Violence Against Women 💜🌹
💜💜
This past week at the health system and one of the entity hospitals that I work for—Alasia Janell Milburn, 25, died suffering from a gunshot inflicted by her boyfriend—marking the 2nd one this month. 💜
And while I don’t think it made a big splash on local news media cycles, although most of us tuned in obsessively to the 2024 Olympics, that Rebecca Cheptege—an Olympic long-distance runner was murdered in an act of domestic violence by her boyfriend. 💜
And I can only assume most of us saw the news about Amber Kelly of Sandy Springs, Georgia—killed by her boyfriend in May 2024. 💜
But so much is going on in our personal and global worlds right now that these happenings are merely antidotes of “news” and not anything we get to devote any attention to—even if we care to. But to me—it’s personal. 💜
That said, I am particularly grateful that October has been designated as a month of awareness about domestic violence—because what I realize as I travel, attend certain events, and talk to certain people—is that the stigma/taboo is still so pervasive—and I do understand that. But what I also understand is how pervasive the reality of domestic violence still remains. And yes, I am confident that this very blog will make some people uncomfortable either because of the stigma or the reality—and admittedly, it’s a heavy topic.
However, the topic of domestic violence can no longer remain a matter that gets swept under the rug, or deemed a “What goes on in this house stays in this house” dynamic. That said, the matter is deeply personal to me for various reasons—which won’t be expounded on here, but no one should be made feel ashamed if this is or has been their plight—nor should anyone remain in that state. For anyone that knows me—or read my story—you know why I have picked up this cause—and why I am passionate about it. Recently, I spoke with someone that has been a victim and they shared that for so long they felt like, “damaged goods”, so they remained—but no longer because of support they received that helped them remove themselves from the relationship. In times not so in the distant past—resources and support were scarce at best and like most things impacted by inequities and normalization in our communities.
So, to insert a bit of political spin— this is one of many reasons why I respect Biden—because long before he was “President Biden”—Biden worked diligently on legislation to “end violence against women.”
For those who may have forgotten: (didn’t know) “On June 20, 1990, then-Senator Joe Biden introduced the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the United States Congress. This act was a landmark piece of legislation that changed the way our country responded to domestic violence and sexual assault. VAWA changed law enforcement practices, improved the criminal justice system, and created a network of services for victims. The bill established new federal crimes of interstate domestic violence and stalking, doubled penalties for repeat sex offenders, and sparked the passage of laws at the state level to protect victims. Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, rates of domestic violence have decreased by over 50%.”
So, as a DV survivor—I have determined it my personal responsibility to continue to raise awareness of this crisis within my sphere of influence for as long as time allows—until there is no more shame, stigma, and silence around it.💜🌹
References
#domesticviolenceawareness
#VAWA
#domesticviolencesurvior
#domesticviolenceawarenessmonth
#WearPurpleDay💜
#Cshaw
#Bestselfcys
#ABETTERYOUISABETTERME
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