Black women in the United States are disproportionately affected by violence and yet face significant barriers to services and support. While progress has been made over recent decades to better respond to their experiences, as Karma Cottman, CEO and Executive Director of Ujima, the National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community tells us, "we have a long way to go." In this episode, we discuss the state of violence against black women in America, how firearm possession by violent offenders is leading to higher rates of repeat violence as well as femicide, the failures of systems to protect and serve black women, and the strategies that will best support their safety.

Karma Cottman is the CEO and Executive Director of Ujima, the National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community. Ms. Cottman has worked in the gender-based violence field for over 20 years, internationally and nationally in the United States at the local, state, and national level to ensure that policies and legislation are responsive to the needs of GBV survivors, particularly from Communities of Color. Through Ujima Inc., Ms. Cottman has established federal funding streams and national technical assistance centers focused on increasing access for culturally specific service providers to federal and state funding support.