OUR “WHY”

Survivors Know and The SOAR Collective are committed to creating better conditions for anti-violence workers. As survivors, we’ve been inspired by movements like #MeToo and #SayHerName to call on our community to do better. When our organizations came together in the summer of 2022, there was a deep synergy and a lot of emphatic head nods that something needed to change. We decided it was finally time to seed our own charge – one that creates meaningful and lasting systemic changes within the anti-violence field that prioritizes anti-violence workers and survivors. Doing so simultaneously benefits survivors, not only via the services that are offered by anti-violence organizations, but because over half of anti-violence workers are survivors, too (We Deserve Better Project, 2023; RAW Survey, 2022). 

We’ve also been incredibly disappointed by mainstream anti-violence institutions–many of us have worked at local programs and coalitions, and experienced discrimination, frustration, and heartbreak. As an Advocate from Pennsylvania shared, “Advocates are fierce and passionate and find a way to support survivors even when they do not have support from systems that are supposed to support them.”

From the beginning, our aspiration for the We Deserve Better project has always been to catalyze tangible and actionable change. It’s about more than putting words to paper—it’s a call to action, a catalyst, and rallying cry that signifies our collective dedication to change the fabric of the anti-violence field to prioritize survivors and workers. Speaking truth means nothing without action. 

In June of 2020, forty-seven state and territorial coalitions signed onto the Moment of Truth Letter, which details the harm caused by traditional anti-violence institutions against BIPOC communities, and articulates a commitment to divest from the criminal legal system and instead centering the Black Lives Matter movement in fulfilling their vision of liberation. The content of this letter represents our hopes for the anti-violence field, but the reality is that signing onto this letter offered mainstream organizations a pass. Privately, we refer to this as the “Virtue Signaling Letter,” as it did not result in much change. But we know that we can meet this call to action and that change is possible.

NOW WHAT?

We’re still figuring out what comes next. To use a metaphor, we’re remodeling the house while we’re living in it. We’re trying to fix the foundation, not just slap on a fresh coat of paint. We want to go beyond making cosmetic changes, and instead break down walls and reinforce the support beams. And we don’t have to do it alone. If you’d like to get involved or sign up for our mailing list, click here.

In the meantime, our organizations continue to mobilize anti-violence workers and survivors while providing support in a variety of ways.

The SOAR Collective:

• Join our free “Advocate Chat” on discord to anonymously chat with & support your peers

• Follow us on Instagram to stay in the loop on upcoming events & feel free to send us a message to connect or get support

Survivors Know:

• Join the monthly Anti-Violence Healing Circle to connect with other frontline anti-violence workers