About Us

Survivor Society is a U.S based Black and survivor-led incubator. The mission is to interrupt the culture of silence, inconvenience, enablement, and discomfort that interferes with progressive and radical organizations' ability to adopt ending sexual violence as a core political tenet and survivor justice embodied as a cultural practice.

Formed in 2021, in response to the death of Oluwatoyin Salau and the loud silence post-death, we are a community of Black people who know Survivor Justice is Black Liberation work. We are organizers, activists, direct service providers, communication gurus, volunteers,  political strategists, and more. Many of us do  not call survivor and gender justice organizations our political homes. Yet, what binds us is a commitment to see our movement’s vision of freedom include an end to sexual and gender based violence.

Generation 5

"Addressing child sexual abuse — one of the most intimate, traumatic, and widespread forms of violence — is both necessary and strategic in building successful liberation movements."

Values

Principles

Politics

Values Principles Politics

  • We are committed to living in an anti-patriarchal world now.

  • We resist the notion that Black people must over produce and our organizations must “mission drift” to be valuable and relevant. We state clearly that we exist to strengthen Black freedom movements and to help build the power necessary to change the material conditions of Black survivors of sexual violence in North America. 

  • We believe in using a human first approach when developing offerings as a firm.

  • We believe that using a shame and guilt approach will not get us closer to freedom nor towards individuals (survivors, enablers, or abusers alike) becoming more committed to survivor justice.

  • We believe in the radical and purposeful involvement of all Black people, and the various identities we each encompass.

  • We believe in the importance of building relationships as a pillar of our liberatory work. Relationships for us are developed with time, intention, and a pace that allows for mutual trust to be built.

  • We encourage curiosity and leaning into uncertainty as a vehicle for sustainable transformation.

  • We understand that the oppressive forces Black people face are global in nature; therefore our liberation is dependent on the liberation of peoples across borders.

  • We believe in extending ourselves and each other grace as we practice living in a world free of sexual violence.

  • We challenge each other and promote each other’s growth within the collective.

  • We believe in accountability that is not rooted in a punitive approach.

  • We believe in a fractal approach where engaging with the personal is as critical as engaging on an institutional level.

  • We believe survivors and Black people reserve the right to experience the full range of emotions.

  • We believe survivors are experts of their own experiences and should guide the conversation about transformation.

Meet the Collective

PG Watkins

Nikita Mitchell

Shesheena Bray

Nay Nay

Catherine Labiran

Contact us.

info@survivorsociety.org