Anika Sterling Florez is one of the founding members and President of Sisters Speak, the Chicago Coalition to End Sexual Violence Against Black Girls and Women. Anika has over 20 years of experience in social services including work in youth development, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she majored in African American Studies and researched the history of colorism within the Black community. She also earned a Master’s in Inner City Studies from Northeastern Illinois University where she researched misogyny within the faith community and its impact on men’s violence against women in disadvantaged communities of color.

Anika is passionate about drawing the connection between privilege and oppression to sexual violence. She facilitates many of the anti-oppression trainings for the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault and is past chair of its People of Color committee.