Gender Justice Program

2021-03-16 | Abigail

New gender justice report, Our Stories and Visions: Gender in Black Immigrant Communities, explores the mental health and wellness of Black immigrant women and femmes. After conducting 84 interviews with Black immigrant women and femmes between the ages of 18-84, we have developed a report that examines how the various forms of systemic violence that Black immigrant women and femmes experience at the hands of actors such as law enforcement, medical practitioners and public benefits administrators impacts their mental health. Our report also contains a visionary component that reflects the kind of world that Black immigrant women and femmes would create if the structures and systems that oppress them were dismantled. The report is a testament to the power of community, storytelling and vulnerability. We are excited to share these powerful stories and visions with you.

UAAI was founded in April 2006 in response to the massive outpouring of opposition of immigrants and their supporters to the repressive immigration bills then under consideration by the U.S. Congress. Black activists in the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area were called to action by Rev. Kelvin Sauls,a South African immigrant and Rev. Phillip Lawson, a long time Civil Rights leader and co-founder/co-chair of the California Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

UAAI also grew out of the efforts of the Priority Africa Network. PAN organizes Africa Diaspora Dialogues which have brought African Americans and black immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America together to dialogue about the myths and stereotypes as well as the cultural, social and political issues that divide our communities.