Trust Black Women Re-Launch: One Year Later
One year ago today SisterSong brought together more than 70 leaders in Atlanta to re-launch and expand the Trust Black Women partnership, an effort designed to respond to attempts to limit Black women's autonomy and to expand proactive efforts to address concerns and push for reproductive justice.
The Trust Black Women partnership was initially created in response to billboards that were being put up around the country from Georgia to Texas to California attacking the dignity of Black women who seek abortion. We worked to take the billboards down and to speak out about attempts to undermine Black women's health and autonomy. Since 2010 the violence and the indignities have only worsened from police brutality to mass incarceration of Black men and women to crumbling schools and far too many of our families living in poverty, but SisterSong and the members of the "Trust Black Women" partnership have continued to lead.
We have been at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement as organizers of rallies and community gatherings to share our stories and push for systemic change. We have worked to make sure that Black women's wisdom and experiences are part of the ongoing efforts to dismantle white supremacy and ensure the safety of our communities. We are organizing to ensure we are each paid a fair wage and that people do not have to choose between a paycheck and caring for a loved one. We are committed to making sure our voices, our expertise and our leadership is centered in all issues that impact our lives.
Since the re-launch of Trust Black Women last fall:
- We released a statement of solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
- We brought together a delegation of women from across the South to make our voices heard at the Supreme Court for oral arguments in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt.
- We held a womb wellness workshop to provide information and practical takeaways aimed at helping women monitor and support their reproductive and womb wellness.
- We organized resource days to distribute condoms and information and presented at events, rallies and conferences.
- We created a Trust Black Women advisory committee to help develop the strategic direction moving forward.
Black women have led our communities in the fight for health and dignity throughout the course of history. We have worked to build strong families in the face of ignorance, hate, and structural oppression. We fight for ourselves and we fight to uplift our people.
Trust Black Women members are pushing back on reproductive oppression:
- SisterReach put up billboards in Memphis, TN to challenge shaming of Black women.
- New Voices Cleveland organized a #TrustBlackWomen rally as part of the Access 4 All concert. SisterSong's Monica Simpson was the master of ceremonies.
SisterSong is proud to lead the Trust Black Women partnership. We trust Black women to lead. We know that together as a community and a movement of strong, Black women we will create real and lasting change.
