Abuse is never easy, and rape culture is very real and spans generations of people. The strand of hope for the abused is that there is survival after abuse and and opportunity to be very successful. Check out our list of 7 famous black women who have been raped and who are survivors in their own right:

Gabrielle Union

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Gabrielle Union has been very vocal about being raped at gunpoint when she was 19 while working a summer job at a Payless shoe store. The actress said on ABC’s “The View,” that she not a victim, but a survivor.

 

Oprah Winfrey

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Oprah Winfrey revealed she had been raped by a relative at just 9yrs old and was continuously abused by the same relative and other till she was 13. Oprah is a survivor!

 

Fantasia

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Fantasia did not drop out of high school just to drop out. She was raped in her school auditorium and after hearing whispers and constant reminders she decided to leave school. In the book she said she was even told ‘I’m gonna do you the same way he did you,’ and that for me was it…. I figured the best way to handle this was to never go back.” She received her GED after she became a successful singer! Winning and surviving!

 

When Monique received her Golden Globe she recalled her past where she was sexually abused by her brother at the tender age of 7. She dedicated her award to all the victims of abuse in her speech

“I celebrate this award with all the Preciouses, with all the Marys — I celebrate this award with every person that’s ever been touched. It’s now time to tell. And it’s OK,” she said.

 

Mary J Blige

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Mary J Blige endured years of abuse! She said she was raped at 5 by a family friend and it made her think very little of herself as she grew older into adulthood.

“I remember feeling, literally right before it happened, I just could not believe that this person was going to do this to me,” Blige said. “That thing followed me all my life. The shame of thinking my molestation was my fault – it led me to believe I wasn’t worth anything.”

 

Maya Angelou

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Maya Angelou still inspires us today, but did you know she was raped at just 7 by her mother boyfriend? She spoke about it in her novel “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” (1969).

 

Queen Latifah

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The rapper and actress was sexually abused by a babysitter as a child. “He violated me. I never told anybody. I just buried it as deeply as I could and kept people at an arms length. I never really let a person get too close to me. I could have been married years ago, but I had a commitment issue.”

Abuse is a horrid thing, but there is hope, there is survival.

 

7 Black Women Who Were Victims Of Rape And Are Now Accomplished Survivors

Summary

Rape culture and sexual abuse are very real things for men and women. Check out our list of 7 black women who have been raped and survived it

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