The Women of Color in Advocacy and Tech Reception was born from a deep need for community and connection amongst Black women and Women of Color. It was because of this need nine years ago, Kristelyn Berry and Rachel Gibson created this space at the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s (NNEDV) 4th annual Tech Summit after experiencing numerous environments where as Black women, they rarely saw other Women of Color or women who looked like them.

Technology has allowed relationships to extend far beyond the physical realm, which can create a complex web of shared digital spaces. For some, sharing some digital access with intimate partners, such as passcodes, location data, and social media accounts, can feel helpful and can foster a sense of trust. Many couples don’t share constantly, but they may decide to share when one person is traveling or going for a run, for example. For survivors of abuse, however, their partner having access to their digital accounts can create many harmful risks. Unfortunately, many abusive individuals misuse this access as a means to stalk, harass, threaten, and monitor their partners in order to maintain power and control.

If you have ever used Zoom, Google Voice, Slack Huddles, or made any type of call over the internet, you have to thank the trailblazer and powerhouse engineer, Dr. Marian Rogers Croak. Dr. Croak developed Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which allows us to connect with our colleagues, work remotely, join meetings, provide virtual video support to survivors, and chat with friends and family members.