There are moments in life that define an organization or a community.  There are moments that become key turning points in wars, in crises, and social change movements.  There are moments when you know that something is a priority for a community and always will be a priority.

Yesterday was one of those moments.  It did not make national news.  It was not noticed by many.  But it was a powerful, important event in the history of family violence prevention, co-located services, coordinated community responses, and Family Justice Centers.  The names involved are not names that many in the national domestic violence movement know.  Marti Emerald, Todd Gloria, Sherri Lightner, Kevin Faulconer, Tony Young, Carl Demaio, Ben Hueso, Jerry Sanders, Jim Barwick, Tim Moore, Rick Gentry, Carrol Vaughan, Steve Snyder, Dan Turpin, Chuck Christenson, Maria Velasquez, Guy Swanger, Lori Luhnow, Brenda Lugo, Yvonne Coiner, Mehry Mohseni, and Verna Griffin Tabor all played roles in a profound moment in the history of the Family Justice Center movement yesterday. Read more »

I have read some good articles this past year challenging all of us that have been part of the domestic violence movement over the last 25-30 years but one article tops my list.  Written by Nicole Allen and Amy Lehrner at the University of Illinois, the article is entitled: “Still a Movement After All These Years? Current Tensions in the Domestic Violence Movement.”   The article raises many issues but for me it helped frame my questions for 2010.  Is the domestic violence movement still moving?  And if it is moving…is it moving forward?  And how are each of us helping to move it forward? Read more »

Two deaths at Christmas time this year have planted themselves in my heart.  Two deaths that I hope will awaken me and others from our complacency about the work yet to be done in San Diego County to stop family violence.

Christina Jones should have celebrated Christmas with her kids last Friday in the City of San Diego.  She should have talked to her sisters and her Mom and Dad and visited with friends.  But she didn’t enjoy Christmas Day with her family.  She was dead.  She was strangled to death in front of her two small children. Read more »

Four weeks ago, a dedicated group of government and community leaders in Montgomery, Alabama were disappointed to learn that they did not receive a federal grant they had been seeking to fund the opening of a Family Justice Center.  It was the second time they had applied for a federal FJC grant and had not been funded.  In the midst of a very bad economy, they were deeply discouraged.  They had asked me to come and celebrate their announcement of a grant or perhaps even a Grand Opening on October 19, 2009.  They had even picked out a building to use for the Center.  Now, they were calling to let me know they did not get their grant.  But as we talked on the phone it was clear to me their dream was still strong.  They were determined and unwilling to give up.  So, I agreed to donate my time and come anyway and rally the community and they agreed to keep advocating.  I told them we should re-double our vision casting, outreach, press push, and elevate our voices to recruit caring public officials and business leaders.  And they did! Read more »

October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month and a great opportunity to reflect on the national and international movement to stop domestic violence. From day one, everyone on our team was working hard to collaborate with many others and bring awareness to this important struggle – we held trainings and workshops around the country and locally, including the San Diego County Bar Association.  We participated in the San Diego Domestic Violence Council and the YWCA Domestic Violence Awareness walks and rallies. As we were wrapping things up the last week of October here in San Diego, a small miracle happened. Lt. Lori Luhnow (Director of the San Diego Family Justice Center), Yvonne Coiner (member of the VOICES Committee) and I were invited by KUSI to talk about Domestic Violence for 30 minutes on October 29th. Paul Bloom, the host, wanted to help us bring even MORE awareness to the issue of domestic violence. I was stunned. We didn’t ask him or the station to do this show. Nothing tragic or horrible happened that particular week. Read more »