The authors contend that African-American women who experience violence from their intimate partners are then re-victimized by a society that fails to offer the social support necessary to break the cycle of violence. Intimate partner violence is a public health issue for African-American women, in particular, because institutional racism overshadows both their public and private lives. The authors argue that the frustrations of African-American men, due to historical racism, are sometimes displaced onto their wives and girlfriends, creating an environment of violence in their homes and their communities. The violence is implicitly condoned by a society so steeped in historical racism that it cannot respond to the needs of victimized African-American women. The result is that African-American women feel powerless and immobilized, trapped by structural and cultural circumstances that have historically turned a blind eye to the problems faced by these women. The authors challenge domestic violence service providers, researchers, community leaders, and policy makers to devise prevention and intervention strategies that account for the unique structural, cultural, and situational circumstances of African-American women. References