Women, Action & the Media

WAM!mer Michele C. Weldon was advised to keep quiet about her struggle with domestic violence. Her friend thought it would be a career-killing move and cautioned her, “You will have ‘victim’ on your name tag for the rest of your life.” But for day four of 16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence, we would like to applaud her courage for speaking out and giving a voice to an often silent issue.  Though she was already an award-winning journalist, she considers her memoir, I Closed My Eyes, (Hazelden, 1999) to be her “single greatest personal and professional accomplishment.” As she told The Huffington Post:

Even though I told the story, it has not limited me. Instead, the act of owning up to the truth and proudly walking fully into who I am defines me. My professional reputation is built around courage, honesty and authentic storytelling in all forms as a professor, journalist, speaker, mentor and author. I can tell other stories with empathy because I was brave enough to tell my own.

Instead of allowing herself to be silenced or defined as a victim, she uses her talent as a storyteller to educate others about domestic violence and raise a call to action. As she puts it:

What action can you take? You can speak up. For yourself, for a friend, for women you will never know personally. You can be known for your intolerance of violence against women. Say the jokes about “smacking her” are not funny. Say the songs with name-calling provoking violence against women are not amusing. Volunteer in your neighborhood at a domestic violence shelter. Say something if you hear about someone abusing a partner. Listen. Help. Do not walk away. And never advise anyone that telling the truth will ruin her career.

It’s true that no woman wants to have “victim” on her name tag for the rest of her life.

But more than that, no woman wants it on her headstone.

If you’re inspired by Michele Weldon like we are, you can read her book, or invite her to speak at your event.