Vol.1 Issue 1
Wooden Woman w/ Child, Rachel Eliza Griffiths
The Africana Women and Violence issue of IPH asked writers all over the world to consider the intimate and shared experiences Africana women have with violence, locally and globally. The response was absolutely awe-inspiring as we received submissions from playwrights, fiction writers, poets, essayists and song writers from as far as Rome and the Middle East. We are excited to include works from novice and veteran writers such as Jaki Shelton Green, Asha Bandele, and Dr. Anjail Rashida Ahmad.
Originally, the issue began as a means to archive responses to the violent ways in which the media silenced and dehumanized women brave enough to confront members of the Duke Lacrosse team who were assaulted during an off-campus party. Soon, this incident sparked conversations about the legacy of violence enacted against Africana women.
Activists and cultural workers in Durham collaborated under the name Ubuntu, roughly translated as "I am because we are, we are because I am". Ubuntu members continue to work collectively and independent of the larger group to address violence against women and other social justice issues. One of the most visible and far reaching events organized by Ubuntu is The National Day of Truthtelling, a march and teach-in dedicated to highlighting and directly addressing violence against women.
Continuing the conversation...
As there are few literary journals and media outlets that dedicate entire projects to the topic of Africana women and violence, this ‘zine addresses the lack of contemporary discourse circulating in popular media about violence against Africana women.
Read this issue, take it to school, make copies and leave them on the bus, share your copy with a loved one, get involved with a community group, and spread love.
If you are interested in a paper copy, email us at inthepeopleshands@gmail.com.
