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The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · 2d

We’re all doing our best to move through the world while carrying collective & personal trauma—sometimes colliding, sometimes connecting. Building awareness around our own trauma responses is one way we can show up with more care & accountability.

We're all just navigating through each other's trauma

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · 4d

Talk It Out Together is back on Tuesday, October 21 ✨ This month we’ll discuss harm reduction for advocates in the anti-violence field.

TIOT is a space for anti-violence workers to connect, share challenges, and support each other. 🔗 Register now at the link in our bio. #advocates #antiviolence

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · 12d

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · 12d

Episode 3 is here! Steph and Jess H, a former anti-violence worker and current mental health therapist, examine how “self-care” rhetoric can mask systemic harm and exploit workers. Listen on Substack (link in bio) or your fave podcast app! #WeDeserveBetter

New Episode of the RE:Imagining Anti-Violence Podcast, brought to you by the We Deserve Better Project; Episode 3: Self-Care or Staff Exploitation? Audio clip starting at 37:33

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The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · 18d

Napheesa Collier reminded us that leadership is not about titles or power—it’s about integrity, accountability, and the human element.

#BelieveInBetterLeadership #AccountabilityMatters #WNBA #NaphessaCollier #LeadershipWithIntegrity #AntiViolenceMovement #AdvocateVoices #StandUpSpeakOut

That is what leadership looks like. It’s the human element. It’s a basic integrity and it’s the bare minimum any leader should embody.
- Napheesa Collier, WNBA player, post-season exit interview calling for accountable leadership

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · 23d

Our 2023 Assessment shows that leadership at anti-violence orgs often replicate the same toxic power dynamics this movement is meant to end. Advocates deserve better—and so do survivors. 📊Learn more about our assessment & key findings at the link in our bio. #WeDeserveBetterProject

Slide 1: We Deserve Better Project 2023 Assessment; Key Finding #5: Leadership at anti-violence organizations often replicate the same toxic, abusive, and violent environments and power dynamics that this movement aims to prevent. Learn more at wedeservebetter.work/key-findings

Slide 2: Replicating Patterns of Abuse: "There seems to be a particular dynamic in the anti-violence field where the workplaces themselves harm workers in ways that resemble the abuses and harms we respond to in our communities." - Advocate from Ohio; Graphic of Workplace Power & Control Wheel

Slide 3: Advocates Experience Racism: 30% of advocates who completed our survey experienced white supremacy culture or racism at their current or former agency. "The practice of hiring activists, especially from marginalized backgrounds, with no plan for how to support them during periods of crisis, trauma triggers, burnout, and moral injury makes it impossible for us to effectively support survivors." - Advocate from New York

Slide 4: Oppression & Microaggressions: "[There is] an abundance of racism, ableism, transphobia, homophobia, and overall institutional oppression. In my experience, truly dedicated and passionate advocates were turned empty by the time they had a chance to flee the toxic workplace. Nearly every advocate that left had been victimized by leadership in one way or another." - Advocate from Pennsylvania

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · 23d

Advocates deserve better. Survivors deserve better. Our movement deserves better.

Slide 5: Where is the accountability? 60% of advocates tried to hold leadership accountable by using the following strategies: Open communication & feedback; Asking for help from supervisor, HR representative or Board of Directors; Collective group efforts, including writing anonymous letters to leadership & engaging in unionizing efforts. “We are taught to advocate for our clients but when it comes to us… the rules seem to become unclear regarding how to stay safe while doing our jobs.” - Advocate from Kentucky

Slide 6: Retaliation is a Serious Fear: The top two reasons anti-violence workers chose not to share concerns with leadership: Fear of retaliation; Thought it would be unproductive or ignored. "[We have talked] with our executive director about the lack of leadership from management. However, it seems that this leader finds out about what is said and there is retaliation." - Advocate from Wisconsin. Nearly half (48%) of all discrimination claims filed with the EEOC included an accusation of retaliation. In 2024, charges alleging retaliation were the most prevalent filings for the seventeenth consecutive year.

Slide 7: Why Are Advocates Leaving? Nearly half of advocates reported the following challenges or reasons they left their jobs: 49% cited “resistance to addressing internal conflict”; 48% cited “ineffective management”’ 47% cited “lack of transparency from organizational leadership and boards of directors”. "They are creating harm and victimizing their own employees in the name of helping victims. They're creating more harm in employees' lives while trying to uphold their mission. They refuse to create internal change in a field that is all about culture change. They hire excited change makers who are given a false perspective of the job, and are then let down and blindsided." - Advocate from Pennsylvania

Slide 8: We Deserve Better: “So long as our movement engages in needless power games and toxic management practices, we will be as traumatizing to one another as abusers are to their victims. We must make a collective sea-change effort to no longer tolerate this as a culture.” - Advocate from Ohio; “The movement would be transformed when leadership…begins to treat those served with respect; when leadership is mandated to invest in staff and leadership training; and when microaggressions are no longer tolerated.” - Advocate from Pennsylvania

