Dear {{first_name | supporter}},
Did you know we started Sistah Space after the tragic murder of Valerie Forde and her child, RJ, who hadn’t even turned two?
Valerie had reported her ex-partner to the police, but she wasn't given the protection she needed - and the worst happened. It was out of this tragedy that Sistah Space was created to give space and support to African & Caribbean heritage survivors of abuse.
Valerie’s case exposed the knowledge gap that the police have when it comes to the black community and supporting women from our community facing domestic violence.
Ten years on and we’re still trying to fix that with Valerie's Law - a law that calls for police to have mandatory cultural competency training.
Today Valerie’s story and the lessons we still need to learn from are featured in Politics Home
Twelve years on and we’re still campaigning for Valerie's Law - which would ensure police get mandatory cultural competency training to understanding the diversity of the black community.
It would include:
Understanding how black skin bruises differently
How threats can be communicated differently
Understanding stereotyping and unconscious bias towards black people
Recognising historic institutional racism which may cause distrust of the police
Training like this would be life changing - it would enable the policy and government to protect black women through their own lens.
Already some police stations and hospitals have received our training. But we can't stop until all police forces are trained. If training like this had been in place, Valerie and her child might still be with us today.
Please join us now on the 10th anniversary of her death in spreading awareness of the need for Valerie’s Law. Share Valerie’s story now.
Thank You
In solidarity,
Ngozi Fulani, CEO and Founder of Sistah Space
P.S. Not everyone knows about Valerie’s Law, so please forward the article to your loved ones today or share it on your social media to help us raise awareness.