Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

At Darkness to Light, we are honored to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of impactful events that elevate the voices within Hispanic communities and empower adults to take action to protect children. These events not only raised awareness about child sexual abuse prevention but also showcased our commitment to ensuring that all adults, …

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While culture, customs, and languages vary, every community shares the pain of child sexual abuse. Our President & CEO Katelyn N. Brewer was joined by Dr. Kelly Hallman and Kimee Wind-Hummingbird to discuss the unique challenges and solutions to child protection in Native American communities in our latest episode of Honest Conversations. Ashley and Kevin …

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Every kid deserves a fun and safe summer. Here are 6 activities you can do with your kids to strengthen your relationships and create lasting memories! For kids, the last day of school is a long-awaited, glorious day spent anxiously anticipating three months of freedom. For parents and guardians, the last day of school can …

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The absence of safe spaces and safe adults has historically put LGBTQ+ youth at a higher risk of childhood trauma. We have the power to change that. All kids deserve a safe, healthy childhood, and it’s the responsibility of all adults to create supportive environments in which children can flourish. Many youth who identify as …

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Two hundred and ninety-five days ago, I, like many other leaders, released a statement expressing my commitment to leading an anti-racist organization. It was a statement that I wrote with passion and conviction—emotions that have frequently resurfaced over the last nine months, but particularly in the wake of last Tuesday’s tragic murder of six Asian …

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In Honest Conversations episode 6, we sat down with three passionate advocates to discuss protecting Orthodox Jewish kids from abuse. Watch the full conversation below.  The issues facing the Jewish community aren’t unique—just watch our previous conversations about the stigmas and challenges in Hispanic and Black communities. It’s clear that community leadership is key when …

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This week we sat down with Rosa Beltré to discuss the nuances and best practices of supporting Hispanic survivors of child sexual abuse. Rosa serves as the Executive Director of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, a state-wide coalition that advocates for comprehensive responses and rape crisis services for survivors and empowers communities to …

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Ricardo DeLeon shares his insight into factors that can make Hispanic children vulnerable and how we can address them. I grew up in a mostly Hispanic and Black neighborhood in Corpus Christi, Texas. Spanish was my first language, although being the youngest of six kids, I learned English pretty quickly from my siblings. They would …

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This week we chatted with Perla Freed, the Executive Director for the YMCA Guardians for Child Protection, to discuss what advocating for child sexual abuse prevention might look like in Hispanic communities. Perla is an expert in the development, implementation and oversight of policies and practices to create and sustain a safe environment for children. …

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As an immigrant and survivor, I know there is stigma that surrounds sexual abuse; the perspective in Hispanic communities is that we do not share our pain or talk about uncomfortable topics. Even now that I have disclosed what happened to me, I have always felt like the topic wants to be forgotten. In recent …

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What does it look like to develop a culture of abuse safety in Black communities? That’s the question that Ashley Cook and Kevin McNeil worked to answer in our latest episode of Honest Conversations. Ashley and Kevin are survivors of child sexual abuse (and Darkness to Light Authorized Facilitators), and have firsthand experience navigating the …

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In this edition of “Honest Conversations,” our Director of Partnerships, Ashley Davis, spoke with advocate and facilitator Kevin McNeil about breaking the stigma around child sexual abuse in Black communities. Ashley and Kevin share a similar life experience: they both know what it’s like to experience sexual abuse in Black communities. They have experienced both …

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George Floyd and countless others in the black community have died unjust and heartbreaking deaths. For days I’ve tried to thoughtfully process how I wanted to address the Darkness to Light community at large – processing my grief, individually calling my team members to check in on their mental health and well-being, and gathering together as a team to discuss our course of action moving forward.  …

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