RESILIENT SISTERHOOD PROJECT INC
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Mission Statement
The Resilient Sisterhood Project’s mission is to educate and empower women of African descent regarding common, yet rarely discussed, diseases of the reproductive system that disproportionately affect them. We approach these diseases and associated issues through a cultural and social justice lens—as we believe that poor knowledge of reproductive health is primarily related to health, racial, and socioeconomic disparities.
About This Cause
The Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP) is a Boston-based nonprofit founded in 2012 to raise awareness of diseases of the female reproductive system and empower women and other people of African descent affected by them. Regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status, Black women in the United States are disproportionately affected by diseases of the reproductive system. They have persistently higher rates of hormone-related diseases including, but not limited to, higher rates of fibroids, infertility, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). These diseases are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Compared to other racial groups, they experience more aggressive forms of and higher mortality rates from breast, cervical, uterine, and other gynecological cancers. Moreover, pregnant Black women may face reproductive health challenges such as preeclampsia, eclampsia, or cardiovascular diseases which can lead to maternal mortality and morbidity. Research also indicates that Black girls are experiencing early puberty at a higher rate than their white counterparts. In the past ten years, RSP has taken a unique intersectional approach to rethink, reframe, and reclaim the discourse regarding Black women’s reproductive health and rights. Our work has had a broad reach and impact in providing comprehensive and holistic knowledge that respects the dignity and humanity of affected women. RSP works in partnership with—rather than on behalf of—black women and young adults in our communities. We address deeply rooted historical and structural racism, health and medical inequities, oppressive cultural and gender norms, environmental and food injustices, and other social determinants of health. RSP collaborates locally and nationally with community partners, encompassing a range of organizations from grassroots groups to academic, medical, scientific, and environmental institutions. We serve a demographic ranging from 15 and 99+ years old. Though we work with people from all socioeconomic levels, we place a special emphasis on disenfranchised communities. RSP brings an expansive definition to and understanding of the word “women'' to include transgender women, cisgender women, gender queer, and gender non-conforming people who have a female reproductive system. We invite you to explore some of our core programs on the next page. For more information, visit our website. RSP's Six Core Educational Programs: 1) Community Education and Outreach This core program tackles issues in regard to, but not limited to: * Diseases of the reproductive system and other reproductive health conditions * Medical practices discounting Black women’s pain levels and concerns * Preconception health, birthing rights, and postpartum health * The impact of the chronic stress of racism (“weathering”) * Preventative reproductive health screenings * Equitable access to reproductive health care * The role of empathy in medical settings We also focus on in-depth education about postpartum as well as underdiagnosed and undertreated reproductive diseases and other reproductive conditions such as, but not limited to: * Fibroids * Endometriosis * Infertility * Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) * Gynecological cancers such as breast, cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancer * Mortality and morbidity in pregnant Black women * Eclampsia and preeclampsia * Precocious and early onset of puberty 2) Sisterhood Empowerment Circle Black women are the backbones of their families and communities. This program explores our resiliency and strengths while critically examining the systemic inequities that make us more vulnerable to diseases and other conditions of the reproductive system. We do this to create a safe place to: * Break the silence and center our voices and concerns * Share our history, narratives, and lived experiences * Uplift each other’s dignity and humanity * Examine power structures * Reinvigorate our spirits * Enrich our lives * Inspire action 3) Environmental Justice and Reproductive Health Racial and ethnic minority groups, especially from low-income neighborhoods, are adversely affected by environmental toxic exposures and climate change and the associated health and social complications. Through a general framework, this program educates community members about the historical legacy of environmental injustice and its effects on women and girl’s reproductive health. Black women have persistently higher rates of hormone-related diseases and other reproductive conditions that may be caused or exacerbated by exposure to toxic chemicals such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In addition, we explore how health outcomes are significantly connected to environmental toxins and products that contain harmful chemicals marketed to Black women and girls. Chemicals such as EDCs are often found in everyday household and personal care products and some food products. Topics of environmental injustice include, but are not limited to, exposures from: * Toxins and other harmful chemicals in the environment * Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) * Forever chemicals such as PFAS * Food justice and harmful chemicals * Blue and green space access and maternal health * The impact of climate change on reproductive health 4) Incarceration and Reproductive Health Prisons are sites of reproductive violence as well as reproductive health inequities. This program examines the reproductive health needs and rights of current and formerly incarcerated women of color in the US prison system. Increasing numbers of these women and girls represent a growing proportion of incarcerated people in the US correctional system. The implications of incarceration are profound given that most of these women are of reproductive age and largely from disadvantaged communities. 5) Reproductive Health and Immigration The goal of this program is to address harsh anti-immigration policies and the many challenges that documented and undocumented immigrant women of color often face accessing reproductive health care services. We bring attention to these issues with the goals of reducing the significant health disparities and achieving more equitable health outcomes. 6) Art and Reproductive Justice This program uses art as a catalyst—and draws on the Sankofa principle of looking to the past to understand the present. Through curated artwork, we tell stories of historical injustices, while also honoring our ancestors and showcasing the empowerment of Black women over time. Consistent with this vision, we educate the public, inspire introspection, and encourage people to learn more about the lives of those who came before them. Many of the pieces we have commissioned shed light on past medical malfeasance and the history of pseudoscience used to justify the institution of slavery and the social construct of race.