November 19, 2024 • 25 mins
The YWCA of Greater Memphis is gearing up for their annual fundraiser says Marquieta Williams and Gwendolyn Turner on The Bev Johnson Show on WDIA Radio.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
That's just a show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Bell jumping time with this talking and home away.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Holp you go, you go.
Speaker 4 (00:11):
Don't getting ready.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
In time? Man, Just say show bell show, Let's go.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Bell just then we'll make your oday right here, wrong, d.
Speaker 5 (00:29):
Listen to what to say.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You know it's Tampa.
Speaker 6 (00:32):
The bell.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Just show tap of the bell, just show. Let's go.
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Good afternoon, and welcome back to WDIA the BEV Johnson Show.
It is a Tuesday, November nineteenth, twenty twenty four. Enjoyed
this fabulous day. Today we are here with our very
special guest in the house here from the y a
(01:34):
WCA of Greater Memphis.
Speaker 7 (01:36):
Marcita Williams is.
Speaker 6 (01:38):
Here and Gwendolen Turner and as always they are getting
ready for something special and also to raise awareness about
domestic violence. But before we talk about their special thing,
let me get our guests in today.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
How you doing, ladies?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Us?
Speaker 5 (01:59):
All right? Glad to be here.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Good I have y'all here.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
First of all, before we talk about something very special
is coming up, the executive director, Miss Mark Creda Williams,
tell us a little bit about the hy WCA and
your part in that organization.
Speaker 8 (02:23):
The YWCA. First of all, We've been around since nineteen nineteen,
and we are here to empower women and girls and
to also eliminate or try to eliminate racism and just
social injustices. But our major program is our domestic Violence Shelter,
which is seventy eight beds and is the largest in
(02:45):
the state of Tennessee. And we're all inclusive, so we
accept women, men, men, women with children including boys over
the age of twelve years old, which is which makes
us different and special than most of your shelters within
our city. And my role as executive director is just
(03:05):
to you know, bring awareness and of course raise funds
and just make sure that we move in excellence in
everything that we do at the YWCA.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
Yeah, so that's interesting that you are including men. So
you've been doing that.
Speaker 8 (03:21):
Yes, since twenty nineteen, we have included men, even though
we have you know, more men within the last two
or three years, well we may have maybe four or
five per year, but previously we didn't see any because
you know, mostly when we think of men, you know
me and I won't don't want anyone to know that
I have been in an intimate partner the mystic violence situation,
(03:43):
and because of their ego and their pride. But we
are having more who are coming forth and saying I
need your help, I need your wrap around services. I
need a safe place where I rebuild my life.
Speaker 6 (03:56):
Yeah, and so it's really interesting and I'm glad because
you you Also when I think about Miss Williams, we
all always hear, you know, women who are coming or
seeking shelter because of domestic violence, but I never really
hear about the men doing that.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
And so you're telling me this day that men come
to your shelter. Yes, we have one right now.
Speaker 9 (04:21):
It's going on too.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
We have too, we have two out there children there.
Speaker 6 (04:25):
Yes, oh really okay, yeah, wow, wow wow before Miss
Gwinne Turner.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
How you doing today?
Speaker 5 (04:34):
I am so awesome.
Speaker 7 (04:35):
You look at awesome, sister.
Speaker 9 (04:37):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (04:38):
So what part do you?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
I mean, you're playing a part in the why WC.
Speaker 7 (04:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So it's my job and my privilege, my honor to
run the day to day operations of the shelter. So
I am there almost seven days a week. Sometimes we
are a twenty four hour operation. So it's my job
to over see the case management, to oversee the staff,
and to make sure that I try to walk in
(05:05):
there every day letting them know that I'm a survivor
of domestic balance. I spent over twenty years in a
horrific relationship.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
And so when they can look at somebody and say,
if she can rise above that demon of domestic dollars,
so can I. So I'm that base of hope, even
though it's more than.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
Just the place.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
But I take care of the day today duties. We
have full wrap around services. We try to meet you
wherever you are when you walk in that building. If
you need a high school diploma, I got you. If
you need secondary education, I got you. If you're looking
for a job or job training, I have you. My
goal is that they not only survive domestic violence, but
(05:51):
thrive when they leave our facility.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Wow, So I want to go back because yourvie, Yes,
how did you get out of your situation?
