My Sista's Keeper: Giving Voice to the Experiences of Violence Against and Among Black Girls

Issues: Despite widespread violence in urban neighborhoods involving both boys and girls, little attention is given to the outcomes of girls, as if they are isolated from these experiences by virtue of their gender. However, Black girls’ rates of homicide, victimization from assault, dating violence, sexual violence, cyber-bullying, and self-mutilation are often higher than other groups of girls and higher than white and Asian boys. Incorporating the frame of Black Feminist Thought to public health research, practice, and policymaking enables us to repel the false dichotomy of Black girls as either hypervisible or invisible, in order to better understand and address the pervasiveness of violence in their lives.

Description: The Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI) Women's Program is a gendered response to the needs of Black girls who contend with multiple levels of violence in their home, neighborhood, school, and social environments. Based in two small public high schools in Brooklyn, NY, KAVI offers weekly programming, mentorship, and enrichment services to approximately 15 urban African-American and West Indian girls.

Lessons Learned: During the past four years, best practices such as responsive and adaptive facilitation, a "safe-haven" atmosphere, weekly check-ins, peer advisement, and "beyond the school bell" support have been identified. 

Recommendations: The KAVI Women’s Program provides an intersectional approach to urban youth violence prevention. In order to enhance our program, we seek to incorporate scaffolding for returning participants, increase support for them during the summer, strengthen relationships with their parents and guardians, and more rigorously measure program and participant outcomes.