Hello, Beloved! Welcome to this month’s newsletter from Courageous Fire, LLC! February is a powerful month for us as we celebrate Black History Month and raise TDV awareness this month. This edition is all about healing, empowerment, and creating safe spaces—both for our community and for our youth.
Black History Month: Rest as Resistance
In our current national landscape, especially for Black women and girls, rest is more than a break—it’s an act of resistance. Inspired by the work of the Nap Ministry and the book Rest is Resistance, we believe that embracing rest can be a radical, healing practice. When we intentionally slow down and reclaim our time to rest, we resist the pressures that seek to devalue our wellbeing. Let’s honor ourselves by prioritizing rest and encouraging our sisters to do the same, because when we are rested, we are stronger and more capable of fighting for justice in every part of our lives.
How can your org's space incorporate the theme of rest into your space to honor Black History Month? Find the ways that you can give rest. Can you provide a mental health wellness day into your space this month? Can you provide resting mindfulness practices to your staff and then set aside 10 minutes - that is not their break time - for your employees to practice it? Can you provide rest journals to your staff to use during that 10 minutes to muse about ways they can practice rest that feel good to them? Get creative - help them find rest this month.
TDV Awareness: Empowering Our Youth
This month, we’re shining a spotlight on teen dating violence - 1 in 10 teens date experience this type of violence. Youth who experience TDV are more likely to experience DV as adults. We want to #changethatnarrative. Here’s what we’re doing:
TDV Fast Facts Course on Courageous Academy: We’re offering an introductory course packed with essential facts about teen dating violence. Priced for easy access, this course is designed to help educators, parents, and youth workers bring violence prevention strategies into everyday conversations.
Virtual Session in Camden, MS: We recently hosted a virtual visit in Camden, MS, where Coach Greg Pigott led 4 classes with 40 students total served! The session was a presentation with Q&A to provide vital awareness information and answer questions about what teen dating violence (TDV) is, how to avoid it, and if already being victimized, how to recognize it and get help.
Book Reading & Signing Event: RSVP for this beautiful, interactive, belonging, and in-person event on February 22, 2025, at Plain Talk Books & Coffee, 602 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA. Join us at 2 PM for a special reading of This Is for the Other Child and its companion, The O.C. Journal, available at special book signing participant prices. There is no cost to RSVP, but to get these books at a reduced rate you will have to RSVP!
Resources on TDV:
We’re featuring a video this month that will provide the highlights on TDV from our time in Camden, MS: 5 common types of TDV and where to get help. These resources will also point teens to 24/7 support through loveisrespect.org and their partner, thehotline.org. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to see it!
You and youth you know and love can learn so much more about TDV this month directly from the country's most trust resource: loveisrespect.org! They can:
register for this free Zoom webinar on February 20, 2025, by clicking this link.
visit loveisrespect on their favorite social media platforms: Facebook IG X TikTok
email them to get materials for TDVAM: TDVAM@thehotline.org
find out more about TDV and relationships OR get help for a TDV victim-survivor: text "LOVEIS" to 22522 or chat at loveisrespect.org
get safety planning help at thehotline.org by typing "create a safety plan" in the search engine
this incredible TDVAM action guide
Our hope is that by sharing these resources and events, we can empower our communities to take proactive steps in prevention and healing. When we work together—by learning, sharing, and supporting one another—we build a future where every person is safe and valued.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Stay tuned for more updates, share, and please join us in these events as we continue to #changethenarrative. #TDVAM #BHM2025 #CourageousFireLLC
With love and resilience,
DOWNLOAD YOUR BEAUTIFUL FEBRUARY GIFTS:
TDVAM ACTION GUIDE!
COURAGEOUS BOOK READING POSTER!
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