LaTasha Williams was only a toddler when she saw her father murder her mother before taking his own life.
At one-and-a-half years old, Williams had already endured unimaginable abuse. Her suffering began at birth when she required immediate surgery for a broken hip caused by her father’s violent assaults on her mother during pregnancy.
“He kidnapped us, and he was relentless,” Williams told The Dallas Express. “She had moved and left, and he was just attacking her, following her, and stalking her.”
Eventually, the abuse escalated to the point where Williams’ father killed her mother and himself. Williams said she believes he meant for her to die as well.
Following the death of her parents, Williams was raised by her grandparents.
“It wasn’t until later in life where I said, ‘I need to know what happened,’ because I really didn’t know. I just knew that my mom was in heaven, and I was raised by my grandparents, and they were great, but I still struggled with some things,” Williams said.
When Williams launched her own investigation in 2013, she uncovered the facts surrounding her mother’s death. She found police reports detailing her mother’s attempted cries for help to law enforcement, who did not intervene.
“They failed her,” Williams said.
Williams’ story is not as uncommon as some may think. One in three Texans will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, according to the Texas Advocacy Project.
Domestic abuse can include physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse. It is a pattern of intimidation by one abusive partner over another, often leading to the death of one or both parties.
In 2020, 47,000 women and girls globally were killed by their intimate partners or other family members, per the UN. On average, a woman is killed by someone in her own family every 11 minutes.
A common misconception is that only women are victims of domestic violence. However, each year, 5% of men are killed by their intimate partners.
“Men are victims as well,” said Williams. “Unfortunately, because men do not report a lot, there are not a lot of resources for male victims during that time.”
Domestic violence happens everywhere. So far this year, there have been nine reported deaths due to domestic violence in Dallas, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
Additionally, there have been 6,677 reported intimate partner crimes and 10,362 reported family violence crimes.
On September 7, an Amarillo father allegedly killed his wife and her two kids, and then himself. On September 17, 38-year-old Ricardo Bruno had reportedly been shot to death by his girlfriend in Fort Worth.
The list goes on.
“Domestic violence happens to people across the board, no matter their ethnicity, their economic value, or any of those things,” Williams explained.
After discovering the events leading up to her mother’s death, Williams founded Cheryl’s Voice in 2013, named after her mom. She uses the nonprofit to share her story of overcoming childhood trauma and to give hope to children who feel alone in the abuse they have experienced.
“Society may say you’re less likely to succeed. I was actually told that by a teacher because of losing my family,” said Williams. “The statistics do say that, but you have to make a choice. Do you want to be a statistic, or do you want to be something different?”
Williams hosts workshops, speaks at local events, and holds community supplies giveaways to assist those struggling to escape an abusive situation. She says the work is just getting started.
“Honestly, I feel like domestic violence is still a taboo topic to people, and they don’t really want to talk about it,” Williams said.
In 1989, the U.S. Congress declared October Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but Williams noted that the issue seems to receive little attention compared to the education and promotion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is also in October.
“One day my dream is to walk into Walmart and see one section that’s Breast Cancer Awareness and one section that has purple Cheryl’s Voice Domestic Violence Awareness. I think if we started having more of that, victims will realize that it’s normal to speak out, and people are saying that it’s not okay to be in an abusive relationship. They will probably get out of the situation a lot quicker.”
But more than just awareness is needed. Williams said that nonprofits also need more funding.
Many victims of domestic violence are not able to leave their abusers because they lack the funds and support to do so, especially if they have children. Shelters like Safe Haven can fill up quickly, and many agencies cannot supply victims with hotel vouchers to get them to a safe place.
“There are not enough hotels that are partnering with agencies that are giving out hotel vouchers for victims, and there are not enough counselors that are specialized in trauma counseling that have availability. They’re full,” explained Williams.
“I think that’s a discouraging part for victims, from what I hear them say. They don’t have anybody, they don’t have money, and they don’t have resources. Then they feel like they have to stay in the situation.”
Donating to and volunteering with agencies that are working with victims can be crucial to helping people escape the cycle of violence and even save lives.
On October 3, 2023, Tarrant County proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Officials presented a proclamation to Williams in her mother’s honor, exactly 39 years after her death.
To donate to and volunteer with Cheryl’s Voice, visit the nonprofit’s website at the link here.
For a list of resources for abuse victims in Dallas, including shelters, counseling, legal resources, emergency assistance, and hotlines, visit the link here. Immediate help is available 24/7 at the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE.