Root For Each Other: A Branches Podcast

For this episode, advocates, Shannon & Sara take a look into Branches Book Club selection "Know My Name: A Memoir" by Chanel Miller.   In this ground-breaking memoir, Miller identifies herself as "Emily Doe",  the pseudonym created to identify the victim of the Brock Turner rape case that garnered national attention in 2015.   

This book is haunting, poignant, and most of all, essential for advocates or anyone interested in the ways sexual assault experiences are discussed, prosecuted, and treated in American culture.   One of the most important aspects of this book is that it isn't just a story about sexual assault and Brock Turner--it's the story of Chanel Miller and her powerful, necessary voice.  Here, Shannon & Sara explore how this voice resonates with the work we do every day as advocates.  

In this episode of "Root for Each Other",  Branches advocates interview Ally Layman, president of Huntington Pride and Shannon Petree, representing the Cabell County STOP team to learn more about a community-mapping collaborative project designated to gather and identify resources that promote safety and health for LGBTQ+ folks in the community of Cabell County, WV.    This podcast is a conversation about why this work is important, what steps were taken to form the collaboration, and ultimately what the project hopes to accomplish.

This collaborative project resulted in the development of an easily accessible physical and digital resource guide for LGBTQ+ members of the community which will be available and widely distributed June 13, 2021.  For more information, check in with www.branchesdvs.org 

Don't miss this episode for a one-time only opportunity to win tickets to Drag Me to Brunch: Picnic Edition, June 13!   Ally Layman, of Huntington Pride, is giving away FOUR free tickets to this event available ONLY to Root for Each Other listeners.  Learn more about how to enter by listening to the episode! 

In this month's episode, we sit down with Branches Director of Client Services, Amber Ross and one of our incredible survivors to talk about the evolution of domestic violence advocacy and services.

Interested in what types of services are available beyond emergency shelter or how to access those services for a friend, this is the perfect episode for you.  To learn even more about our services visit www.branchesdvs.org 

On this episode, advocates Shannon & Sara, take a deep dive into the Branches Book Club March selection, Hood Feminism.  This book is a must-read for anyone invested in the work of feminism and anti-oppression.  As domestic violence advocates, this book is especially helpful in examining the vital work that still needs to be done to assist victims.   We hope you'll join us for this conversation about these "notes from the women a movement forgot."    

We're so excited to speak to Claire Snyder from the Marshall University Women's & Gender Center as we take a hard look at what it means to ask "Is Domestic Violence a Women's Issue?" 

While it is true that women are disproportionately affected by domestic violence, what else do we need to consider?  Who's responsibility is it to "solve the problem"?  Join us for this fascinating conversation!  

In honor of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month during February, Branches advocates took a look at "You Should See Me in a Crown" by Leah Johnson for this month's Branches Book Club February selection.   Funny,  charming, and full of heart,  this book is a perfect pick for teens  but also an important reminder for adults.   Shannon and Sara talk the sweet beginnings of teen LGBTQ+ love,  how high school helps us grow into our identity, and how "we deserve this good thing."   

The Branches Book Club: A Social Justice Initiative is designed to create a space of learning and advancement for Branches staff professional development as well as to create a space of learning for our greater community.   You can join the Branches Book Club through our Facebook.   
 
 We hope you'll join us for this discussion which looks into "The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love" by Sonya Renee Taylor.   This book is a powerful tool for understanding anti-oppression through the lens of how discrimination and "body terrorism" is enacted on bodies.   It's fascinating, enlightening, and an important conversation for all of us.    

Join us as Branches advocates sit down for a conversation with Sherrone Hornbuckle to discuss the complexities and barriers domestic violence can create, why people of color might be hesitant to seek services, and how we can do better as a community committed to creating safe services for all.  

In our inaugural episode, Branches advocates connected with Dr. Wendy Perkins, Marshall University professor of Criminal Justice to discuss how we define domestic violence, specifically through the lens of the criminal justice system.