What is Black Feminist social work?

Black Feminist Social Work is more than a specialization; it is a way of understanding people, power, healing, and justice.

It asks us to recognize that women's lives cannot be understood by looking at race or gender alone. Instead, it centers the lived experiences, knowledge, resilience, and leadership of Black women while acknowledging the impact of intersecting systems of oppression.

Rather than asking, "What's wrong with you?" Black feminist social work asks:

What happened to you?
What strengths have helped you survive?
How do we create the conditions where you no longer have to survive, but can truly thrive?

This perspective values:

Lived experience as expertise
Healing alongside advocacy
Community and collective care
Cultural humility and self-reflection
Liberation, not just symptom reduction
Challenging systems that perpetuate inequity

Whether you're a social worker, therapist, student, researcher, or someone passionate about equity, Black feminist social work invites us to imagine and create a profession in which healing and justice coexist.