Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Protecting Black Women, Believing Black Women, Resourcing Black Women
Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a national call to action, but for Black women it is also a mirror. It reflects the reality we live with every day. The violence we face is real. The silence around it is real. The lack of protection is real. And the way our pain is minimized is something we have been naming for generations.
Black women deserve more than awareness. We deserve safety, protection, and a community that refuses to look away.
Why This Month Matters for Black Women
Sexual violence affects every community, but Black women face unique and disproportionate harm shaped by racism, sexism, and the stereotypes that have followed us for centuries. Research shows that Black women and girls experience higher rates of rape and sexual assault than white, Asian, and Latina women. For every Black woman who reports a rape, many more do not report because they do not trust the systems that have historically failed us. National data shows that most women in the United States experience some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime, and Black women are overrepresented in those numbers. Intimate partner violence is one of the leading causes of death for Black women ages eighteen to thirty four. Black women are more likely to be killed by men than women of other racial groups.
These are not just statistics. These are our sisters, our friends, our coworkers, our neighbors. These are the women we love.
Why Black Women Are Uniquely Vulnerable
Advocates and researchers point to the layered oppression Black women face. Racism. Sexism. The “Strong Black Woman” stereotype. The hypersexualization of Black girls. These narratives silence our pain, question our credibility, and normalize our suffering. Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a time to disrupt that silence and tell the truth about what Black women endure.
What Healing and Support Look Like for Us
Healing for Black women must be culturally grounded, survivor centered, and rooted in community care. Many Black women need spaces where we do not have to explain ourselves, translate our experiences, or fight to be believed. Below are resources created with us in mind.
Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
A national organization dedicated to ending domestic, sexual, and community violence against Black women and girls. They offer survivor support, legal and financial resources, community education, and policy advocacy.
SASHA Center
A Black woman led sexual assault healing agency based in Detroit with programs that reach women across the country. They offer free, confidential support groups and healing spaces rooted in Black women’s lived experiences.
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
A national hub for research, data, and educational materials. Their Sexual Assault Awareness Month resources help communities strengthen prevention and support efforts.
RAINN
The largest anti sexual violence organization in the country. They provide a confidential hotline and online chat for survivors who need immediate support.
How Communities Can Show Up for Black Women
Sexual Assault Awareness Month is not just about naming the problem. It is about shifting the culture. Supporting Black women means believing us the first time. Taking disclosures seriously. Challenging harmful stereotypes. Checking in on the women around you. Supporting Black led survivor organizations. Interrupting silence and normalizing conversations about safety. Advocating for policies that protect Black women and girls.
Black women deserve safety in our homes, our relationships, our workplaces, and our communities. We deserve to be protected without having to prove our humanity first.
A Call to Action
This month and every month, The Good Girl Movement stands with survivors. We honor the women who are healing, the women who are still finding their voice, and the women whose stories were never told. We fight for a world where Black women and girls are safe, believed, and supported. Where our pain is not minimized. Where our lives are valued. Where our healing is prioritized.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a reminder that protecting Black women is not a slogan. It is a practice.
