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July 2023 • Issue 1

Happy First Quarter of the New Fiscal Year! In an effort to acknowledge the undeniable intersections of domestic violence and the cultural facets of diversity, equity, inclusivity, accessibility, and beyond, ICADV has put together an internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Team dedicated to keeping staff and Illinois programs on top of current events and important decisions. Welcome to the new Inclusion Insights Newsletter! 

This quarterly newsletter will highlight the efforts of programs across the state, local and national challenges for DEI matters, promote inclusive language, share relevant information that affects gender-based violence (GBV), and more! For questions, suggestions, or comments, please email Chloé McMurray at mcmurray@ilcadv.org or Michelle McAnarney at mcanarney@ilcadv.org. 

This month is also Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, also known as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Awareness Month. As we observe BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, we must be aware of the intersections of domestic violence and BIPOC mental health as we work towards creating a world where all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity, can access the support and resources they need to heal and thrive.

Especially relevant since one of the founding cornerstones of the Anti-Violence Movement was a Lakota woman.

**See where your organization's land dwells and plan a land acknowledgment: Native-Land.ca | Our home on native land

South Asian Heritage Month begins on July 18 and ends August 17.

10 Ways To Honor South Asian Heritage Month In 2023

Learn more from the National Women's History Museum

To change the way gender-based violence happens in society, we must be able to look at the way that GBV intersects with the root causes of violence—racism, ableism, homophobia, and the like. To not acknowledge the problem as a whole is to leave out many who are affected the most by GBV. When Black transgender women experience the highest rates of violence (Insider Database: 2020 Was Deadliest Year on Record for Trans People), but so many services are still geared towards white, cisgender women, change must be effected. We affect change most deeply by spreading awareness, learning (and unlearning) our own biases, and addressing harmful rhetoric when we hear it!

Words and language are some of the most powerful connections and communication tools humans have. Learning to be more thoughtful and conscientious of the language we use in our daily lives is imperative to being effective communicators. As ICADV members, we add a layer of responsibility with the words we choose to use as we work with those who are, or have been, experiencing trauma. What we say can hurt or retraumatize another.

Today, let’s look at microaggressions and how they cause harmful communication. Microaggressions are defined as a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority.

Highlighted Issue: A theme that has been adapted is assuming people of non-white backgrounds (such as Asian American or Latin American) are foreign-born.

Examples of microaggressions that have been formed from this harmful assumption include:

➤ calling others “aliens,” 

➤ asking others “where are you from” or “where were you born,” 

➤ commenting to another “you speak good English” or “you are so articulate for a [insert

➥ race here] person,” 

➤ or asking a person to teach you words in their native tongue. 

• Using these words sends the message “you are not American,” “you are a foreigner,” “ you do not belong here,” or “you are responsible for making me understand.”

While it is normal - and good - to be curious about the differences between other cultures and our own, there are respectful and nurturing ways to do so. There are four key ways to work towards eliminating microaggressions and becoming more inclusive: 

I identify as Asian-African American and am a first-generation American on my maternal side. My mother immigrated here from the island of Mauritius (where I am a dual citizen), and much of my family before came to the island as slaves from India. Growing up with this multi-cultural background in the United States was difficult, and still holds challenges today. 

In joining GBV work and meeting many others of varying Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (“BIPOC”) backgrounds, I found I was by far not alone in these experiences.

There are years of stories I could share of being a BIPOC woman in America, surviving GBV, and joining the anti-GBV force, but will focus on a recent work experience. As the ICADV Director of Strategic Partnerships, I and Sara Mentel (Strategic Partnerships Coordinator) have had the privilege of being part of a national task force called “Restoryation.” Twenty-six state DV and DV/SA coalitions were trained to facilitate a FVPSA needs assessment among coalition staff, with a focus on BIPOC staff, using storytelling.

In April of this year, a gathering was hosted in Atlanta, Georgia for BIPOC staff from these coalitions to meet and discuss how Restoryation facilitations were going, what we were noticing in hosting them, and what we were seeing in GBV work, all as BIPOC members. It was a very emotional, moving, and powerful couple of days as we shared thoughts, suggestions, gaps in needs, and our experiences within and without the task force.

The biggest theme that came from our discussions was that many of us, including me, had never in our entire lives been given an opportunity to hold space solely with other BIPOC women. We had never been given a chance to just be with those who walk in our shoes.

In returning and sharing notes from the meeting with our staff, I discussed this aspect of the meeting: The discovery that there was a very real lack of space for BIPOC staff to meet and speak solely with others who identify as BIPOC, which means there is also a lack of opportunity for open and raw conversation to expose true needs and gaps amongst BIPOC staff in the workplace. This discussion has led ICADV to begin planning ways for BIPOC and other underserved staff (LGBTQIA+, staff with disabilities, Spanish-speaking staff, etc.) to have space to bring their voices together.

It is important that I express that we are most successful, impactful, and powerful as a Coalition when all voices, minds, and experiences, from all staff, join together. And to help strengthen this whole, we recognize that giving space for underserved staff to meet with others who share their identifier will close the gaps in needs of serving others in these populations who come to us for help.

In Peace and Love,

Michelle McAnarney

DEI is a continuous journey. It involves not only learning, changing, and discussing, but also taking action within ourselves and our communities. It is common to wonder “how do we do more?” when first beginning DEI work. There is no one answer or path. To help begin your movement, each month “Call to Action/Carry it Forward” will give you some suggested steps, gathered from various resources, that you can take.

United Way of Illinois and partners have created several weeks of “Equity Challenges” which you can find below. We thank them for their work and for giving us the first building blocks to our individual investment in DEI!

DEI doesn’t have to be just another one of those meetings and trainings we have—you know, the ones where you take a deep breath and force yourself to listen. Navigating DEI and learning about the ways we can be more inclusive benefits the communities we work in as well as the underrepresented survivors we work with. Take fifteen to twenty minutes this week and sit down with a colleague, your team, or even just with your dog or cat. Choose one or two of the below actions to get started:

Thanks for reading! Want to stay in touch?

Reach out to Chloé McMurray at mcmurray@ilcadv.org if you want to get involved in future Inclusion Insights newsletters!