April 2026
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Second Chance Month
National Deaf History Month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month – According to the study “Correlates of African American Sexual Assault Survivors’ Medical Care Seeking, African American women are at higher risks of sexual assault as compared to other racial/ethnic groups. One urgent fact mentioned in this study (often overlooked in discussions about sexual assault victims of African American background) is “White gender role expectations of women being passive lead African American women who fight back during an assault to be less likely to be perceived as victims, thus creating a barrier to seeking assault-related services.” We invite you to listen to this lecture titled “#MeToo – Black Women and Sexual Violence (Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault)” to gain a deeper understanding of how racism plays a role in perpetuating such type mindsets in our society. We also want to recognize the sexual violence and harm on women and minors by Cesar Chavez. Surviving Cesar Chavez shows the story of one of the brave women, Debra Rojas, who is telling her story to raise awareness about the experiences of women of color survivors of sexual assault.
Second Chance Month – During the month of April, we would like to acknowledge this nationwide effort to remove barriers for individuals with criminal records who are working towards successful reintegration into society. This is important because “Black people face higher rates of incarceration and recidivism when compared to other ethnic populations.” We invite you to watch this short clip to learn more about the individuals who work towards such efforts.
National Deaf History Month – Black Deaf students experienced education in separate, underfunded schools, which influenced the development of Black American Sign Language. We ask you to watch and learn about BASL in this report. Furthermore, we invite you to learn and look up the story of Louise B. Miller, a Black mother, who “…grew frustrated that she had to send her three deaf sons to a school far away from their home in Washington, D.C. She filed suit in federal court against the D.C. Board of Education to end the segregation that kept Black deaf children from being educated within the district. On July 3, 1952, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in her favor in Miller v. Board of Education of District of Columbia, stating that Black students could not be sent outside a state or district to obtain the same education that white students could have within the state or district. Louise’s victory is considered a precursor to the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.”
***Call to Action***
• We invite all AFT Guild members to attend the Denim Day Event At Miramar College on April 29, 2026 at 12:45-2:00 PM. (Flyer and location will be sent out to the DL’s soon.)
• Help promote Fair Chance Hiring Workshop and Job Fair taking place in San Diego on Friday, Apr 24 from 9 am to 1 pm at County of San Diego, Southeastern Live Well Center Parking (5101 Market Street San Diego, CA 92114)
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
