Our Story
Founded in 2015 during a time of deadly encounters between Black people and law enforcement and the subsequent rise of the Movement for Black Lives, Co-Founders Rev. Tawana Angela Davis, Ph.D. and Rev. Dr. Dawn Riley Duval birthed Soul 2 Soul Sisters to be a Black Women-led, faith-based response to anti-Black violence in the United States of America. Today, our organization is evolving and thriving as we work to honor and protect Black Women, femmes, and gender expansive beloved's lives, loves, decisions, families, communities, and futures.
Founded in 2015 during a time of deadly encounters between Black people and law enforcement and the subsequent rise of the Movement for Black Lives, Co-Founders Rev. Tawana Angela Davis, Ph.D. and Rev. Dr. Dawn Riley Duval birthed Soul 2 Soul Sisters to be a Black Women-led, faith-based response to anti-Black violence in the United States of America. Today, our organization is evolving and thriving as we work to honor and protect Black Women, femmes, and gender expansive beloved's lives, loves, decisions, families, communities, and futures.
The Soul 2 Soul Sisters experience ...
Based in a fierce knowing that we all will be free, we have four areas of programming:
Black Healing, Health & Joy
Facing Racism
Reparations
Black Civic Engagement & Policy
Reproductive Justice: A Divine Black Feminine Force
Soul 2 Soul Sisters' work is based in a reproductive justice framework. In June 1994, 12 Black Women (honor to the Divine Twelve!) workers in the reproductive health and rights field birthed the concept "reproductive justice" which focuses on reproductive liberation movement building. Reproductive Justice affirms that women's health care must protect:
- Raising children in safe and healthy environments
- Sexuality
- The decision not to become a parent
- Planned and healthy pregnancies
Inspired by Womanist creative thought and theology, the following principles guide Soul 2 Soul Sisters:
All Black Gender Expansive Beloveds Matter.
Soul 2 Soul Sisters privileges Black people who identify as Woman, Femme, Trans, gender expansive ... who are elderly, spiritual, courageous, outrageous, religious, audacious, incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, serious, spontaneous, playful, disabled, creative, immigrant ... ALL Black gender expansive beloveds are divine creations and are welcome.
Self-love and love of Black Women are medicine to the soul.
Where there is self-love and love of Black Women, there is healing and liberation for all. Self-love and love of Black Women are intentional and unleash the power of each Black Woman, femme, and gender-expansive beloved. Self-love and love of Black Women promote growth and innovation, cultivating sacred space for creativity, vision and joy. Self-love and love of Black Women connect us with our ancestors, Universe, Divine, and with generations to come. Through self-love and love of Black Women, we create futures in which ALL people are free.
REST is a spiritual practice.
In a world that seeks to ravage every fiber of Black Women, femmes, and gender expansive beings, rest is refreshing radical resistance. Rest is not lazy or selfish – rather it is nourishing, essential and divine. Rest is a spiritual practice since it helps us connect with the Divine, our humanity, and each other more deeply. We do the work that our souls must have. And we rest. (Cannon et al., 2011) Cannon, K. G. (2011). Black womanist ethics. Wipf & Stock.
Black liberation work liberates Black femmes NOW.
Since Black Women, femmes, and gender expansive beloveds have been robbed of liberation, it is our duty to create, chant, eat, sing, speak truth, be round, rest, birth babies (or not), march, celebrate, dance, vote, laugh, dream, and more. We embody life-loving power as we dismantle all forms of oppression and envision Black Beloveds thriving. Now.
Inspired by Womanist creative thought and theology, the following principles guide Soul 2 Soul Sisters:
All Black Gender Expansive Beloveds Matter.
Soul 2 Soul Sisters privileges Black people who identify as Woman, Femme, Trans, gender expansive ... who are elderly, spiritual, courageous, outrageous, religious, audacious, incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, serious, spontaneous, playful, disabled, creative, immigrant ... ALL Black gender expansive beloveds are divine creations and are welcome.
Self-love and love of Black Women are medicine to the soul.
Where there is self-love and love of Black Women, there is healing and liberation for all. Self-love and love of Black Women are intentional and unleash the power of each Black Woman, femme, and gender-expansive beloved. Self-love and love of Black Women promote growth and innovation, cultivating sacred space for creativity, vision and joy. Self-love and love of Black Women connect us with our ancestors, Universe, the Divine, and with generations to come. Through self-love and love of Black Women, we create futures in which ALL people are free.
REST is a spiritual practice.
In a world that seeks to ravage every fiber of Black Women, femmes, and gender expansive beings, rest is refreshing radical resistance. Rest is not lazy or selfish – rather it is nourishing, essential and divine. Rest is a spiritual practice since it helps us connect with the Divine, our humanity and each other more deeply. We do the work that our souls must have. And we rest. (Cannon et al., 2011) Cannon, K. G. (2011). Black womanist ethics. Wipf & Stock.
Black liberation work liberates Black Femmes NOW.
Since Black Women, femmes, and gender expansive beloveds have been robbed of liberation, it is our duty to create, chant, eat, sing, speak truth, be round, rest, birth babies (or not), march, celebrate, dance, vote, laugh, dream, and more. We embody life-loving power as we dismantle all forms of oppression and envision Black Beloveds thriving. Now.
