What is the Reclaiming Faces Survivor Exhibit? 

Inspired by Chalana Brown's 'Claiming Spaces: The African Story of the Sugar Mill' that launched on V.I. Emancipation Day of 2021, Reclaiming Faces is a continuation of anti-oppression, pro-healing and Afro-Caribbean emancipation work that is presented in the form of a photo exhibit curated by and for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and child abuse in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The exhibit launch will also serve as a ceremony of gratitude and reveal of the research 'Caribbean Women, Music & Dance: Self-Expression and Intimate Partner Violence' - a dissertation study by Dr. Khnuma Simmonds that investigated the perceived impact of Caribbean music and dance on the self-expression of Caribbean women in the U.S. Virgin Islands who have recovered from intimate partner violence. Intentionally launching on April 1st during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month in the year 2023 - the 175th Year of Emancipation in the U.S. Virgin Islands - this exhibit will unveil in the spirit of Sankofa (remembering the past to make progress in the future) as survivors share visual stories of healing from the past in hopes of reclaiming faces of empowerment for the future.

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Why was it hosted in April?

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. Likewise, while Domestic Violence Awareness Month is in October, the exhibit recognizes that most survivors of domestic violence have also experienced some form of sexual violence which is another form of domestic violence. The exhibit will launched on April 1st, 2023 and ran through April 15th, 2023. As a mobile project, the Reclaiming Faces Exhibit will be shown again on St. Thomas in October 2024. Requests for the exhibit to be hosted in a city near you and/or to collaborate,  please email hopeusvi@girlfriendism.com.