This section provides a deeper explanation of how IMPACT Chicago views the connection between gender-based violence and race-based violence.
We believe that racism is insidious and pervasive in all facets of society. We commit to interrogating how racism shows up in our work and adapting our practices to align with our anti-racist goal.
We believe the systems and culture that sustain gender-based violence are intimately linked to the systems and culture that sustain race-based violence. Sexism, patriarchy, racism, and white supremacy (among other oppressive beliefs/systems) facilitate the marginalization of people based on identity (by race, gender, or both). This in turn enables violence against those whose identities have been marginalized and devalued.
We know that race and ethnicity influence many factors related to self-defense, including:
We believe the systems and culture that sustain gender-based violence are intimately linked to the systems and culture that sustain race-based violence. Sexism, patriarchy, racism, and white supremacy (among other oppressive beliefs/systems) facilitate the marginalization of people based on identity (by race, gender, or both). This in turn enables violence against those whose identities have been marginalized and devalued.
We know that race and ethnicity influence many factors related to self-defense, including:
- who is at risk of experiencing violence & the types of violence they may experience (e.g., not all are equally at risk of state-based violence)
- how individuals are treated when they defend themselves (e.g., BIPOC are more likely to be seen as instigators of violence when acting in self-defense)
- each individual’s experience, interpretation, and application of self-defense skills through the intersection of their multiple identities