October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Every October, a striking and somber display appears in our community.

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Colbert-Lauderdale Domestic Violence Response Coalition erects a field of white crosses to honor the lives lost to domestic violence.

This year, 67 crosses stand in memory of victims from Colbert and Lauderdale Counties whose lives were taken by domestic violence since 1993.

The display of crosses was begun in 2006 by Debra Gray, herself a survivor of domestic violence.

“The display is meant to be both a memorial and a call to action,” said Gray. “We want the community to see the reality of domestic violence right here at home and to know that resources and support are available.”

In addition to the cross display, the nonprofit hosts a Candlelight Vigil on October 1 each year.

Family members, friends, advocates and community leaders gather to honor the victims represented by each cross.

The event provides a space for healing, remembrance, and solidarity as the community recommits to ending domestic violence.

On Nov. 8, the Colbert-Lauderdale Domestic Violence Response Coalition will sponsor a Memory Walk to honor the 67 victims represented by the crosses.

The walk will begin at the Colbert County Courthouse, wind through downtown Tuscumbia, and end in Spring Park.

Once in Spring Park, survivors of domestic violence will be celebrated during the first annual “Silenced No More!” event.

The walk and celebration are free and open to the public. Registration for the walk begins at

9:30 a.m., with the walk starting at 10:00 a.m.

The survivors’ celebration will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will feature live music, food trucks, vendors and more.

For more information, visit the coalition’s Facebook page at Colbert County Domestic Violence Response Coalition or email [email protected].

If you are a victim of domestic violence, help is available. If it is safe to do so, message the DVRC on Facebook, and they will direct you to available resources.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Domestic Violence Awareness Month was officially designated by Congress in 1987.

It began as a national “Day of Unity” in October of 1981.

According to the Hotline:

• An average of 24 people per minute are victims of sexual assault, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over the course of a single year.
• Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the U.S. have experienced sexual assault, physical violence and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning.
• Just under 15% of women (14.8%) and 4% of men in the U.S. have been injured as a result of intimate partner violence that included sexual assault, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
• 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) aged 18 and older in the U.S. have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• Over 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the U.S. have experienced sexual assault, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• Almost half of all women and men in the U.S. have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8%, respectively).