Memphis, TN – September 22-23, 2009 marked two days of challenging and rewarding dialogue amongst women of color in the field to end violence against women in the U.S. Tracey Wright of the National Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project, Monika Johnson Hostler of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and Luz Marquez from National Organization of Sisters of Colors Ending Sexual Assault (SCESA) facilitated challenging discussions on the shared experiences of women of color working to end sexual assault. The Roundtable served as a wonderful opportunity for advocates to network with representatives from across the United States and the territories, including Guam.
Before the start of the conference, participants were encouraged to tour the National Civil Rights Museum a few minutes away from where the Roundtable discussion would ensue. The National Civil Rights Museum was built around the Lorraine Motel where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. The museum narrates the struggle of African Americans in the United States fighting for civil rights and the intersection of oppression that connects people across identity markers such as race, gender, class, sexuality, age, persecution based on political or religious beliefs, language, and nationality. Visiting the museum was a powerful beginning for the two-day Roundtable that brought advocates together.
