Community Corner

Survivors Discuss Their Domestic Violence Stories at Full Cup Fundraiser

Two highly accomplished women spoke at a Becky's Fund event held at Old Town Alexandria's Full Cup bra fitting boutique

A group of about 35 women and a few men packed into the last week to hear the stories of women who had suffered and survived domestic violence during a fundraiser for Becky’s Fund, a domestic violence nonprofit organization.

In an emotional panel discussion at the bra fitting salon on North Lee Street in Old Town, Chartese Burnett and Rania Jaziri spoke of their hardships and strengths enabling them to overcome abusive husbands.

Burnett, who suffered verbal and physical violence from her ex-husband, said: “We have to tell our story...and inspire people to go from being a victim to a survivor.”

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Burnett, the former vice president of communications for the Washington Nationals, said one time she asked the team doctor to look at a large bump on her head where her husband had hit her with a full water bottle. She explained the injury by saying she was playing with her daughter, and they had bumped heads.

She credits a Redbook magazine article titled “Invisible Violence” telling the story of about six other women in similar situations as a catalyst for helping her understand what was happening and muster the courage to break out of the cycle of abuse.

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“How could someone who adores me? How could he want to hurt me?” said Burnett, in explaining how confusing the situation was to her.

Born in Tunisia and raised in Germany, Jaziri grew up with an abusive father and said she “got away from one abusive person when I moved to the United States but ended up to another.”

Jaziri, the founder and director of Jordin’s Paradise, an exercise and dance studio in Washington, D.C., said she wanted to tell her story because “I didn’t have anybody [to talk to] and I want to be that person for somebody else.”

Panelists addressed why they think domestic violence is a “hush-hush issue” in the community.

Burnett, currently the director of nonprofit public relations for PR firm Maroon PR of Columbia, Md., said it might be embarrassment and protection of family and children but “we have to talk about it. There’s strength in numbers. We have to mobilize and make it a movement and have to get men to talk about it.”

A packet of tissues was passed around the room as several audience members wept as they asked panelists questions such as how did they cope with an ex-husband when dealing with child visitation rights. One woman said she is in the process of getting a divorce from a national league baseball player who abuses her. She wept as she described how hard it is to be with someone who is famous who has a cadre of people at his disposal to protect him while he abused her.

Becky Lee, founder of D.C.-based Becky’s Fund, also attended the event. In 2006, Lee competed on the television show “Survivor: Cook Islands.” The show's premise was a competition to test the survival skills of 20 people for 39 days on an uninhabited island. Lee said she  believed that the strength needed to successfully compete had strong parallels with what domestic violence victims need to survive. As second runner-up, she used the prize money to start Becky’s Fund.

Lee currently speaks on college campuses across the country to educate students on how to recognize the warning signs of dating violence, how to get help and how to help a friend.

The City of Alexandria also staffs a Domestic Violence Hotline, 703-746-4911.


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