Beverly Gooden will deliver the Louise Young Diversity Lecture in the Ataloa Theater inside Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.
Her speech is entitled “Why I Stayed: The Complexity of Domestic Violence.”
Beverly Gooden breaks down the myths and misunderstandings around domestic violence to illuminate the complex reasons why victims stay in abusive relationships and what the community can do to help. Recently the “me too” movement has shown what society considers acceptable can be changed by the work of many individuals coming together to speak with a unified voice.
Known for creating the viral Twitter hashtag #WhyIStayed in the wake of several high-profile domestic violence incidents, Beverly sparked a national conversation about how society views victims, while calling for a community response to this important social issue.
Drawing on her own gripping tale of overcoming an abusive relationship, Beverly provides a personal account of how it feels to live in fear and why it’s so difficult for individuals to leave those who exert physical and emotional control over them.
On stage, Beverly lays the groundwork for critical conversation about the dynamics of abusive relationships, while revealing ways that you can help, including the important questions to ask those who you suspect are being abused. With unguarded honesty and palpable passion for changing lives for the better, she empowers audiences to expose their own stories and discover their role in ending domestic violence.
Professional continuing education units for this event have been approved for CPS, CLEET, LADC, CADC, LCSW, Case Managers, and peer recovery support specialists. CEU's have been requested for LPC and LMFT.
The lecture is sponsored by Young, who is a graduate of Ada Public Schools and East Central University (B.A. in geography in 1969). She earned a master’s and doctorate from the University of Colorado. From 1971 to 1974, Young was an instructor of geography at ECU. In 2008, Young established an endowed lectureship within the ECU Foundation with the goal of presenting an annual free lecture for students, faculty and community members on various aspects of diversity.
Young retired as senior software engineer with Raytheon Company, where she worked for 34 years. In addition to her software engineering career, she has received numerous awards for her work in diversity, both inside and outside of corporate America, especially with regards to equal treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. In 2003, she received the prestigious Raytheon Diversity Heroes Award from Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson.
Contact Christine Pappas at cpappas@ecok.edu for more information.