Emerge Statement on Racist Comments and Mistaken Identity

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We have heard from community members about racist comments circulating online that have been attributed to an Emerge employee. We want to acknowledge the harm and clearly correct the mistaken association.

The person who made these racist comments shares the same name as an Emerge employee, but they are not the same person. The individual responsible for the comments is not employed by or affiliated with Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, and our employee’s information has been mistakenly shared as belonging to that individual. Our employee is a Black woman who did not make these comments, and we are concerned about the impact on her safety and well-being.

The comments are racist, dehumanizing, and unacceptable. They echo a long history of anti-Black racism and racial violence in this country and in our own communities. Black women experience the intersecting harms of racism and sexism, including having their humanity attacked, their pain dismissed, and their safety disregarded. The hurt, anger, and concern expressed in response deserve to be taken seriously.

To Ana, and to Black community members affected by these words: your humanity, dignity, and safety matter. We stand with you against anti-Blackness and racial violence.

Emerge is committed to being a multicultural, anti-racist organization. Our values of Love, Safety, Responsibility & Repair, and Liberation call us to challenge racism, listen to Black survivors and communities, and examine how we put those commitments into practice. This includes addressing barriers to safety within our services and the systems around us.

We understand why community members have reached out. Please direct questions about this statement to our social media inbox so our hotline remains available to survivors and loved ones seeking support related to domestic abuse.

Building a community where everyone can experience safety requires confronting racism, taking the harm seriously, and working together to prevent further harm.

Holding our LGBTQIA+ Community Close

Purple-tinted image of the Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse office beneath a blue sky and palm trees, with the message: “Holding Our LGBTQIA+ Community Close.”
Purple-tinted banner featuring the Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse sign and the message: “Holding Our LGBTQIA+ Community Close. Our hearts are with the loved ones of Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara, the Venture-N family, and our LGBTQIA+ community.”
At Emerge, love is our commitment to transforming our community into one where all survivors can heal and thrive, free from violence. It calls us to stand with those who are hurting, to share the weight of their grief, and to speak clearly when violence threatens safety and belonging in our community.
 
Today, that commitment calls us to hold Tucson’s LGBTQIA+ community close. Our hearts ache for the loved ones of Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara, the Venture-N family, and everyone who is grieving, frightened, or struggling to make sense of this devastating act of violence. We join our community in mourning and recognize that many of the people we love may now feel less safe.
 
LGBTQIA+ spaces are more than businesses or places to gather. They are where people find friendship, chosen family, acceptance, joy, safety, and the freedom to exist fully as themselves. When one of these spaces is targeted, the harm reverberates far beyond its walls, leaving an entire community questioning whether the places where they have found belonging are still safe.
 
This tragedy joins a painful history of violence targeting places where LGBTQIA+ people gather. This year marks ten years since the attack at Pulse and nearly four years since the attack at Club Q. We are once again reminded that spaces of connection, authenticity, and joy have too often been targeted by those who seek to destroy what they represent.
 
At Emerge, we know violence does not occur in isolation. It is shaped by systems that treat some people’s safety and humanity as less worthy. LGBTQIA+ people deserve more than survival. They deserve to gather without fear, experience joy without apology, and live with dignity and belonging.
 
Emerge has long been dedicated to serving individuals and families impacted by domestic abuse. Over the past decade, we have also worked to build partnerships and programs that seek solutions at the intersection of domestic and community violence. This work is especially critical in a moment when gun violence has been so visible and devastating in our community.
 
We stand with our LGBTQIA+ community in grief, outrage, and love. We also recognize the strength of a community whose history is rooted in collective care, courage, survival, and the determination to protect one another. In this moment, may we hold one another close, check on those we love, make space for grief, and remain visible and united in our commitment to one another’s safety.
 
Emerge is committed to creating a future where healing is rooted in love, joy, and community. Through our collective commitment to safety and liberation, we work to create spaces where all survivors of violence, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable communities, belong and thrive.
 
