About Nirvana Now!
Nirvana Now!, formally the African American Women’s Coalition, is a grass roots organization that was founded in 1989. At the time of inception, the primary purpose of the organization was to conduct crucial research on the African American woman’s experiences with incest and child sexual abuse.
While engaged in this research, it became obvious that work in the areas of exposing the prevalence, consequences, and prevention strategies were direly needed.
The name of the organization was changed to Nirvana Now! in 1999 to reflect the inner struggle of African American women survivors and the consistent message received from individuals that inner peace was elusive in their lives.
It is the organization’s belief that until African American incest and child sexual abuse survivors begin and complete the journey toward “Nirvana” and the community as a whole addresses the issues of incest, child sexual abuse, and rape neither survivors, nor the African American community can be healthy.
Nirvana Now! expanded the breath of services offered by the organization to included facilitation of survivor Speak OUTs! for women of all backgrounds, publication of articles, training of professionals and caregivers, consulting, and a speaker’s bureau.
About Our Founder
CeCe Norwood is a featured national speaker on incest, child sexual abuse and rape in general and the African American community in particular. She is a recognized workshop trainer, life coach, author of many articles, and her recent book There IS Happiness After Incest And Child Sexual Abuse.
She is an approved trainer for both the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program, where she trains Resource Parents and professionals on a variety of child welfare issues, and the Ohio Human Services Training System where she trains professionals on adult protective services practices. She is also an approved trainer for head start programs. CeCe is a permanency consultant and has functioned as an education surrogate and recruiter for children in foster care in need of permanent homes. She is also guardian ad litem (CASA). Additionally, Ms. Norwood provides professional development learning opportunities for educators, social workers, daycare providers, counselors, and businesses. She is a lifetime certified Bridges Out Of Poverty trainer.
Ms. Norwood is the founding board president of the Ohio Alliance To End Sexual Violence, (OAESV), past Interim Executive Director for OAESV, and founding member of the Sexual Abuse Prevention Awareness Treatment Healing Coalition (SA PATH) of Northwest Ohio. The mission of both organizations is to work toward eliminating all forms of sexual violence and to advocate for the rights and needs of survivors and co-survivors. She is also a founding and active member of the Ohio LGBTQI+ Task Force.
Most importantly to CeCe, she is the mother of a FANTASTIC daughter and a grandmother.