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The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · 25d

Community isn’t something we inherit—it’s something we build and rebuild with care and intention. Courtney Gustafson said it best: community is an action, and belonging is something we invent. 🌱 #community

“It would be so many years before I learned that community was an action, something we build and rebuild and contribute to -- that belonging is something we invent.” - Courtney Gustafson, ‘Poets Square’

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Sep 17

Turnover is high in the #AntiViolence field, but we can reduce this by making sure workers, many of them survivors themselves, have healthy, supportive workplaces to continue doing the work they love. #WorkerPowerWednesday

To join us, reach out at [email protected]!

#Unionizing

Why Unionizing? Unionizing is not workers “being difficult” or choosing their wellbeing over survivor safety. Unionizing is an act of love, a sign of commitment to this work. Anti-violence workers, many survivors themselves, deserve to have their needs met to continue supporting survivors. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
#WorkerPowerWednesday; We Deserve Better Project

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The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · Sep 16

Being a leader isn’t always easy—and an important skill to have is knowing when to ask for help. The next time you find yourself unsure what to do—remember: you don’t need to have all the answers. Invite your team to be part of the problem-solving process and figure out the solution together.

A reminder for leaders–you don’t have to figure it out on your own. No one expects you to have all the answers–but your team can’t help if they don’t know what’s happening. Be transparent: share what you can, clarify what’s confidential, and invite your team to be part of the problem-solving process.

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The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · Sep 11

And regardless of who caused the harm, whether politicians, supervisors, or family members, they should be held accountable for their actions.

#BelieveSurvivors #SupportSurvivors #SurvivorJustice #EndViolence #AccountabilityMatters #CommunityCare #BreakTheSilence #NoMoreViolence

Believe Survivors. Period. Hold Those Who Cause Harm Accountable. Period. @theSOARcollective

The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · Sep 11

Whether it’s sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, human trafficking, workplace violence, or any form of violent behavior, survivors deserve to be believed and supported.
#BelieveSurvivors #SupportSurvivors #SurvivorJustice #EndViolence #AccountabilityMatters #CommunityCare #BreakTheSilence

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Sep 9

Talk It Out Together is back next week on Tuesday, August 19! ✨ This month we’ll discuss honoring our labor & workers’ rights in the anti-violence field.

TIOT is a space for anti-violence workers to connect, share challenges, and support each other. 🔗 Register now at the link in our bio.

Hosted by the We Deserve Better Project
Tuesday, July 15 from 4:30 - 6 pm ET / 3:30 - 5 pm CT / 2:30 - 4 pm MT / 1:30 - 3 pm PT. Talk It Out Together. This month we’ll discuss honoring our labor: workers’ rights in the anti-violence field.TIOT is a space for anti-violence workers to connect, share challenges, and support each other. Register at the link in our bio

Join us on September 16 from 4:30 - 6 pm ET. Talk It Out Together: This month we’ll discuss honoring our labor: workers’ rights in the anti-violence field. What does “safety at work” mean for anti-violence workers specifically? What labor protections or benefits feel most essential to sustaining us in anti-violence work? When have you felt the most (or least) respected and valued as a worker in this field? What’s one change—big or small—you’d love to see in how our workplaces honor & support staff? What collective actions could strengthen the rights and wellbeing of anti-violence workers?

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Sep 8

Episode 2 is here! Steph & Hoiyan—survivor, former advocate, & social work grad student—dig into burnout, toxic nonprofit culture, and bold visions for reimagining the anti-violence field. Listen on Substack (link in bio) or your fave podcast app! #WeDeserveBetter

New Episode of the RE:Imagining Anti-Violence Podcast, brought to you by the We Deserve Better Project; Episode 2: Don’t We Work to END Abuse Here? Audio clip starting at 27:22

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Sep 3

Welcome back to #WorkerPowerWednesday! Our Unionizing Project is gathering anti-violence worker stories, sharing resources, and building a vision for an anti-violence worker union. Interested in joining us? Reach out to us at [email protected]! #Unionizing #AntiViolence #WorkerPower

What the WDBP Unionizing Project is working on; illustration of 3 people holding signs that read “we deserve better pay,” “we deserve better organizational management,” and “we deserve better systems.” Header: #WorkerPowerWednesday; Footer: We Deserve Better Project

Survey and Focus Groups: We are exploring how unionizing has been or could be used as a tool to improve anti-violence workplaces. We hope to collect the wisdom of anti-violence workers to create a blueprint for transforming our movement. Coming soon!; Resource Sharing: We will be sharing unionizing resources on WDBP’s social media, including Unionizing 101 posts, insights from our research, and busting common myths around unionizing. For folks wanting to connect regarding resources, please contact us at wedeservebetterproject@gmail.com with the subject line “Unionizing”.; Creating a collective vision: Our overarching goal? Creating a collective vision for #WorkerPower across the anti-violence field. Together, we will imagine what a national anti-violence workers’ union could look like.

