Love WITH Accountability: Digging Up the Roots of Child Sexual Abuse

Description

Despite the current survivor-affirming awareness around sexual violence, child sexual abuse, most notably when it’s a family member or friend, is still a very taboo topic. There are approximately 42 million child sexual abuse survivors in the U.S. and millions of bystanders who look the other way as the abuse occurs and cover for the harm-doers with no accountability. Documentary filmmaker and survivor of child sexual abuse and adult rape, Aishah Shahidah Simmons invites diasporic Black people to join her in transformative storytelling that envisions a world that ends child sexual abuse without relying on the criminal justice system. The anthology features compelling writings by child sexual abuse survivors, advocates, and Simmons’s mother who underscores the detrimental impact of parents/caregivers not believing their children when they disclose their sexual abuse. This collection explores disrupting the inhumane epidemic of child sexual abuse, humanely. Contributor roll call: Liz S. Alexander, Qui Dorian Alexander, Esther Armah, Kenyette Tisha Barnes, Luz Marquez-Benbow, Edxie Betts, Sevonna Brown, Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis, Rosa Cabrera, Nicole “Kqueen” Denson, Dr. Worokya Duncan, CeCelia Falls, Zoë Flowers, Kim Gaubault, Alicia Sanchez Gill, Dr. Kai M. Green, Adenike A. Harris and Peter J. Harris, Ahmad Greene-Hayes, Indira Henard, Monika Johnson-Hostler, Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Tracy Ivy, Tanisha Esperanza Jarvis, e nina jay, Cyreé Jarelle Johnson, Kalimah Johnson, Najma Johnson, Ferentz Lafargue, Ph.D., Tonya Lovelace, Thea Matthews, Darnell L. Moore, Dr. Danielle R. Moss, Chevara Orrin, Mel Anthony Phillips, Jey’nce Mizrahi Poindexter, Ignacio G Hutía Xeiti Rivera, Lynn Roberts, Ph.D., Loretta J. Ross, Aishah Shahidah Simmons, Dr. Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, Farah Tanis, Tashmica Torok, and Tracy D. Wright