[Durham INC] Durham Remembers Domestic Violence Victims Dec. 10

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  November 30, 2009

 

 

Durham Remembers Domestic Violence Murder Victims Dec. 10

Ceremony Remembers 71 Murder Victims in 2009; Keynote Address by Domestic Violence Survivor Vernetta Cockerham

 

DURHAM, N.C. - On Thursday, December 10, 2009, Durham residents will pause to remember the 71 victims of family and domestic violence who lost their lives in 2009 in North Carolina, including the five that were Durham County residents.

 

The City of Durham's 9th Annual Memorial Tree Lighting Ceremony in Honor of Murdered Domestic Violence Victims Across North Carolina will take place in the Council Chambers of City Hall, located at 101 City Hall Plaza, beginning at 5:30 p.m.  

 

The theme for this year's event is, "Domestic Violence - A Human Rights Violation," in recognition of violations suffered by domestic and family violence victims as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1948.  In this declaration, several articles directly address the right of all human beings to life, liberty and personal security as well the right to live freely from torture and degrading treatment - all of which are tragic realities of daily life for domestic and family violence victims. 

 

The keynote speaker at this year's event is Vernetta Cockerham, a domestic violence survivor whose daughter was murdered by her estranged husband in November 2002.  Cockerham's personal crusade for justice has been detailed by local and national news media outlets, including The Oprah Magazine (www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200908-omag-domestic-violence-update and www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200908-omag-domestic-violence).   Cockerman recently worked to help pass North Carolina House Bill 1464 to clarify domestic violence protective orders, which was passed July 31, 2009, and named "Candice Law," in memory of her murdered daughter.

 

According to Yvonne Peña, director of the City of Durham's Department of Human Relations, an additional focus for this year's annual event is also to remind residents that domestic violence has more than one victim - that each victim has a mother and father, many have children and friends - and each of these people are ultimately victims too.  

 

"So many victims of family and domestic violence are women and children and it's vital that our community stop and remember these lives that were lost so senselessly," Peña said.  "This year, five Durham residents were family and domestic violence victims and that's five too many.  This year was also when our state had many entire families killed, including the suicide of the perpetrator.  It's time for our society to realize that domestic and family violence is, fundamentally, a human rights violation.  Family and domestic violence should not happen to anybody - ever.  But it does - and when it does, there is help.  Our goal, in addition to remembering the lives of these victims and their families, is to also arm others that may be living with family and domestic violence with a simple truth.  First, abuse is never okay; second, you are not alone.  Durham County has an extensive system in place to help and this community does not tolerate this human rights violation."

 

During Thursday's event, a memorial tree placed inside Council Chambers will be lit bearing the name of each family and domestic violence victim in North Carolina this year.  According to Peña, the event is not just about remembering the lives lost to domestic violence.  "This annual event allows each of us to make a renewed commitment to eradicating this senseless violence from our community.  Our hope is that this event will give every Durham resident the opportunity to take a stand and declare that enough is enough.  We will not lose one more person to family and domestic violence."

 

In addition to the tree lighting ceremony, attendees will receive information about the "I Care" Campaign, which debuted at last year's event and is designed to help Durham residents make a personal commitment to help family and domestic violence victims by promoting the services available to them and to help them when it is time to leave an abusive relationship.  An "I Care" button will be distributed to each attendee of the event to display both commitment and support.  

 

Attendance at this event is free and Durham residents and the news media are encouraged to attend.  For more information about this event, contact Peña at (919) 560-4107, ext. 24245 or via e-mail at yvonne.pena at durhamnc.gov. 

 

About the Department of Human Relations

The City of Durham's Department of Human Relations strives to improve race and human relations in the City by working to eliminate discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations; and by prioritizing community outreach and educational activities to meet the needs of Durham's citizens.  To learn more about this department, visit www.durhamnc.gov/departments/relations. 

 

###

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://rtpnet.org/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20091130/5bf68f37/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 3070 bytes
Desc: image003.jpg
URL: <http://rtpnet.org/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20091130/5bf68f37/attachment.jpeg>