Purple R.E.I.G.N. Report

“My Cry in the Dark” Breaking the Vicious Cycles of Domestic Violence

On Saturday, March 12, 2011, Purple R.E.I.G.N. partnered with the

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and the Essex

County Prosecutor’s Office to present “My Cry in the Dark” Breaking

the Vicious Cycles of Domestic Violence to the County of Essex.

“My Cry in The Dark”: Breaking the Vicious Cycles of Domestic

Violence, was an interactive conference of City Officials; community

leaders; advocates; health care professionals / practitioners, victims,

survivors, and OVERCOMERS, aimed to increase awareness of the

domestic violence epidemic in urban communities, create a dialogue

around solutions, and teach victims, as well as perpetrators of domestic

violence to Live 4 Love.

One in every four women will

experience domestic violence in her

lifetime.

Essex County has among the highest

number of domestic violence fatalities,

police reported domestic violence

offenses, and requests for restraining

orders in the State.

The health-related costs of rape,

physical assault, stalking, and homicide

by intimate partners exceed $5.8 billion

each year. Of this total, productivity

losses account for nearly $1.8 billion.

Purple R.E.I.G.N. Social Services, Inc. is an agency created by advocates and OVERCOMERS to:

Address the pain of victims and survivors of violence, abuse, and sexual assault

Educate communities

Eradicate the vicious cycles of domestic violence

Address the root cause of addictions, incarceration and destructive behaviors

The mission of Purple R.E.I.G.N. is to outline the tools: advocacy, crisis intervention counseling, safety planning, legal representation, restraining orders (R.O. & T.R.O.), housing, support services, etc. needed to safely restore and transform the lives of those striving to overcome: abuse, violence, and trauma; while linking corresponding resources, providing a holistic approach to healing, and

improving the standards of living one heart at a time. Our vision is to be a premier domestic violence and sexual assault agency that: broadens current practices; is inclusive of education, literacy, intervention and prevention strategies; enhance the quality of current systems / best practices; and implement culturally specific programs that address the adverse perceptions and misconceptions of violence and abuse. Additionally, we offer the following specialized services: Speaking Engagements Support Groups Technical Assistance Workplace Safety Curriculum Development Consulting Capacity Building Publications Teen Education & Prevention Self-Defense Tips Conferences Sensitivity Training Individual Counseling Seminars HIV/AIDS Counseling Workshops

VOLUME 1 / 1ST QTR ISSUE

Executive Team of

Purple R.E.I.G.N.:

Dawn James, Dir., Safety

Asia D. Smith, Founder

Tanisha L. Riley, Assoc.

Executive Director.

Restoration. Empowerment. Integrity. Grace. Nobility.

MARCH 2011

“My Cry in the Dark” Breaking the Vicious Cycles of Domestic Violence

The conference was held in the state of the art auditorium of Central High School, with over 400 registered guests, and 30 of the top service providers disseminating literature and resources in the Atrium. The moderator for the day was Dr. Stephanie Bush- Baskette, JD, Ph.D., and Director of the Joseph C. Cromwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at Rutgers

University.

The topics of discussion included: the risk factors and vicious cycles of domestic violence, especially in urban communities; resources available for victims, survivors, and families of abuse, violence and trauma; the importance of intervention and prevention programs; and methods to eradicate this harmful disease. The speakers on the dais included: The Honorable Mayor Wayne Smith of the Township of Irvington, South Ward Councilman, Principal of Central High School, and survivor Ras Baraka; Pamela McCauley of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office; Mary Houtsma of the Essex County Family Justice Center; Lt. Amanda Koontz of the Irvington PD; Ruth Kleiman of Lighthouse Social Services; Dr. Nichole Simmons; and Thomas Ellis of Enough Is Enough. A dynamic, spoken word monologue on sexual assault was done by Mr. Troy Balkum, as an introduction to the first keynote speaker, John Farrell, LCSW, MSW of the Violence Institute of UMDNJ. “Jack” as he is also known, delivered a powerful presentation that shed light on the influence of media /the entertainment industry, the misconceptions of manhood, but also spoke passionately about the beauty of love, relationships, and effective ways of communication. During the intermission and lunch break, the audience had an opportunity to view the Award-Winning Documentary: A Pillar of Salt – The Angry Woman Syndrome, as well as participate in a Question and Answer Session with Award-Winning Director Hafiz Farid. The Diversity Youth Theater performed a customized, moving piece, “My Cry in the Dark” under the guidance of the Founder / Artistic Director Kathy Harrison, as the introduction of the final keynote speaker, Asia D. Smith, Founder / Executive Director of Purple R.E.I.G.N. Social Services. Asia’s presentation entitled “I Am Not The Defendant”, gave an in-depth perspective of the dynamics of being in an abusive relationship, the stereotypes of abused women, but also proved that you can “Turn Tragedy to Triumph”! *The event will be aired on the local access channels of Comcast and Cablevision; please check your listings for more information. Clips will also be on our YouTube Channel: PurpleREIGNSS

