As I walk around my campus, I see lawn signs glittered with phrases like “Consent is Sexy” and “Sexual Conduct Applies Off Campus Too”. Oddly, I don’t feel a sense of comfort.
Why, you ask? Because when we say that “25 percent of women will be sexually assaulted before graduating college,” I understand that that does not pertain to me, a black woman, who had a 60 percent chance of being sexually assaulted before even turning 18. And my peers who, when experiencing violence, are likely to underreport as well at 1/10 the rate of their white female counterparts.
Clearly, a public health crisis is at play here; one that campus assault programs often shy from addressing. Instead, our programs resort to monolithic campaigns that (supposedly) cater to everyone, but that in reality shell out statistics and “feminism facts” that lead to black women’s erasure; erasure of our experiences with violence and the striking statistics that come along with it; and the erasure of the many historical traumas that have led us to this point of experiencing so much, so often.
So naturally, the first question people ask is…
“How can we include black women’s voices in our fight against campus assault?”
But I think the bigger question is…
“What do we not know right now? And what can we learn in order to grow from here?”
I think the first step is just listening.
In this essay, I will brush on just a few of the many complexities of black womanhood, focusing on our experiences with historical/normalized violence and erasure. As you know, I can’t speak for every black woman on a college campus. But what I will do is give an honest perspective based on what I’ve seen and what I know.
… What’s at play here?
1. Well, history first off
For centuries, black women were enslaved, raped, sterilized against their will, and…must I continue? For too long, we’ve had no agency over our sexuality or our bodies. And that’s only the tip of the intersectional iceberg.
Whether we want to openly admit it or not, society has completely normalized violence against black women. I see it in media, in passing conversations, everywhere. This is not an issue of the past, but a deeply rooted norm that continues to silence many black women from opening up about their experiences.
2. Mainstream feminism “forgetting” us
Remember that time period when women got to stand up and fight for their equal rights? Yeah…black women weren’t invited to that party; or anything else afterward for that matter. For those who didn’t know, mainstream feminism actively excluded women of color back in the day, and many argue that its roots of white-washing haven’t really changed.
Unfortunately, black women are not only here to smash patriarchy and go home. We have racialized and gendered violences to confront so that we too can live freely in our bodies. This makes our fight incredibly complex.
3. The media shaming us…A LOT
Ever witnessed the whole “independent black woman” trope in movies and television? Well, it’s actually less of a compliment, and more of a really damaging narrative.
Whenever I, as a black woman feel fear or sadness, this stereotype tells me to “toughen up”. Whenever I want to speak up about my rights being violated, this stereotype screams “quit being so angry.”
In conclusion, it silences many black women from just being like “hey, that’s really screwed up,” and you know what? That’s toxic for all of us.
4. Mass Incarceration
Ending violence against black women takes a deeper understanding of the criminal justice system and how it has failed us all.
Maisha Johnson of Everyday Feminism hit the nail on the head when she said that “feminist anti-violence campaigns often push for more police [and] harsher sentencing. [But] these “solutions” simply aren’t solutions at all for many survivors. […] People living at the intersections of oppression are disproportionately targeted by police and prison systems, and they also take the greatest risk in calling for state intervention.”
The prison industrial complex, the war on drugs, police brutality and many other policies and practices put direct stress on black women and only contribute to our lack of reporting.
Where do we go from here?
College campuses often believe they are immune to the many problems of the world or to whatever happened at xyz university. But the truth is that none of us are.
Yeah, we may be part of a community of 20-somethings that come with title IX rules, a student government and our own structured activities. But the bubble we’re part of is far from a utopia of any kind. We’re a direct reflection of the state of our country, our region and our communities. And because of this, we as students, educators and university administration can and have to do better.
Across the board, assault against all women on college campuses is becoming an epidemic. But assault against black women on college campuses is practically flying under the radar; you wouldn’t even think it was happening. Because of this, us feminists, allies, and lovers-of-women must begin asking ourselves some seriously uncomfortable questions, beginning with how we, ourselves, can be more inclusive in our fight against assault on our campus. And how we can include the voices of those who have been systemically silenced, while not erasing their many historical and societal realities.
So let’s drop the buzzwords and forget your lawn signs that say “Consent is Hot.” There’s a public health crisis at hand for women like me, and nothing we throw on a sheet of paper matters when a larger culture of ignoring mine is all the rage.
Students at Howard University are speaking up against assault against black women on their campus with the hashtag #nomeansnohu source: Bopho Designs
Check out these great movements and begin the conversation about assault against black and brown women on your campus today:
- Polish & Politics, a space where “Black Women can challenge the rhetoric of how society attempts to define us and how we have gone about defining ourselves.”
- Women of Power, a University of Oklahoma “organization for women [of color] who want to be influential, powerful, and excel.”
- Decolonize Media Collective (DMC) is a “student of color collective dedicated to promoting social justice struggles.” They are taking a stand against Hampshire College’s response to campus sexual assault
- #TakeBackTheNightHU, a group of black men and women who are combatting assault and rape culture at Howard University, a historically black university.