Speaker 5 (06:04):
So it was the grace of God.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
And I tell everybody everyone's situation is a different situation,
and how I came out may not be how other
people come out. So many people don't have a support system.
I had a support system, even though I didn't listen
to them originally.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
So it took that and.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
My abusal was a pastor of a church, so wasn't
my church, So let.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
Me throw that in.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Not the church.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Yeah that's important, that's important.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
So but he was a pastor, and you know, I'm
a gospel singer of course, and so people would look
and say, who's gonna believe the little gospel singer.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Over the big pastor. But the day the light.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Bulbs went off was the day that he slapped me
in the church. My pastor at that time had preached
a sermon that said, get me out of this and
get this out of me. I prayed that prayer for
three years because what people don't realize is I can
tell you bell get out, yeah, you know, but you
may not have anywhere to go. And I oftentimes say
(07:17):
when the heart and the head, my head told me
for years I needed to get out, but hard I
love him, okay, and he's gonna change and you know, yeah,
and you were gonna change him, Yeah, oh absolutely I was.
I was gonna pray it away, I was gonna turn
around three times, I was gonna do all those things.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
None of those things worked.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
So I finally had to get the wherewithal to know,
because had I not gotten out, things would have ended
so much differently. I probably wouldn't be here, you know,
because I was gonna kill him. I just split it
out there.
Speaker 7 (07:52):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (07:52):
So, and we've heard of cases where women have killed
or they've done that, you know what, Miss Turner, And
I tell our listeners, Miss Williams, I watched too much
failure traction and for my man, I understand.
Speaker 7 (08:13):
And their real story.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
And I look at that all the time, and I
guess I look at it just trying to to to
try to understand what's happening.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Absolutely absolutely, and it's just a different world. And I
tell people, and I try to encourage and talk to
the residents there, letting them know that unless people have
walked in those.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
Shoes, they don't understand, they have.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
No clue of the type of fear that comes along
with being a victim of the mystic olence because it's
a different thing. It's different, and that mental control is
a powerful weapon.
Speaker 6 (08:53):
So, so did you, miss Turner, did you seek refuge
with the why or you went somewhere?
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Now, this is a great story, okay, a great question.
While I was being abused actively in an abusive relationship,
I was working for the y w C, A and
nobody knew that I was being abused because I was
the best actress and the best makeup artists and all
(09:21):
of that, so nobody knew. So I well had the
tools to do what I needed to do to stay out.
And then I have to shout out Diane and William
Young who saved my life. I know you know, I know,
you know, yes, Sam, And so they brought me in
(09:43):
to work for them, and and as their all they
had just opened the counseling center, so I was getting
counseling regarding my situation. And and Bishop, before he died,
got hesed toid, Gwen, you're gonna tell this story now?
You said, no, I'm a tell you, and I'm not
gonna tell. But you know the rest is history. So
(10:05):
I had the tools working with the Youngs, and I
tell everybody counseling what saved my life because I had
turned into a bitter person and I was going to
end up being an abuser.
Speaker 7 (10:19):
Wow, do you have children as turn up?
Speaker 5 (10:22):
No?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
But I helped him raise his three Okay, yes, and
they still.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
Call me Mama gee.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
And when I finally left him, they were adults at
the time, and they had moved to Chicago, and they
came back and threw me the biggest party I have
ever had because they thought he was gonna kill me.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
It was like we thought you were never gonna get out,
you know. But he didn't kill me. He's deceased now,
and thank God I didn't kill him, because I told
you I was gonna kill him and tell you God
that I was gonna do that, you know, but I
didn't have to do that, and he would oftentimes after
(11:02):
I left, Peop would oftentimes say, you know, people gonna
think it's to me, and I'm like, everybody knows it's you.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
But one of my.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Last words to him was that you tried to kill me,
but you gave me a career.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
God left me here for a reason.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
Yeah. Wow, what a story, miss Williams.
Speaker 6 (11:20):
And I'm sure at the center all kinds of stories
like that.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yes, it is.
