The statistics are staggering. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a woman is assaulted or beaten every 9 seconds in the U.S.; 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of physical violence by an intimate partner.
On a typical day, more than 20,000 phone calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide, and; 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and to commemorate the occasion New York’s New Legacy Leaders (NLL) will partner with Harlem Hospital Center to host a dynamic empowerment event entitled New Legacy Leaders Domestic Violence Healing Conference on Saturday, October 3.
The event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Harlem Hospital Center, 506 Malcolm X Blvd. (at W. 135TH St.), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Panel topics include: Rise Victorious: Women Moving Beyond Pain & Fear to Joy & Purpose and The Journey From Superman to Human: Men Creating a World Where Girls and Women are Loved, Valued & Safe
The conference will feature some of the nation’s most respected opinion-makers and activists in the field of domestic violence and child welfare.
Workshops, panel discussions and keynote speeches will be led by such notables as Rosemonde Pierre-Louis (Commissioner, NYC Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence); Dr. Jeff Gardere (“America’s Psychologist”); Michael Skolnik (Civil Rights Activist, President of GlobalGrind.com); Ted Bunch (Co-founder of A Call To Men); Dr. Janet Taylor (Community Psychiatrist in NYC); Charlotte Anderson-Bedford (Attorney); Megan Sanchez (Executive TV Producer); Terahshea McCray (Holistic Wellness Expert); Marsha R. Bonner (Founder, H.U.G.S. Movement); Dana London (Minister and Inspirational Speaker); Stephanie McGraw (Founder of W.A.R.M.); David C. Banks (President and CEO of The Eagle Academy Foundation); and Manny Yonko (Director, Family Wellness Center/Children’s Aid Society). Closing musical performance by Lush Tongue (A Women’s Vocal A Cappella Ensemble).
Event will be hosted by NLL Co-Founders Terrie M. Williams (Author, Mental Health Activist) and Madeline McCray (Actress, Women’s Empowerment Speaker).
James Brown, of CBS Sports, is lending his voice to bring awareness to the “epidemic” that is domestic violence and urges folks to attend the conference in a video posted on the NLL website: www.newlegacyleaders.com.
Women of the Dream, Inc., a Camden, NJ-based nonprofit that focuses on improving the lives of disadvantaged girls in the city has registered 35 girls, ages 13-19 to attend the teen academy on healthy relationships at the conference. According to a survey administered to the girls by WOD, 17 of the 35 girls, or 49%, said they know someone who has been physically or verbally abused in a relationship with a partner, 46% said they know someone in a current relationship who is being abused or at risk for abuse, and seven of the 35 girls, 20%, said they, themselves, have concerns about physical and verbal abuse in their home or in their own relationships. “With this type of data it is clear that we need to intervene in the lives of these girls before they transition into adulthood. It is my expectation that the conference will provide information about what’s healthy and unhealthy in relationships. This is the only way that our girls will be able to make informed decisions about their relationships, be it with intimate partners or family members” says Leslie Morris, Founder and CEO of Women of the Dream, Inc.
The teens will participate in a program entitled “New York City Healthy Relationship Training Academy for Teens”, sponsored by The Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence. For a complete list of the workshops and breakout sessions during the conference, visit the NLL website.
Other sponsors and community partners of the Domestic Violence Healing Conference include Macy’s, MetroPlus Health, The New York Amsterdam News, The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, The Terrie Williams Agency, and La Maison D’Art.
To register for the conference, go to the NLL website or visit EventBrite.com and search for New Legacy Leaders Domestic Violence Healing Conference.
“This conference is geared to be a safe haven for people impacted by all forms of domestic violence, and to help educate them about the connection of such abuse with depression and other mental health disorders,” says Williams.
“It’s important for everyone to leave the conference feeling empowered, knowing that healing is possible, and for family, friends and bystanders to understand that they too can help change and save lives. It truly does take a village to end the cycle of pain and suffering caused by abuse.” adds McCray.
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