The nonprofit organization Between Friends is marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month with its annual candle lighting on Oct.1. The organization has been raising awareness of domestic violence for the last 26 years. Executive Director Verda Bhatti spoke to CBS News about the complexities of domestic violence.
Bhatti stated, “Sometimes it can be very physical, sometimes it can be only verbal, and sometimes it can be emotional.’
On Ohio Street Beach, Between Friends lights paper lanterns that represent all domestic violence victims. Bhatti expressed her hope that with each year, the number of lanterns declines, “But unfortunately, it doesn’t,” she says.
While domestic violence affects people of all genders and races, the issue is especially relevant to Black women. According to the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, 40% of Black women “will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.”
Domestic violence is more than just physical abuse at the hands of a partner. The U.S. Department of Justice lists the different forms of domestic violence. The DOJ cites intimidation, manipulation, humiliation, isolation, and attempts to frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone as forms of abuse.
Over half of all Black women have experienced nonphysical domestic violence. According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, “53.8% of Black women had experienced psychological abuse, while 41.2% of Black women had experienced physical abuse.”
The Blackburn Center attempts to get to the root causes of the elevated harm inflicted on Black women. The organization lists “objectification and degradation of women in media, rape culture, harmful gender norms, the pay gap” and racism as causes for increased harm.
The objectification of Black women is a tale as old as time. The tale is still being told as terms that predate emancipation, such as ‘bed wench,’ are still being used to describe women. The use of that term and many others in the modern day only reinforces that, to some, Black women are seen as less than human. Objects or toys are to be used at the discretion of others. And like children, many do not consider using, abusing, and breaking a toy a bad thing.
The Blackburn Center proposed solutions for these causes, first acknowledging intersectionality. Paying attention to vulnerable intersections of Black women and working toward creating equity in their pay, depictions, and status would help dispel the notion that they are expendable.
If you know any current or former victims of domestic violence in need of support, reach out to the Blackburn Center at 1-888-832-2272.
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