Love is one of the most intense emotions that is supposed to make an individual feel good and feel safe. Domestic violence is not.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that one in three women have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. That is why a Domestic Violence Awareness Exhibition Event will take place Saturday, Nov. 18, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the SIP room on Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville.

“The purpose of the event is to spread the knowledge of domestic violence awareness and to share resources for domestic violence awareness,” said Takieyah Mathis, founder of the Standing Light Foundation and event planner of the Love Shouldn’t Hurt Domestic Violence Awareness Exhibition event. “It is so important to know that there are other dynamics about domestic violence other than a male hitting a female or vice versa.”

Domestic violence awareness is significant to Mathis because she was a victim of domestic violence as well as her mother.

“My mother was in a nine-year domestic violence relationship and I went through my own domestic violence situation when I was 19-years-old,” said Mathis. “My situation was bad but it was not as bad as my mom’s.”
She added, “My mom is the reason I left my situation because I was like, I have to get out of this and I am not going to go through this for a long
period of time.”

The event will entail a diverse panel of speakers, domestic violence resources, poetry and art displays and a toast to the survivors and non-survivors of domestic violence.

“I have an author who will share how her partner abused her and her children, a woman who will teach how to use firearms and the proper steps to protect yourself, and I will share domestic violence resources,” said Mathis. “We will have poetry and art displays and I am going to allow people to share their domestic violence story.”

The effects of domestic violence can be long lasting or permanent and victims of domestic violence can suffer from serious mental health consequences.

“My mom’s situation caused me more trauma than anything,” said Mathis. “It really affected the dynamics of our household because it affected my mom’s mental health which meant that she could not be a mom and properly function for us.”

“I want to break the stigma of domestic violence, especially by being a mom of boys,” said Mathis.
“We have to teach our sons that there are other ways to channel anger and learn how to positively communicate our emotions.”

Mathis’ one wish is for more community leaders to read this article and be more in touch with the little people and join the cause for domestic violence.

The event is free and open to the public. Participants are asked to wear purple to the event.

The National Violence Domestic Hotline is (800) 799- 7233.

No one has a right to put their hands on you. Your last reprimand should have been when you were a child living in your parents’ house.

Please do not put your family in a situation where they have to plan your funeral. Take heed to this article and run for your life.