Standing Firm: Black Women, Resilience and Justice
Lilly Lewis, Women’s Involvement Advisor, One Small Thing
In the next in her series of blogs Lilly Lewis, One Small Thing’s Women’s Involvement Advisor discusses the theme of this year’s Black History Month, ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’. Lilly highlights how vital it is to include the experiences of black women impacted the by the justice system in stories of resilience, and how these voices are important catalysts for change.
Black History Month 2025 carries the theme “Standing Firm in Power and Pride.” It calls us to celebrate resilience, leadership, and dignity within Black communities not only through the lens of history, but also in the ongoing struggles for justice today. One area where this resilience is both urgent and overlooked is in the lives of Black women affected by the justice system.
As a woman with lived experience of the system and working as Women’s Involvement Advisor for One Small Thing, I understand how complex this issue is. Many women do not end up in prison because they are dangerous, but because they are marginalised and have multiple unmet needs around domestic abuse, coercion, poverty, substance use, housing, and mental ill-health. For Black and minoritised women, these factors are compounded by systemic racism seen in harsher sentencing, misrepresentation in the media, and less access to support services.
I have personally met women who were criminalised for defending themselves against abuse, and others who were trapped by survival mechanisms such as shoplifting or drug misuse. These aren’t exceptions and reveal how injustice is part of the very structure of our system. And yet, through these challenges, I have also witnessed extraordinary resilience. Women rebuilding their lives after release, mothers fighting to be reunited with their children, campaigners transforming their pain into activism. This is where I see the theme of “Standing Firm in Power and Pride” come alive.
At One Small Thing, I work alongside women to ensure their voices shape the services and policies that affect them. Our work is trauma-informed, rooted in compassion, and designed to create spaces for healing rather than punishment. What strikes me most is the courage of women who step forward to share their stories, despite stigma and shame. Their voices are powerful catalysts for change and that’s why we regularly hold focus groups with women in prison, as well as those who have recently left prison, to ensure all voices are captured.
We also stand on the shoulders of Black women who have fought tirelessly for justice. From Olive Morris, who highlighted the intersection of race, gender, and imprisonment, to Baroness Lola Young, who has championed racial equity in the UK -their leadership reminds us that change is not only possible, but is absolutely necessary.
But Black History Month is not only about remembrance, it is also about action. To honour this year’s theme, we must confront the inequalities Black women face today in the Criminal Justice System and demand better. That means investing in women’s centres and community-based alternatives to custody, but also challenging systems which perpetuate injustice. Importantly, when Black women share their experiences, we listen, we believe, and we use our platforms to call for change.
“This October, as we reflect on Black history, I hope we also make space for the stories of women who are too often silenced. Especially those women, like me, who are affected by the justice system - our stories are part of Black history. ”
