Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

During the 1970s, Black and brown women ramped up their organizing efforts against domestic violence and sexual assault. They stressed that anti-rape work must also be anti-racist and became frustrated with white feminists who thought differently. Through their organizing, they were able to shed light on a number of cases in which women were incarcerated for defending themselves against assault or rape. The first rape crisis centers were established in 1972; many of them were run by survivors and were grassroots in their nature.