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A martial arts instructor wore his white Tae Kwon Do uniform and bright red high-heeled shoes. His sign proclaimed "Abusers Are Cowards." "It's the truth," he said as he finished walking one mile around the Broad Avenue Arts District in those women's shoes. The fourth annual local Walk A Mile In Her Shoes™ event to raise awareness about violence against women drew a spirited and diverse group of marchers — men, women, children. As they walked the one-mile course, they received appreciative honks from cars on Sam Cooper Boulevard and shouts of support from festival-goers at the Broad Avenue Spring Art Walk. The promotional event raises awareness and funds so that the Memphis Area Women's Council can continue its work fighting domestic violence and gender assault in all its forms. The walk is organized each year by Memphis Men for Memphis Women, and this year was sponsored by Splash Creative.

Deborah Clubb and the Memphis Area Women's Council received a "Voice of Victims Award" during a National Crime Victims' Rights Week ceremony held outdoors at T.O. Fuller State Park April 23. As the local recipient, Clubb also participated in a tree-planting ceremony in the park as an ongoing memorial to those who have lost their lives to violence and crime in Shelby County, Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Correction & Board of Parole ceremony took place in a park shelter and on the grounds. Tina Fox, Board of Parole Victim Services director, was mistress of ceremony and comments were made by Mark Luttrell, mayor of Shelby County, Shelby County D.A. Amy Weirich, Charles Traughber, chair of the Board of Parole, and Ronald Hampton, Tennessee Correction Dept. deputy district director. Clubb expressed her appreciation for the recognition and told the assembly that her work isn't possible without ongoing collaboration with many government and nonprofit organizations. "To make a real difference in the lives of women and girl victims of violence — to reduce the hurt and the incidents — we must do iwork together," she said. Her work, and that of the Council, were praised by Luttrell, Weirich and Traughber. "Deborah keeps us all mindful that we do our work every day for those who are the victims," Weirich said. After the speeches, everyone walked to a nearby grassy area where a sapling was ready to be put in the ground. Deborah, Luttrell, Weirich and others picked up spaces and shoveled dirt onto the new tree. Nearly four dozen trees have been planted throughout Tennessee since the victims ceremony was started several years ago. Another sign of victims, in the form of two quilts each with 144 images of victims who have died since 2007, hung on the side of the shelter. People in attendance looked at the photos silently. Some took photos. The images poignantly showed people of all ages who had lost their lives since 2007 to violence.

The third annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes™ fundraising event was a serious — and at times, hilarious — success for Memphis Area Women's Council this year.

Held for the second year in conjunction with the Broad Avenue Arts District Spring Art Walk, dozens of men and women marched a mile around the Broad business district to express their concerns about violence against women. Some carried signs. Onlookers cheered the walkers.

The event was sponsored by Memphis Men for Memphis Women and raises money for public awareness about domestic violence. Detective Barbara Tolbert of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office acted as this year's walk marshal, getting the participants enthusiastic and then joining them in the walk. Many of the men dared to walk the mile in women's high-heel shoes. That included Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy, and Memphis Police Col. Mike Ryall, the 2011 walk co-chair, who walked the entire distance in uniform and in high-heels!

"We appreciate all those who came out for this event," said "Walk A Mile" co-chair David Wayne Brown. "It's important for men to express their views on the problem of violence against women."

When Commissioner Mulroy (whose son always marched) made it around the mile-long circuit, he talked about how tough it is for women using high-heels and joked that, "I'll never do that again." Then he did a quick push-up.

One participant had his four-year-old son join him at the beginning, but before too many steps were taken on the mile-long trek around the Broad Arts District, the man was carrying his son on his shoulders — now that's support!

New media coverage was good. We got attention in the Memphis Flyer, Live@Nine, The Commercial Appeal's GoMemphis section, and the "I Love Memphis" blog. ABC Channel 13 filmed the entire event, a Commercial Appeal photographer was here as well, and Michael Donahue provided coverage in his Sunday column.

The October 27 event included hard-hitting speeches by members of law enforcement agencies, and intense descriptions by DV survivors about what they experienced and how critical it is to have a dedicated community response to the problem.

Read news story in The Commercial Appeal. Violence begins at home for victims of domestic crimes

Feb. 20, 2011 - MAWC board member writes letter to editor