Black women denounce violence, stand in solidarity with Asian American communities

Statement of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda President and CEO Marcela Howell

WASHINGTON — In response to the recent shootings in the greater Atlanta area, which targeted Asian women, Marcela Howell, founder, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, issued the following statement:

“We send our deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the people killed and hope that those who were injured recover fully. We mourn with the families and friends of those who died, with the Georgia community and with our Asian sisters who have been the targets of anti-Asian hatred in the wake of COVID-19.

“While law enforcement officials have announced that the shooter’s motivation was ‘sex addiction,’ we know that sexual violence and racism are often intertwined when it comes to violence against women. Anti-Asian violence has escalated over the last year with more than 68 percent of the reported incidents coming from women.

“We stand in solidarity with AAPI women and people. We denounce the racist, xenophobic violence that continues across the country. Make no mistake, white male supremacy is at the core of these latest attacks and all of the hate violence against Asian communities. As Black women, we know that our Asian-American sisters are disparately impacted at the intersections of racism, sexism and xenophobia.

“We stand with AAPI women and people and demand an end to anti-Asian bigotry. We must dismantle white male supremacy now — to stop the violence and hate.”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national reproductive justice organization focused on lifting up the voices of Black women at the national and regional levels in our ongoing policy fight to secure reproductive justice for all women and girls. Our eight strategic partners include Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.