The ads are narrated by
Aja Monet, poet, activist and Voices' Creative Artistic Director.
Voices seeks to unify the vision of ending violence against women (cis women and trans women) and nonbinary and gender fluid people across the African Continent and African Diaspora, with the goal of using art to embody and inspire solidarity.
The ad reads:
"Dear Black Women,
Do you have a story to tell?
We are complex, dynamic and fierce.
We are the poet's we've been waiting for, the very language of difference and magic.
This time demands active listening and our critical storytelling for the world we want to see.
Be the voice of our greatest visions and submit your poems, stories or artwork today at www.visforvoices.com
Selected submissions will receive $1,000 compensation."
Aja Monet, Artistic Creative Director of the Voices campaign, said:
"We're reaching out to Black women artists across the world, inviting submissions of poems, monologues, and songs that will be assembled into a V-Day performance piece in the coming year."
For 22 years, V-Day has unleashed vast grassroots, anti-violence work on college campuses and in communities – visionary work that has been survivor-led and focused, all the while revealing the power of art and activism to change culture and systems.
Founded by V (formerly Eve Ensler), activist and author of the The Vagina Monologues, V-Day has inspired women, men and communities all over the world and raised collective consciousness about how violence and gender intersect.
V added:
"The Covid-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on communities of colour, and the uprising for racial justice in the United States and across the globe has shown the critical importance of amplifying the voices in marginalised communities.
"Our goal with Voices is to focus on the work, lives and experiences of Black women artists."