Empowerment through the Arts™: Who's it For, Anyway?

If you've heard about Courageous Access for any length of time at all, Sis, you've heard about Empowerment through the Arts™! But have you wondered, "who's it really for, anyway"? Well, we've got answers for ya as we wrap up Women's History Month because this has and is absolutely a history maker! The Black women who have participated have been able to avoid future predatory relationships at the success rate of 80%!

It's for Black Women

It's for ANY woman who identifies on the African diaspora. so we're talking Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean, African Creole, African Immigrant or Refugee, Biracial Black, Multiracial Black, African-American, or any other beautiful part of our diaspora we didn't name here!

It's for Black WOMEN

If you identify as part of the diaspora we just talked about and you are at least 18 years of age, you're a woman and we're talking to you!

We began letting Black women know it was for domestic violence survivors. However, here's what we learned:

1. Sistahs seldom know when we are victimized by domestic violence (DV) because we assume it looks a certain way AND that the perpetrators are a certain way.

   1. Here is a link to our sister organization with the definition of DV.

      1. Note the perpetrators can be a current OR former intimate partner

      2. Please note that perpetrators usually are charming, funny, smart, and likable

   2. On that same page look at all the types of DV that are listed

      1. Note that there are several that are NOT related to anything physical

      2. Please note that the most reliable indicator that the perpetrator is willing to be homicidal (willing to kill the person they're victimizing) is coercive control not incidents of physical violence

2. There are so many other types of predatory relationships that have nothing to do with an intimate partner yet they create not only abusive situations also, AND they also interfere with Sistahs' ability to clearly understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. This makes it easier for the next predatory relationship/circumstance to catch us up!

Therefore, it's for you if you're a Black woman!

If you wanna know what you can expect from the experience, head over to our YouTube channel to learn more by clicking on this link

For the first time, we are opening this up to EVERY BLACK WOMAN IN THE UNITED STATES! Right now, you can check out the instructions that come with the video link above. Pretty soon though, you'll even be able to get your hands on a facilitator guide in the same Amazon.com series where you get the book!

When we got started we wanted to get this out to you NATIONWIDE, and we're doing it. Because you deserve access to #permission, and Beautiful, that's exactly what you're gonna get.

Blessings,

~Courageous Fire, CHW

Founding Executive Director