Writing by Shannon Gumbs
I write and speak about intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, anti-racism, and what it takes to make support work for the people who need it most.
Black Women and Intimate Partner Violence: Unique Barriers to Help Seeking in Nova Scotia
Published by Alice House, February 2026, for African Heritage Month
Black women in Nova Scotia face intimate partner violence within layers of history, culture and systemic inequity. In this piece I look at barriers that often go unseen: mistrust of formal systems rooted in our province's history of slavery and segregation, fear of criminalization, the "strong Black woman" narrative, added barriers for Black immigrant women, and the lack of race-based IPV data in Canada. I also share what culturally responsive support can look like.
Intimate Partner Violence: What Nova Scotia Needs to Do
Podcast interview on The WTV Media Podcast, March 2026
I sat down with WTV's Logan Ring to talk about intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia and what the province needs to do to address it.
Voices for Action Against Racism
Written for SeaChange CoLab for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Racism is still a daily reality for Black, Indigenous and racialized people, at both the personal and the systemic level. In this piece I write about why allies can't stay neutral, and why real change means choosing to be actively anti-racist.