In April 2018, we created Unapologetically Surviving with the mission of being a catalyst for the healing process of survivors who have experienced interpersonal violence including, but not limited to, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, child abuse, stalking, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, and sexual harassment. After experiencing firsthand the many difficulties survivors experience, we often talked about how one day, twenty years from now, we would advocate for survivors through the lenses of public health and law. Then, one day in April, we thought- “why not now?”
We don’t always agree on everything, in fact, we rarely agree on much. But that of which we do agree on is of the utmost importance to us. We dedicate our time to educating ourselves on the complexities of interpersonal violence. We learn about the effect of trauma on the brain. We listen to those who have had different life experiences from our own, and we believe in the vitality of speaking one’s truth.
We are committed to adding to the conversation of interpersonal violence by including stories of healing after abuse. Too often the narrative is focused on the violent act a survivor experiences and seems to ignore everything that comes after. We believe that by sharing stories of healing, survivors will recognize that there is no right or wrong way to heal. In attempting to diversify the conversation around interpersonal violence, we hope to help those who feel their experience is something they must hide or something they should be ashamed of because of how they identify. Every survivor deserves a space where they feel safe to share their experience – we hope Unapologetically Surviving can be that for you.
We know that on our own we are capable of changing the world; together, there’s no doubt that we won’t.
— Brittany and CC
Unapologetically Surviving 