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Sep 1

Labor Day isn’t just a holiday—it’s a reminder of the power of collective action. ✊🏽 Today we honor the workers who organized, went on strike & fought for fair pay, safety, and dignity. Worker power changes lives and reshapes movements. #LaborDay #WeDeserveBetter #WorkerPower

Labor Day isn’t just a holiday—it’s a reminder of the power of collective action. Today we honor the generations of workers who organized, went on strike, and fought for fair pay, safer conditions, and dignity on the job. Let Labor Day serve as a reminder that worker power changes lives and reshapes movements.

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The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · Aug 20

We've been living through such a nerve-wracking season. From covid to now, it would be so easy to succumb to fear. The fear has been so suffocating. This quote and reminder has been validation and an energizer for me to keep going, keep pushing, and keep fighting.

No one can stop us but us. - T.

“It’s not like we were fearless, it’s that we didn’t let fear stop us.” - Loretta Ross

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Aug 13

Dreaming of building worker power in the anti-violence field? ⭐️The Unionizing Project at WDBP is learning from workers, sharing resources & imagining a movement where worker rights & survivor justice align.

Email [email protected] with “Union” in the subject line to learn more.

Are you interested in unionizing within the anti-violence field? WDBP’s Unionizing Project is exploring how to build a path towards an anti-violence field rooted in worker power. Follow along for our #WorkerPowerWednesdays. Illustration of a hand holding a megaphone.

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The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · Aug 12

To the advocates who showed up for survivors everyday,
If your job has been impacted by forces beyond your control, just know your impact cannot be erased. This loss is not a reflection of your worth, your skills, or your care. It’s a reflection of broken systems that fail to fund life-saving work.

Sending care to everyone navigating job loss caused by funding cuts, bigotry, or white supremacy.

Their failure to value victim services does not reflect the life-saving, community-rooted work you’ve done to support survivors. You deserve better.

Reposted by The SOAR Collective

We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Aug 11

Talk It Out Together is back next week on Tuesday, August 19! ✨ This month we’ll discuss collective care & accountability in the anti-violence field.

TIOT is a space for anti-violence workers to connect, share challenges, and support each other. 🔗 Register now at the link in our bio. #advocates

Hosted by the We Deserve Better Project
Tuesday, July 15 from 4:30 - 6 pm ET / 3:30 - 5 pm CT / 2:30 - 4 pm MT / 1:30 - 3 pm PT. Talk It Out Together: This month we’ll discuss Collective Care & Accountability in the Anti-Violence Field. TIOT is a space for anti-violence workers to connect, share challenges, and support each other. Register at the link in our bio

Join us on August 19 from 4:30 - 6 pm ET. Talk It Out Together: This month we’ll discuss collective care & accountability in the anti-violence field. What does accountability mean to you? Can you give an example of a time when your organization practiced accountability? How about a time when accountability was needed? How do we support our nervous systems to respond when accountability is needed?What would collective care look like? Think: restorative justice > cancel culture. Hosted by the We Deserve Better Project

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Aug 7

✨ Want to join the We Deserve Better Project? We’re inviting new folks to our September meeting! Fill out the form at wedeservebetter.work/volunteer by August 15. #WeDeserveBetter #AntiViolence #Advocate

Want to join the We Deserve Better Project? If you are interested in joining the WDBP, complete the “volunteer” form on our website and we’ll invite you to join our monthly meeting in September. Apply by August 15.

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The SOAR Collective @thesoarcollective.bsky.social · Aug 5

It’s not enough to name the harm. We have to transform the systems that allow it to persist.

Let’s build a movement where feminism actually feels like freedom for everyone.

#IntersectionalFeminism #AccountabilityIsLiberation #SurvivorCentered #EndAllViolence #TransformTheSystem

Feminism without accountability isn’t liberation.
Feminism without intersectionality isn’t liberation.
Feminism without community care, survivor leadership,
and a commitment to ending all forms of oppression isn’t liberation.

Reposted by The SOAR Collective

We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Aug 4

Listen to a clip from the first episode of our new podcast, RE:Imagining the Anti-Violence Field, brought to you by the @wdbproject.bsky.social

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We Deserve Better Project @wdbproject.bsky.social · Aug 4

Our new podcast is here! 🎙️RE:Imagining Anti-Violence Work explores the big issues shaping the field + dreams for a better future. Listen to our pilot episode now on Substack (link in bio) or wherever you get your podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe to get notified of new episodes! #WeDeserveBetter

New Episode of the RE:Imagining Anti-Violence Podcast, brought to you by the We Deserve Better Project; Episode 1: The Assessment Speaks for Itself... We Deserve Better

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