At the DC Bar Foundation, we are fortunate to have loyal donors who make our mission possible through their generosity. This month, we spoke with Indira Henard, executive director of the DC Rape Crisis Center. Indira has been involved in the violence against women movement for 20 years, and her expertise in gender-based violence is rooted in an anti-oppression, feminist theory, and the survivor-centered model. She joined the 77 Society in 2022 and is a key member of the DC Legal Aid Transformations Network. Below, Indira shares what supporting the DC Bar Foundation means to her.
How and when did you learn about the DC Bar Foundation?
I learned about the DC Bar Foundation a little over two years ago through meeting the Foundation's CEO, Kirra Jarratt.
What part of the Foundation's work excites you most?
The part of the Foundation's work that excites me the most is how the DC Bar Foundation is transforming how the sector thinks about civil legal aid, access to civil legal aid, and how that connects to larger intersectional and systemic issues.
You are an active member of the DC Legal Aid Transformations Network. What are your hopes for the network's future?
My hope for the network's future is that the network will not only continue to bring missing voices to the table and build those intentional relationships, but also that the network will have a direct response to racism and oppression.
Why do you think connecting social services organizations like DC Rape Crisis Center with legal aid organizations is beneficial?
Social service organizations like the DC Rape Crisis Center must be connected to legal aid organizations because our work is intersectional. Sexual violence is not a single issue because we do not lead single issues lives, and by connecting to legal aid organizations, we can serve survivors holistically and address multiple issues that intersect with sexual violence, chief among them access to civil legal aid.
Why do you support the DC Bar Foundation through the 77 Society?
I support the DC Bar Foundation through the 77 Society because the Foundation is doing bold and courageous work and is transforming the way the sector thinks about and engages in intersectional work.