The National Sexual Violence Resource Center made a post on twitter that caught my eye, it spoke about how we need to focus on connecting equality and ending oppression in all forms to lessen sexual harassment, abuse or assault (SAAM Day of Action, n.d.). NSVRC suggests, on their site to honor this month, that we plan an event or social media post during the #30daysofsaam, particularly April 6th. In my community, of Columbia South Carolina, we have a population that is largely African American. Approximately 49.4% of people residing here are African American (Census Bureau, 2018). Alarmingly, our state is also ranked at 6th in the nation for domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence (Domestic Violence by States, 2023). With some 51% of female rapes being committed by an intimate partner in the US (Domestic Violence Statistics, 2023) this is putting a large portion of my community at high risk.
Using the local community center as a meeting space, there could be an event that included sexual assault nurses, providers and social workers, available to our African American population specifically. Having these members of the healthcare team would give access to nurses, who can help them understand what comprises abuse and assault. Or our providers could discuss anything from STDs to long term metal health effects of abuse and intimate partner violence. Lastly, our social workers would be available to link those in need with resources, on site.
Making an event like this would not be something we should not shy away from because we are concerned about the ethical implications of not including the caucasian members of our community. A simple windshield survey will revealed how the neighborhoods with a largely African American population are predominantly not maintained in the same manner as those which show a notably caucasian population. While we are focusing on ending all types of oppression and creating more equality, this means taking a serious look at how racial inequality plays a role in our communities.
Join your local healthcare team at Earlewood Park Community Center April 6th as we partner with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center during #30DaysofSAAM. Ending oppression and creating equality begins with knowledge and resources. #SafeFromAssault
