Conference addresses domestic violence issues

Facing every day with the fear of violence. Living in a society in which women are sexualized and victimized. What are the causes? What are the solutions?

Author and activist Jill Nelson addressed these issues yesterday morning, as one of two keynote presenters at the second annual "Trapped by Poverty/Trapped by Abuse" conference.

The conference, held in the Michigan League all weekend, attracted researchers, welfare workers and grassroots activists from across the country to discuss the relationship between domestic violence, poverty, welfare and gender.

Nelson, author of "Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience" and "Straight, No Chaser: How I Became a Grown-Up Black Woman," shared her personal experiences and views before a packed League ballroom.

Nelson said she grew up at time when discussions about domestic violence were rare. But she "wanted to be a woman (who) a man would not dare to hit," Nelson said. She defended herself by dating men no larger than herself and by becoming the "master of the fine art of diss."

After escaping violence for years, only to be struck by her husband, Nelson said she realized that domestic violence can happen to any woman. "There's too many fish in the sea to bother picking a type," Nelson said.

Nelson said violence against women permeates all of society. She told the audience that images of it are on television, in music and on the street, as women face everything from being belittled as sexual body parts to receiving catcalls.

Nelson noted that such atrocities go beyond physical abuse. "Psychic, emotional, intellectual violence is as deadly because it slowly kills the spirit and twists the soul," Nelson said.

While the author detailed her personal abuse experiences, she emphasized the need for action. "It is crucial to come together as women. Cross race, cross class, cross geography. Organize to take action against and eradicate it," she said.

Speaking about concrete solutions, Nelson said there is a need to reach females at an early age in order to explain that they do not deserve to be hit.

"I think, as parents and organizers, we need to critique culture," Nelson said. "As a culture, we need to turn the television off." She said it is also important to pressure the police, churches and other community organizations to understand the issues of violence against women.

For many audience members, Nelson's words resonated.

"She is someone who has been there and done that," said Sandra Browdy, a Florida social worker.

Marjorie Sable of the University of Missouri School of Social Work was impressed with Nelson's thoughts.

"Portrayal of women in the media works against what we are trying to do," Sable said.

Conference organizer Jody Raphael said Nelson provided the conference with an appropriate closing. Raphael described Nelson as "very personal and very inspirational".

While Nelson received a standing ovation after her speech, many in attendance stressed the importance of the dialogue between convention participants throughout the weekend. Raphael said it is a meaningful weekend for people with varying perspectives on the issue to share their expertise.

"People at the grassroots are pushing the researchers and the researchers are telling the activists, 'you're not doing this, you're not doing that,'" Raphael said.

The conference also highlighted various researchers' findings and activists' experiences in the field.

Presentations included "The Impact of Domestic Violence on Women's Employment", "Methods for Grass Roots Monitoring" and "Women at Risk: Drugs, Crime and Incarceration."

04-19-99