To end violence against Black women and girls change has to happen across sectors, from nonprofits to government agencies. Many of these changes have to happen at an organizational level — and need active champions to share information with their peers and shift anti-Black culture and practices that may be deeply entrenched in the way it operates.

Ways to start the conversation to galvanize change: 

• Send an email to everyone in your team or organization: Encourage others to read the Executive Summary (just 10 pages, with many visuals) and share briefly why you think this is important for your collective work.

• Host a lunch or brown bag conversation: Set a time to discuss what folks learned in reading the Executive Summary or full report. 

• Use this Slidedeck to easily share the report’s key findings and recommendations if folks attend but haven’t had time to read in advance. 

• Set aside time for dedicated reflection and intention setting: Too often we read reports or gain new knowledge but we don’t set aside time or capacity to put that new information into practice in our work. The report includes a number of discussion questions that can guide deeper investigation around the pain points for Black women and girls in your work — and what it would take to eliminate those barriers and harms. 

• Organize an action hour: If folks in your organization are activated by the report, consider hosting an action hour to come together and write emails or call your elected officials. You could even invite your community — through an event posted on social media and/or shared with your email or client list, for instance. You can find templates and scripts in the section above.

Reflection questions

• Should Black women in Minnesota seeking assistance from local social service agencies, shelters, or law enforcement agencies feel that they can only receive support if they are in an extreme state of crisis? What would it look like if Black women knew that they could seek support when they are in crisis without having to already be bleeding to prove they’re in danger?

• What would we need to change about the culture of our local law enforcement for families to feel they will be heard and not misunderstood when they try to report a loved one missing? What if they were greeted by a counselor on staff to support families who report a missing person?

• What would it look and feel like for Black women and girls to feel heard and validated by the healthcare system? By the education system? In the places they work? How might racial disparities decrease as a result?

• How can professionals hold space for and give grace to Black women and girls who are experiencing trauma, even if they do not share the same cultural background or life experiences? How might they grow as individual leaders in their field if they had the skills to comprehend the experiences of people who are not like them?

• “The social service run around” is a phrase coined in the Illusion of Choice: Eviction and Profit in North Minneapolis report. The run around is a dehumanizing process that tenants experiencing evictions face when trying to access county emergency assistance resources, and the onerous process of collecting the forms, paperwork, and permissions at different places, all within a limited time and scarce information and help from county agencies. What would it look like if our human service systems were created and designed by people with lived experience? How might the processes and the types of support offered to community members look and feel different?

• How might our social service systems, shelters, and law enforcement agencies invest in equitable evaluation and community centered annual reporting that is inclusive and reflective of the community’s definition of success? How might our institutions show up differently if they believed they were beholden to impacted communities, not the board, the elected official, or the agency leadership?