STEP

Sisters Together for Empowerment Program

Three women smiling and laughing
 
 

Sisters Together for Empowerment Program (STEP) is designed to strengthen community belonging, safety, economic empowerment, and health access for Black queer women in Seattle and surrounding communities.

The program integrates:

  • Monthly Support Circles
    Trauma-informed peer groups providing safe space for identity affirmation, emotional support, and community building

  • Quarterly Social Convenings
    Culturally affirming gatherings designed to strengthen social networks and reduce isolation

  • Financial Empowerment Workshops
    Educational workshops addressing financial literacy, tenant rights, insurance navigation, and long-term economic stability

  • Intergenerational Dialogue & Knowledge Sharing
    Programming that connects elders and younger participants to preserve cultural lineage and strengthen mentorship

  • Vendor Micro-Grants and Cultural Marketplace
    Small economic supports that uplift Black queer women entrepreneurs and strengthen community economic participation.

  • Pride Friday Night Activation
    A culturally centered Pride event highlighting Black lesbian visibility, including DJs, community celebration, and vendor participation.

The program builds upon the historical legacy of Black lesbian empowerment in the Pacific Northwest, from Sista2Sista to POCAAN. STEP also addresses current structural inequities affecting Black queer women.

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

PURPOSE

STEP seeks to reduce the staggering statistics about the Black Lesbian community.

According to national census–derived research from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, about 1.2 million U.S. adults identify as Black and LGBTQ, nearly 60% are Black same-sex couples being female and 34% are raising children.

Same sex households experience a $15,000 lower median income than comparable different-sex Black couples, and only 63% have dual-partner insurance coverage.

Unemployment among LGBT Black adults reaches 15% vs. 12% among non-LGBT Black adults, and 57% of Black LGBTQ adults are under age 35, indicating a young, economically vulnerable cohort.

 

UBUNTU RISING, OUR COLLECTIVE POWER