Black History Month
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of Black individuals and communities and to reflect on their ongoing fight for justice and equality.
At Luke’s Place, we are solely devoted to improving the safety and experience of women and their children as they navigate the family law system after being subjected to intimate partner violence (IPV). Luke’s Place recognizes the intersections with Black History Month and the need to center the lived experiences of Black women while highlighting the specific, disproportionate violence they face.
There is a well-documented connection between Black women’s experiences of IPV and their wrongful criminalization. When police respond to IPV calls, Black women are often misidentified as the aggressor, subjected to heightened scrutiny, and not believed (Woman ACT). These dynamics are rooted in systemic racism and gender bias and are exacerbated by mandatory charging policies, which have been shown to harm marginalized communities.
Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term ‘intersectionality,’ explains the ways in which overlapping social identities, such as race, gender, class, and sexuality, intersect with systems of power and oppression. For Black women subjected to IPV, this means their interactions with police and the family law system are shaped not by gendered violence alone, but by the compounding effects of racism, sexism, and power.
Community research conducted by Luke’s Place over the past few years supports findings long identified by Black community leaders, activists, scholars, and victim-survivors regarding the criminalization of Black women subjected to IPV and their treatment within the family law system. Our findings highlight the distinct and disproportionate barriers Black women and IPV victim-survivors face when seeking safety and support through family court.
The research further identifies that Black survivors often navigate multiple, intersecting legal systems simultaneously, including family law, criminal law, child protection, and immigration. Family law matters frequently involve separation, financial support, parenting arrangements, property division, and protection orders, many of which are accompanied by serious and ongoing safety concerns.
Some key barriers shared by victim-survivors include:
- Limited access to clear, culturally appropriate legal information.
- Unavailable, unaffordable, inadequate and/or no legal representation.
- Racism, bias, and cultural misunderstanding within courts and legal services.
- An intimidating, complex, and time-consuming legal process.
- Language and communication barriers that lead to misinterpretation and disbelief.
- Abusive partners weaponizing family law, finances, immigration status, and cultural pressure to maintain control.
- Poor coordination between family law and other legal systems.
- Court outcomes that fail to adequately protect Black victim-survivors and their children.
- Socio-economic barriers, including poverty and housing insecurity, that make it harder to leave relationships in which they have been subjected to abuse.
These findings, alongside the extensive research and testimony of Black communities, reinforce the reality that the family law system not only continues to inadequately address the safety concerns, needs, and lived experiences of Black communities but also actively harms the very communities seeking support and protection from it.
We must continue to commit ourselves to disrupting anti-Black racism within these systems and listen to the voices and demands of Black survivors.
Our full research report will be available on our website this spring.
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