Greetings one and all.

I'm awaygirl. I am a 20-something year old woman of African descent who recently survived a harrowing case of occult abuse and rape.

WHY I CREATED THIS SITE

While struggling to come to terms with what happened to me, I have searched on the Internet for resources for survivors of sexual assault. I have found numerous sites, homepages and forums for people of all races, but on my travels I have encountered none aimed specifically at Survivors of African descent.

This is why I created Survivors Across The Diaspora, a web site aimed at Black men, women and children across the globe who have been affected by sexual violence. Here you will find:

FAQs about Sexual Assault
Myths and Facts About Rape
A Wealth of Internet Resources on Rape and Related Issues
Hope & Healing Information
True Life Survivors' Stories
Inspirational poetry, lyrics and quotations
Book Suggestions
Shout Outs To Famous Survivors
Hall Of Shame - Name your abuser!
Survivors Memorial Wall
My Delphi Forum - Black Survivors of Sexual Assault
My Yahoo forum - Black Rape Survivors

THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND RAPE

Black people have a complicated history with rape. We have been raped as a people; our women (and men) were raped by slave-owners and colonial masters; our men were found guilty without trial of raping white women and were subsequently lynched.

Black survivors often have to deal with the added injury of racial victimisation. We may be less likely to be believed or taken seriously if we report rape. Some of us may not even want to admit we have been raped for fear of 'making the race look bad'.

The harsh reality is that, while interracial rapes do occur, the majority of rapes are perpetrated within the same ethnic group. Black men are raping black women. Black women are raping black women. Black men are raping black men. Black adults are raping black children. In rare cases, Black women are raping Black men.

It is time for our global community to face up to this problem. Typically, the Black community wants to keep shameful issues like sexual abuse behind closed doors, either out of denial or for fear of being judged by other ethnic groups. But until we can acknowledge the problem, we cannot begin to heal from the devastating effects of sexual violence. It is time for us to Unlock The Silence.

**Please note: I am not an expert. Nothing on these pages should be used as a substitute for professional advice or treatment. I am merely a survivor like you, trying to do my bit to help other survivors pull through. Each one, reach one.
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