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Honoring Congressman Grijalva’s Legacy

Image of Congressman Raúl Grijalva
Image of Congressman Raúl Grijalva

Honoring Congressman Grijalva’s Legacy

Today, we at Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse join our community in mourning the loss of Congressman Raúl Grijalva.

There is much to express gratitude for in Congressman Grijalva’s long career in public service. His legacy includes an unwavering commitment to uplifting the voices of marginalized people, safeguarding natural resources, and investing in vulnerable communities. At Emerge, we would like to honor his work protecting and expanding resources for people experiencing domestic abuse, both locally and at the national level. He wrote that abusive relationships are a public health issue and a human rights issue, and he worked to improve protections for populations facing additional risks and barriers to safety, including Tribal members and immigrants.

Congressman Grijalva was a longtime supporter of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a measure passed by Congress to improve the criminal justice response to gender-based violence and support services for survivors. Not only did he champion this landmark legislation calling for its reauthorization throughout his tenure in Congress, but also he argued for preserving legal protections under VAWA for all women experiencing domestic abuse, regardless of their immigrant status, and for extending protections to Tribal nations.

Four years ago, the United State House of representatives passed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization with Representative Grijalva’s urgent and unwavering support. He said at the time, “With an astonishing number of Native women facing gender-based violence, this legislation makes drastic improvements. It remedies the issues tribal governments have faced in holding non-Native perpetrators of abuse accountable and improves the response rate to cases concerning murdered and missing Indigenous women. The law should protect all women, regardless of where they live…”

Through his leadership as Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, the House held its first-ever hearing on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW). Congressman Grijalva also co-led the resolution to designate May 5 as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, amplifying the efforts of grassroots organizations led by Indigenous women to bring awareness to this issue.

We send our condolences and peaceful energy to Mona, Raquel, Marisa, Supervisor Grijalva and to all his loved ones. We are forever grateful for the tireless advocacy of Congressman Grijalva, and we know that this work is not done. We invite our community to honor his legacy by stepping up, as he did, to protect our most vulnerable neighbors. He believed that all survivors of domestic violence and their children deserve to be safe and lead healthy lives, and we thank him for all he did for this community in support of that belief. In gratitude for the progress he made possible, we call on our community to lift up courageous leaders who are willing to prioritize protecting survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence—that is his legacy.

Domestic Violence and Guns: Supporting Survivors at High Risk

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Domestic Violence and Guns: Supporting Survivors at High Risk

TUCSON, Ariz.: Once again, Tucson families mourn the loss of loved ones whose lives were taken in acts of violence. Earlier this month, 24 year old Delysia Yasmine Urbina and 26 year old Anisa Moreno were both killed by their boyfriends in separate domestic violence (DV) shootings. The loss of these young women will continue to impact their children, their families, friends, and their communities for many years to come.

And, we know that every day, many more domestic violence survivors in Tucson and Pima County live in fear of the direct or indirect threat of their partners’ access to firearms. Studies show that women are 5x more likely to be killed by an intimate partner when they have access to a gun. Gun violence is especially prevalent in Arizona, where in 2021, 70% of all DV-related homicides were by firearm.

Guns are not only a huge risk factor for domestic violence homicide, they are used to cause fear and wield control over survivors. Often, guns are used as a tactic of abuse to threaten the survivor or children, other family members, or pets in the home. When people use guns to threaten and control their intimate partners, the fear invoked is tied to a very real risk as we have seen time and again in these preventable tragedies.

Help is available. Whether a survivor is interested in support through the criminal legal system, or through the community, there are options to increase safety in DV situations involving firearms. Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse (Emerge) offers a crisis hotline available 24/7 to address immediate safety needs and connect survivors to other supports, such as emergency shelter or lay legal support services.

“While the risk associated with domestic abuse and guns is severe, survivors may feel afraid to call 911 for help—and they may not know what support options are available to them,” said Anna Harper, CEO of Emerge. “We want to help survivors find the option that feels safest to them based on their needs, and we want survivors to know what they can ask for from the criminal legal system when accessing safety.”

