A Long Walk Home

Founded in 2003 by sisters Salamishah and Scheherazade Tillet, A Long Walk Home (ALWH) partners with artists, students, activists, therapists, and community organizations to end violence against women and girls and advocates for racial and gender equity in schools, communities, and the country at-large. It provides arts-based leadership programming to girls and young women of color in Chicago, creates safe spaces for survivors of campus-based sexual assault to share and support each other, and conducts research and advocates for public policies that center the health, safety and well-being of girls and young women of color. This general operating support grant enables ALWH to continue its efforts to build long-term sustainability and expand its programming to meet the demand for culturally relevant mental health and wellness supports for girls and young women of color. This includes hiring staff to provide training to parents, educators and other adults who work with young people; expanding its fundraising capacity to meet the demands for mental health services and resources for girls and young women of color; and securing a permanent location to house its administrative staff and serve as a training facility.

A Long Walk Home empowers young artists and activists to end violence against all girls and women. With this award, A Long Walk Home engages in a planning process to ensure organizational sustainability in the context of the current public health and economic crisis related to COVID-19.

A Long Walk Home (ALWH) uses art to empower young people and end violence against all girls and women. The organization has two main programs: Story of a Rape Survivor (SOARS), which focuses on creating safe spaces for survivors of campus sexual assault; and Girls/Friends, which enables girls from Chicago’s West and South sides to use art as an advocacy tool for themselves and others. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of SOARS. ALWH is celebrating with a series of public art events. These were launched with a town hall meeting with African-American girls and young women in Chicago on October 4, 2018 and featured Tarana Burke, founder of the "#MeToo Movement." The organization is also involved in campaigns to increase public awareness about sexual violence and teen girls. With this general operating support award, ALWH continues to build its intergenerational programming for sexual assault survivors of color and their communities. Support also funds the development of a #MeToo toolkit to raise awareness in Chicago about sexual violence and safety among girls and young women, primarily those of color.