Sacramento, CA -- September 29, 2008 -- When Tracie Stafford was crowned Mrs. California United States in 2007, she couldn’t have imagined that in the coming year she would publicly reveal a secret she thought she’d keep forever: that she was a domestic violence survivor. But that’s exactly what happened in October of last year, when Stafford attended the 2nd-Annual Statewide Day of Awareness, sponsored by the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV).
At the special legislative hearing held after last year’s awareness rally, survivors testified to lawmakers on the importance of funding domestic violence services. It was at that public hearing that Stafford finally felt compelled to break her lifelong silence and spoke in detail of the abuse she had suffered.
“Growing up watching my mother being beaten and hearing stories of my grandmother’s abuse, I didn’t know anything different,” Stafford said. “I thought it was normal to be abused at home and was taught to keep private business private. Eventually I realized that I didn’t want this life for myself or my child and got out. It was later that I learned that domestic violence was a serious crime, and that there was a community of advocates working to stop it. I knew I couldn’t keep silent any longer. I needed to share my story with other women so that they could access the information and services that I was not aware of.”
Stafford’s experiences since then have only increased her commitment to public advocacy, so much so that she has decided to make a career transition from owning and running an events marketing and planning firm, to becoming a full-time motivational speaker and author. When Stafford saw the number of women who were inspired by her story to seek help for themselves, she knew that her future lay in public speaking and advocacy.
“I can’t believe the number of women who have told me how my story motivated them to take action to better their lives. The most important thing that I can do as a survivor is to spread the message to victims that domestic violence is not our shame— and that we must all speak out to stop it.”
CPEDV is proud to feature Stafford as keynote speaker at this 3rd- Annual Day of Awareness rally, where she will lend her voice to those of legislators and criminal justice officials such as Assembly Member Alberto Torrico and Sacramento District Attorney Jan Scully, all working to realize the goal of safe homes and social justice in California. This year’s Day of Awareness is a wide-ranging community collaboration of 20 organizations that include domestic violence programs, advocacy groups, state agencies and public/private partners. Last year’s event attracted over 300 attendees, and we anticipate a similar turnout this year. A true civic event, the Statewide Day of Awareness will unite citizens from across California in the effort to increase awareness of this public health epidemic, ensure safety for victims and their families and hold batterers accountable.
What: The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence’s 3rd-Annual Californians Uniting to End Domestic Violence: Statewide Day of Awareness
Where: West Steps of the State Capitol
When: Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Confirmed speakers include:
Tracie Stafford, Domestic Violence Survivor, Mrs. California, United States 2007
Assembly Member Alberto Torrico (D), 20th Assembly District
Jan Scully, Sacramento District Attorney
Susan Fisher, Governor Appointed Victim Advocate
Tara Shabazz, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence Acting Executive Director
Related Web Sites:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Home Page: http://dvam.vawnet.org/
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: http://www.ncadv.org
About CPEDV
The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence is California’s statewide domestic violence coalition, with over 200 member organizations and individuals. Working at the local, state and national levels for more than 25 years, the California Partnership has a long track record of successfully passing over 100 pieces of legislation on behalf of battered women and their children. As the unified voice for California’s domestic violence agencies, CPEDV provides statewide leadership on public policy issues, offers training and technical assistance to domestic violence service providers and promotes public awareness through community outreach efforts. With offices in Sacramento, CPEDV’s member programs span the entire state.
Contact:
Camille Hayes, Communications Coordinator, camille@cpedv.org
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence
Phone: 800-524-4763
Fax: 916-444-7165
Web site: www.cpedv.org
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