Black Womens Blueprint | Museum of Womens Resistance 279 Empire Boulevard | Brooklyn, N.Y.

11225 | 347-533-9102 P | 347- 750-1652 F www.blackwomensblueprint.org | www.mothertongumemonologues.org _______________________________________________________________________________________________ September 28, 2013 Dear Sir or Madame: As you may know, Black Womens Blueprint is convening the first ever Black Womens Truth and Reconciliation Commission (BWTRC) to address sexual violence against Black women in the United States. We are currently in the process of choosing qualified commissioners to run the commission and we need your help. We invite you to nominate committed individuals to serve on the BWTRC. Ideal nominees would be individuals who are self-identified survivors of sexual assault or the children and grandchildren of survivors. Once we have received enough nominations, we will hold an election in which nine commissioners will be elected to carry out the mandate of the BWTRC. The Commission, an independent, representative, and competent body (and the steering committee) is charged with guaranteeing the rights of victims to truth, justice, healing, and any subsequently determined process of reconciliation or demands for various forms of recourse and accountability. It is the first of its kind to focus on Black women in America and their experiences with sexual violence. Launched by Black feminists in the U.S., it is a bold innovative and groundbreaking move by Black women across generations, ethnicities, sexualities, and other identities, to confront the ever-shifting nature of rape culture and sexual violence against Black women in the UnitedStates. The specific goals of the BWTRC are to: 1. Research (using oral narratives, multi-media film, audio and photography) and document survivors lived experiences across three-generations prior to Freedom Summer 1964 and prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964; 2. Provide victims and survivors with a public platform and promote healing; 3. Strengthen the rule of law by advocating for criminal justice and legal reforms and to build economic equity by advocating for a specific poverty related policy where there is a causal relationship between poverty and vulnerability to sexual violence/exploitation; and 4. Promote intra-community reconciliation and public deliberations using a human rights framework for building structures of community accountability and systems of safety for women and girls. The work is being accomplished in the following 4 phases: (1) Building a base, (2) conducting research, (3) producing a final report, and (4) holding a public tribunal set for 2016 in Washington, DC. Commissioners will engage in hands-on work related to ethics, research, oral history, public deliberations, and in other relevant activities as well as on-going planning. Because of this, we need individuals who can devote the time (at least 4 hours a week) and resources needed to ensure that the BWTRC is a success. Nominees should: Be leaders in their communities (anywhere in the US) who are working on the ground as highly visible grassroots activists; Have a history of being very vocal in representing the seriousness of the issue of sexual assault; Have an understanding of the unique challenges faced by Black women in the United States. Be a reputable and trusted member of their community as credibility is a crucial factor for the proceedings and effectiveness of a truth commission.

If you know of a candidate whom you would like to nominate (or, if you seek to nominate yourself), please fill out the attached nomination form and send it to us at INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS or BWTRC Nominations, 279 Empire Blvd., Brooklyn, NY 11225. For more details about the Commission, visit us at INSERT PAGE or see the attached documents. Again, we thank you for your commitment to this very worthy cause. Sincerely, Black Womens Blueprint BWTRC Advisors, Steering Committee and Current Commissioners:
Aishah Shahidah Simmons, Award-winning African American Lesbian Feminist, Documentary Filmmaker and Anti-Violence Activist. Dr. Beverly Guy Sheftall, Ph.D. Founding Director of the Women's Research and Resource Center and the Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women's Studies, Spelman College. Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Queer Black Feminist Media Activist, Founder, Eternal Summer of the Black Feminist Mind. Tiona McClodden, Award Winning Filmmaker, Artist, Executive Producer and Director, Harriet's Gun Media. Thenjiwe McHarris, Senior Campaigner, Amnesty International, Liberia Truth Commission and The Peoples Human Rights Tribunal, New Orleans, Louisiana.. Ejim Dike, Executive Director, U.S. Human Rights Network. Jermaine Wright, Associate Director of The City University of New York Black Male Initiative (CUNY BMI). Alisa Del Tufo, Founder/President at Threshold Collaborative, Master Oral Historian, Media Maker and Social Activist. Kerry McLean, Esq. Executive Board, National Lawyers Guild, Liberia Truth Commission and The Peoples Human Rights Tribunal, New Orleans, Louisiana. Tiffany Gardner, Esq. Senior Career Advisor, Human Rights, Columbia University. Onleilove Alston, Organizer at The Center on Race, Religion and Economic Democracy (C-RRED), Akeel St. Vil, Black Male Feminist Ally, Vassar College. Dr. Mayowa Alero Obasaju, Board Chair, Black Womens Blueprint, Barnard College. Salimah Hankins, Director, Human Rights, Black Womens Blueprint and U.S. Human Rights Network. Farah Tanis, Co-Founder, Black Womens Blueprint, Museum of Womens Resistance and Chair, BWTRC.

For a full list of those involved, visit http://myfreedomlounge.com the space which holds all information for Black Womens Blueprints BWTRC. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Black Womens Blueprint is a national Black feminist organization using civil and human rights approaches to organize and develop a culture where women of African descent are fully empowered and where gender; race and other disparities are erased. We engage in progressive research, historical documentation, policy advocacy and organize on social justice issues steeped in the struggles of Black women within their communities and within dominant culture. We are the convener of the first Truth Commission ever to focus on Black women in the U.S. and their historical and contemporary experiences with rape/sexual assault. Enclosure: Commissioner Nomination Form.

Black Womens Blueprint | Museum of Womens Resistance 279 Empire Boulevard | Brooklyn, N.Y. 11225 | 347-533-9102 P | 347- 750-1652 F www.blackwomensblueprint.org | www.mothertongumemonologues.org

TRUTH
Candidate Information

Commissioner Nomination Form JUSTICE HEALING

RECONCILIATION

Name: _________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail address:__________________________________________________________________________ Address (if available): ____________________________________________________________________ Phone: ________________________________________________________________________________ Affiliations:______________________________________________________________________________ Why is this person being nominated? ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------Submitted by
Name_______________________________________ Phone ______________________________________ Date ___________________________________ E-mail__________________________________ ____No ____ No

Has this person been contacted to determine their interest in being nominated? ____ Yes If yes, would he/she be willing to serve if elected? ____ Yes

Submit this form by emailing it to shankins@blueprintny.org, fax: (347) 750-1652 or mail it to: 279 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Black Womens Blueprint is a national Black feminist organization using civil and human rights approaches to organize and develop a culture where women of African descent are fully empowered and where gender; race and other disparities are erased. We engage in progressive research, historical documentation, policy advocacy and organize on social justice issues steeped in the struggles of Black women within their communities and within dominant culture. We are the convener of the first Truth Commission ever to focus on Black women in the U.S. and their historical and contemporary experiences with rape/sexual assault.