Panelists: Pamela McCauley of the Essex County Prosecutor’s

Office & South Ward Councilman Ras Baraka

Over 30 service providers were assembled in the Atrium to provide

additional community support.

Panelists:

Mayor Wayne Smith, Irvington; South Ward Councilman Ras Baraka; Lt. Amanda Koontz, Irvington PD

"Special thanks to Ms. Asia Smith for the courage and leadership to address the problem of domestic violence in our community.” - Jack Farrell, MSW, LCSW

Violence Institute of UMDNJ “I want you to know I felt you and your organization did a fantastic job. I will be happy to hear how I could assist you in the future”. – Rose Williams, MSW NJ Coalition for Battered Women “I attended Sat.'s event in Newark and must congratulate you on a job well done. You pulled together impressive and informed speakers and the panels delivered solid information to the attendees. I also found the range of services at the reception tables to be helpful as I gathered pamphlets and handouts to help in my work w/ DV victims. It was time well-spent at a well-run event.” – Jill B., LCADC, DVRT “Thank you for inviting The Safe House to participate in the „My Cry in the Dark‟ event. The event was one of the best I‟ve been to and we always welcome the opportunity to get the word out about resources available to victims of Domestic Violence. As Mary Houstma would say, “the dedication and commitment of Domestic Violence service providers in Essex County is truly awesome!” and your event brought us all together to prove that once again!” –

Sue S.

Purple R.E.I.G.N. Report

Purple R.E.I.G.N. Report

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1

MARCH 2O11

LIVE 4 LOVE: SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

“I‟ve seen the future and decided to live there.” – Rene Terra Nova

President, LCH

Business & Purple

R.E.I.G.N. Board

Member, Lindsey C.

Holmes & Asia D.

Smith

The finale of the event was the unveiling of the Social Media Campaign: LIVE 4 LOVE by President of LCH Business and Board Member of Purple R.E.I.G.N., Lindsey C. Holmes. LIVE 4 LOVE includes the use of Twitter and Facebook as educational and preventative measures to eradicate the vicious cycles of domestic violence and sexual assault, while promoting positive relationships and healthy lifestyles. Additionally, Lindsey gave an awesome presentation of the upcoming, first of its kind Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Mobile Application for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, with Blackberry and Android operating systems in the near future. The implementation of such a dynamic tool will provide access to: Resources; Support; Education; National Hotline / Crisis Intervention Services; Safety Tips; Preventative Tools; Teen Education; etc. to victims and survivors 24/7,

WORLDWIDE! #LIVE 4 LOVE... Follow us on:

To learn more about our innovative Social Media Campaign and services, please call: (973) 93-PURPL.

THANK YOU

We would like to THANK all of our corporate sponsors, community partners, and

the hundreds of people that came out to help us educate the community, empower

victims and survivors, and most importantly, eradicate the vicious cycles of

domestic violence and sexual assault in the lives of others. We exceeded our

goals, and we’re planning to do even more next year!

Please click the following link to watch our virtual THANK YOU to the Speakers

and Sponsors: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHrAB2wVAQc

PURPLE CARPET MOMENTS

Delta Sigma Theta & Omega Psi Phi

Council President Donald Payne, Jr., City of Newark

Rose Williams, NJ Coalition for Battered Women

Purple Carpet interview w/ Mayor Smith, Irvington ,

West Ward Councilman Ronald Rice, Jr., City of Newark

Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, City of Newark

P.O. BOX 6364 ∞ NEWARK, NJ 07106 ∞ O (973) 93-PURPL ∞ F (973) 352-6575 WWW.PURPLEREIGNSS.ORG LIVE 4 LOVE