#DECRIMINALIZESURVIVAL
May 2017
#DecriminalizeSurvival was a Twitter Open Mic in solidarity with Bresha Meadows. The full storify can be viewed here.America has a long tradition of incarcerating Black survivors of domestic and sexual violence who dare to fight back. Whether it’s Bresha Meadows, a 15 year old Black girl incarcerated for nearly 300 days for defending her family against her abusive father, or Ky Peterson, a Black transman serving a 20 year sentence for protecting himself against a rapist, Black survival is constantly punished. Studies continue to find that Black women and transgender folks are at the highest risk of criminalization and violence at the hands of police upon reporting domestic and sexual violence.
On May 22nd, as Bresha went to court to finalize a plea deal, we came together to lift up the names of Black women/femmes, trans, and gender non-conforming survivors who are criminalized for fighting back. The haiku open mic on twitter celebrated the lives of Bresha Meadows, CeCe McDonald, Ky Peterson, GiGi Thomas and so many others, whose survival defies the state.
The event was co-hosted by the awQward, FORCE, the Marsha P Johnson Institute, Safety Pin Box, Black and Pink, The Watering Hole, Collective Action for Safe Spaces, Free Cece Documentary and Best Practices Policy Project.