Emerge staff are able to walk survivors through their options in support of their goals and provide education about options available through the courts, including applying for an order of protection. For more information, visit https://emergecenter.org/find-help/domestic-violence-and-guns/.

At Emerge, we are holding the pain of the families impacted by this violence. We invite the community to join us in our work to build a safer community. Some ways to get involved are by volunteering, donating or joining our team. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, call our multilingual hotline at 520-795-4266. Emerge hotline specialists can help with safety planning and provide further information on available support. Community-based support is also available to help men in taking responsibility for being safer in their relationships. Emerge’s Generate Change: Men’s Helpline is available 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday to support men during escalated interactions with identifying safer, non-violent choices. For the men’s helpline, call 520-444-3078, Option 1.

Rebuilt Domestic Abuse Shelter Opens Doors

Post Cover Photo with title "Rebuilt Domestic Abuse Shelter Opens Doors". The text appears to be overlayed over a photo of the Emerge administrative building.
image of Emerge's administrative building

Rebuilt Domestic Abuse Shelter Opens Doors

TUCSON, Ariz.: Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse has opened the doors of a completely rebuilt emergency shelter facility for people experiencing domestic abuse. The $8.5 million shelter renovation project is years in the making and is rebuilt from the ground up to address the unique trauma and safety needs of domestic violence survivors.

The renovation strikes a balance between providing as many beds as possible to meet the huge need in Pima County and creating the most survivor-centered, trauma-informed experience possible. The result is 25 studio-style living units where individuals and families have their own kitchenette, bathroom, and bedroom. The shelter campus also includes a toddler playground, basketball court, and a community building where participants can access basic needs items, laundry facilities, and a full kitchen. Shelter residents also have the opportunity to receive services to heal from trauma and work toward their individual goals, participate in support groups, and join in other activities.

“It’s been a dream to have a space that is trauma informed and designed in a manner that allows survivors and their children to have the opportunity to feel cared for, loved, and to have everything they need,” said Anna Harper, CEO. “As a community, it is our responsibility to think about how we care for people who have been impacted by violence, and this renovated shelter is a beautiful space to reimagine what survivor-centered services can look like.”

Emerge enlisted the help of an interior designer certified in trauma-informed design practices to ensure that every element of the space, from the paint colors to the furnishings and layout, contributes to a healing environment.

The new shelter facility is a testament to a community that cares about people experiencing abuse, and believes that they deserve a comfortable, welcoming space to heal. Emerge is grateful for members of our community, our partners, the City of Tucson, Pima County, and others who have contributed financially or through advocacy to this essential resource for survivors of abuse. Emerge staff, especially in the shelter program, have been adaptable and helped to support survivors with uninterrupted services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you or someone you know is in need of support, contact our 24/7 hotline at 520-795-4266.

Liberation through Love | Voices Unheard: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls

At Emerge, we honor the work, strength, and resilience of Indigenous communities, especially the Indigenous women leading the movement for safety and justice. This month’s episode of Liberation through Love addresses a critical issue: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). We are privileged to host April Ignacio, a survivor, advocate, and co-founder of Indivisible Tohono, for a powerful conversation on the root causes of this epidemic, the barriers to safety, and the ongoing fight for justice.

Did you know that more than four in five Indigenous adults have experienced psychological aggression, physical violence, stalking, or sexual violence by an intimate partner? Additionally, Native American women are three times more likely to be murdered than white women.

Despite these harrowing statistics, many people remain unaware of this crisis. A recent survey by the First Nations Development Institute revealed that over half of non-Indigenous respondents had never heard about the violence Indigenous women endure. It’s time to change that.

The ongoing violence against Indigenous women is not just an Indigenous issue; it’s a community issue that demands our collective attention. It requires men to listen, reflect, and take responsibility for changing harmful attitudes to ensure the safety and well-being of Indigenous women and girls. It calls on all of us to cultivate safer communities for everyone.

This episode is a call to action. By understanding the scope of the MMIWG crisis and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities, we can all play a role in creating a safer future. Listen now, share widely, and be part of the change.

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Listen to Episode #2 of Liberation through Love now, and share widely!