Domestic violence survivors gain strength from march

Cee Smalls' life may have been saved by the death of her mother.

"My mom's death was her last gift to me," she said. "If she wouldn't have died, I wouldn't have had the strength to leave my husband. It made me wake up about life. If I didn't leave, I probably would have been dead by now."

Ms. Smalls was one of about 200 people who attended the Survivor's March on Oct. 28. It was sponsored by SafeHomes of Augusta in recognition of Domestic Violence Month.

"They helped to support me during some bad times of my life,'' Ms. Smalls said of SafeHomes. ''I wanted to be here to support them and others like me who have survived" domestic violence.

Some in the crowd wore T-shirts marking the event, and others held signs as they filled the sidewalks in front of the Augusta-Richmond County Municipal Building to listen to domestic-violence survivors' stories.

Between stories, the children's choir from Carpentersville Baptist Church sang inspirational songs.

Less than a year removed from a violent relationship, Leslie Sell wanted to share her story to help others.

"Being able to stand in front of people and share my story means a lot," she said. "Not long ago, I was too afraid to do anything, and I was afraid for my life and my son's life. But I've made it. I'm here.

''My story may be the inspiration for someone else to leave their situation."

The abuse began three months into the relationship and lasted for nearly 15 years, Ms. Sell said.

"We grew up together in the same area," she said. "I thought I could fix him. He was into the gangs and drugs, but I thought that once he was with me he wouldn't care about that other stuff and leave it alone."

Because of her boyfriend's lifestyle, she felt "stuck between a rock and a hard place" when she thought about leaving.

"It was tough to take the fighting that was going on in the house, but he was so deep into the drugs and the gang activity that I thought that if I left, someone would come after me and my son because of our connection to him," she said. "I just figured that fighting for my life inside the house would be a lot easier than trying to fight an unknown enemy outside the house."

She said she finally got the courage to leave one night in February. She packed up, and she and her son boarded a plane to the other side of the country.

"I haven't looked back since," she said.

It's important for survivors to tell their story, said Aimee Hall, executive director of SafeHomes of Augusta.

"It's hard, but it strengthens them and it provides hope to others," she said. "I truly believe that sharing the story is one way to break the cycle of violence."

The event was also a way to send a message to the community, she said.

"I hope that they see the important role we all have to take to end violence," she said. "We can't turn away from it. Domestic violence is everyone's business."

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.