(Editors Note: This article talks about domestic violence. If you or anyone you know are experiencing domestic violence please reach out to the following resources:
Domestic Violence Services (Lancaster): FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CONTACT THE 24/7 EMERGENCY HOTLINE AT (717) 299-1249 OR YOU MAY TEXT “SAFE” TO 61222.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
Or Call 211 who can provide personalized resources based on your specific needs.
“If we don’t educate ourselves and community on what a victim looks like and what trauma looks like, we are doing ourselves and our community a disservice,” said Mandy Billman, director of sexual assault prevention & counseling center at YWCA.
Tuesday night, This On Screen/In Person, presented in partnership with the Millersville University School of Social Work, held a screening of the documentary, “And So I Stayed”. The award-winning documentary is about three survivors of domestic violence Kim Dadou Brown, Nikki Addimando, and Tanisha Davis, who have killed their abusers in self-defense and faced long prison sentences. The film follows formerly incarcerated survivor-advocate Kim Dadou Brown, as she fights for the passage of New York’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA), a new law meant to prevent survivors from receiving harsh prison sentences for their acts of survival.
In the lobby, attendees had the opportunity gain more information on domestic violence support in Lancaster County by visiting the tables of Domestic Violence Services and YWCA. The National Silent Witness Project, was on display to represent people Lancaster County who have died because of domestic violence.
The event included a pre-show community panel with women who work in the social work and domestic violence fields; panelist included Whitney Barbusca, social worker at Penn Medicine (LGH); Mandy Billman, director of sexual assault prevention and counseling center, at YWCA; Fai Hammond, outreach coordinator at Domestic Violence Services; and Dr. Heather Givin, associate professor, at the School of Social Work, Millersville University. The screening ended with a talk back with Brown.
“What I would really like people to pay attention to in this documentary is that this is our community. This may have happened in another state. This may have happened to other people, but these are the same stories that we have in the community,” said Barbusca.
The panelists were tasked with watching the documentary and providing their insight on the film before the screening. “I think the biggest thing to listen to and listen for is what the survivors were saying in this film, that they’re experiencing. There are moments when it’s clear that a survivor is talking and we need to make sure that we’re listening to all the things that they’re not explicitly saying,” said Hammond. Following the panelist reviews, the room was open for a Q&A session.
After the screening Brown spoke about her experience in working in the fight to end domestic violence, detailing the challenges people face, the importance of taking care of yourself and the people who help in the fight of domestic violence, and advocating for victims. “Coming home and knowing all the Tanisha’s and Nikki’s that I left behind, I felt like I had work to do, and so I stayed in the fight to end domestic violence.” Following Brown’s talk, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and share their stories with Brown.
