner violence amongst other forms of abuse.

Generationally, for a lot of BIPOC communities, seeking help has been highly frowned upon. Black communities in particular statistically have high rates of intimate partner violence yet we are also less likely to move forward with reporting. I believe this is a reflection of two things: firstly, the lack of understanding in addressing generational traumas, and secondly, the history of racism towards black communities. These two factors likely limit how safe black women feel talking to law enforcement and other members of the public sector. That brings me to my next point; the lack of representation in fields such as social work and law enforcement, have likely made it more difficult for folks of marginalized communities to seek support, which has resulted in a perpetual cycle of abuse. This is one of the many reasons why I chose to work within this field.

As a Black woman I have had to educate, heal and elevate myself in order to stop apologizing for not being okay, and understanding that I don't have to handle everything on my own to keep up the appearance of being “strong”. As a court victim support worker at Surrey Women's Centre, I have been blessed with the opportunity to support and advocate for women who have experienced different types of gender based violence. As a woman in today's society, it's important for me to use the voice and freedom that I have found to support and empower other women. More explicitly, as a black woman in today's society, it is important to me that I am a part of the work to positively impact our communities. We the black community can all be a part of this change by educating ourselves, family and peers on the types of supports that are available and how to access them.

 

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