KJ Mohr’s Testimonial On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“I have seen a lot of documentaries about sexual violence in my 15 years as a film programmer, and NO! is by far the most well made, riveting, and poignant. The screening of NO! at the National Museum of Women in the Arts was an extraordinarily powerful event, and it was remarkably successful in generating meaningful dialogue around and after the screening. It was an honor to host NO!, and it was of singular importance for NMWA, our national museum as women, and a major arts institution in a predominantly African American city. In the discussion following the screening, Aishah Simmons’ warmth, openness, and above all, her extraordinary dedication and hard work in making the documentary, came across, resoundingly. The strength of NO! in reaching its viewers is significant, it’s scope and ability to compel are astounding- all women can relate to this film. NO! is of particular and urgent importance, not only for women of African decent, but for everyone, in order to better understand the overwhelming and crushing legacy of sexual violence and racism inherent in the history of the United States and the effect that has on our society.”
KJ Mohr, Film & Media Arts Programmer, National Museum of Women in the Arts
Ms. Magazine Reviews NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“Simmons exposes the crisis of sexual violence within African American communities and investigates the cultural forces that pushed [B]lack woman and girls into decades of collective silence. Through interviews with rape survivors, academics and human-rights activists, the film explores intraracial rape in a historical context, tracing the roots of sexual assaults against [B]lackwomen to post-Civil War America, when lynching was a tool of racism to justify the murder of [B]lack men accused of raping [W]hite women. To protect their African American brothers, [B]lack women repressed their own rapes, perceiving their silence as a necessary sacrifice in the larger struggle against racism. Finally breaking the silence, the film shares stories of torment and healing while challenging African-American men and women to seek reconciliation.
Amy Williams, Ms. Magazine, 35th Anniversary Issue
Yvonne Bynoe’s Testimonial On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“NO! is a personal, yet powerful documentary which demands that audiences examine not only the violence associated with rape, but also our societal beliefs that empower assailants through silence or banal “boys will be boys” justifications.”
Yvonne Bynoe, Author, Stand and Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership and
Hip Hop Culture and The Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture
Gerald Horne’s Testimonial On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“With the eye of a poet and the rigor of a sociologist, Aishah Shahidah Simmons exposes an ugly reality of sexual violence. This is cinematic activism at its finest, as it is both a call to action and an expertly constructed documentary.”
Gerald Horne, Scholar and Author,
Race Woman: The Lives of Shirley Graham DuBois
Patricia Hill Collins’ Testimonial On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“This ground-breaking work creates needed space to debate the issue of how violence against women harms Black women and those who love them.”
Patricia Hill Collins, Scholar and Author,
From Black Power to Hip Hop: Racism, Nationalism, and Feminism
Walidah Imarishah’s Testimonial On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“The Power of NO! lies not just in regaining lost voices, but in re-visioning and repositioning Black women’s history and current reality….One of the strengths of the film is that it does not show the women broken. They come across as whole human beings with agency and insight.”
Walidah Imarisha, Left Turn Magazine
Dwight Williams’ Testimony On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“NO! is a film about horrific crimes perpetuated against Black women and girls. NO! should be mandatory viewing for every Black boy and Black man in America!!!”
Dwight Williams, Executive Producer of Hustle & Flow and Baby Boy
Joan Morgan’s Testimonial On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“Heartbreaking, personal and ultimately empowering… NO! is a painstaking compilation of Black women’s testimonies about sexual assault and domestic violence. Not only does Simmons’ goundbreaking film breaks a pervasive deadly silence, it reaffirms the power of a Black woman’s truth.”
Joan Morgan, Author,
When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down
Kevin Powell’s Testimonial On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“Given the level of violence against women in this country, we owe it to ourselves and to future generations not to turn our backs on this film. For in ignoring this film we would once again be ignoring the voices of women.”
Kevin Powell, Political Activist and Author,
Who’s Gonna Take the Weight: Manhood, Race and Power in America
Thomas Glave’s Testimonial On NO! A Documentary On Sexual Assault
March 10, 2008
“NO! does not flinch, and is a vital contribution to ongoing cultural-political discussions, not only in African America but also in the African diaspora and beyond.”
Thomas Glave, Lamda Award Winning Author,
Words To Our Now: Imagination and Dissent
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