In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Valerian Fletcher shared her powerful story of overcoming a lifetime of abuse. Her journey began with witnessing her mother's struggles as she endured years of abuse. She says eventually her mother's battles became her own as she was later harmed by her mother's abuser.

"I didn’t really understand what was going on at the time, just how terrified I felt as a child," Fletcher said. "Moving on up into my adulthood, I really didn’t know what a real relationship was supposed to look like."

At 16, Fletcher entered a relationship that mirrored her past experiences. The verbal abuse was subtle at first, then escalated to physical abuse. Determined to protect her daughters from the same fate, Fletcher made the difficult choice to leave.

"It w

See Full Page