Speaker 8 (11:26):
All kinds of stories. And I try to go over
there as often as possible, because you know, Gwyn is
a survivor and myself also being a survivor, so they
can see. You know, where you are now doesn't mean
that's where you're going to be destined to be. If
you just have the willpower to pick yourself up to
empower You know, a lot of times we wait on
everybody else to empower us. But sometimes we have to
(11:49):
get our own mirrors and begin to speak life into
our own selves. And that's what I had to do
doing my situation because I was silent. No one knew
what was going on. I never said anything until it
was over.
Speaker 7 (12:03):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
So you decided said I've had enough. I'm sick and tired.
Speaker 8 (12:08):
And I was also preparing to kill to my husband.
I even had a weapon. He woke up with a
weapon upside his head.
Speaker 9 (12:15):
Oh.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
Wow, had so much that I couldn't take it anymore.
But I'm just grateful for praying. Grandmother she had she knew,
but she didn't know. I think you know. She used
to tell me, I know something is going on, but
I'm praying for you. I'm praying for you.
Speaker 7 (12:29):
Wow.
Speaker 8 (12:30):
And I think that is what saved me, because I
would probably still be incarcerated today because I never called
the police. I did call the White WCA, but I
wasn't ready.
Speaker 7 (12:39):
You wasn't ready to go.
Speaker 8 (12:40):
I wasn't ready.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
Wow. Wow, what a testimony. We are talking this afternoon.
The ladies from the y w c A and their
center there that helps with domestic violence. But also we're
going to talk about when we come back, ladies have
something that you can participate in if you have a
(13:05):
question or two for the ladies in the house, Miss
Marqueida Williams, who is the executive director, Miss Gwinderland Turner
who is.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Over the center there.
Speaker 6 (13:15):
Five three, five nine, The three four two is our
number one. Eight hundred and five zero three nine, three
four two eight three three five three five nine three
four two will get you in to us. You're listening
to Double You Dia, the bevj S Show.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
You're listening to the Heart and Soul of Memphis, The
Beth Johnson Show, exclusively on WDA. You're listening to the
(14:33):
Bev Johnson Show.
Speaker 7 (14:35):
Here's Bev Johnson.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
And we're talking about the ywc A. But hold on, y'all,
before we continue with our guest, let me tell you
about my sister friend.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
You know her.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
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the All State Insurance agent and Michelle can help you
if you're buying a new home, a car, a motorcycle,
or a boat. Do you need need some life insurance
or even pet insurance. You heard me pet insurance. Well,
Michelle has the insurance for you. She's the all State
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business owners, she has insurance options for general liability, employee
health plans, bonds, workers comp and more.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Call Michelle. Here's her number.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
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nine zero one nine three zero zero three to nine.
She can also help you with renters insurance. Y'all written
out there. She can get you renners insurance as low
as twenty dollars a month and protect your business business
(15:45):
owners as low as twenty dollars a month. So if
you need some insurance, call my sister friend, Michelle Hayes Thomas.
Speaker 7 (15:55):
She's the exclusive all State.
Speaker 6 (16:00):
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call Michelle nine zero one nine three zero zero three
two nine. Michelle Hayes Thomas, your exclusive all State agent.
(16:26):
All right, ladies, before we talk about what is happening,
I'm excited about that. I'm gonna go to our phone
lines to talk with you wda hi caller.
Speaker 9 (16:37):
Good afternoon, my most beautiful African Violey. How are you
doing today?
Speaker 4 (16:41):
I'm doing well, David, how are you?
Speaker 9 (16:44):
I'm doing well. I missed you and I didn't call anybody.
Why you was gone?
Speaker 4 (16:48):
All right, Well, I appreciate you, brother.
Speaker 9 (16:53):
But anyway, I'm lying there, you know, I'm ling.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Yeah, anyway, Yeah.
Speaker 9 (16:58):
Good afternoon, lady noon. I have a question, a curiosity
question for those of you who are in those relationships
that I have another question about donation. Well, these men
also did they have extra Maryland affairs as well in
(17:18):
their relationship?
Speaker 1 (17:21):
In my relationship, no, I actually prayed that he would
have it maybe, but no, that was not the issue.
It was just the power and control in my relationship
and in my relationship he did have extra marital affair,
(17:42):
but the power and control was so strong at the
time that whenever something would occur.
Speaker 8 (17:48):
Of course, we would just go through that cycle with
the honeymoon phase. He'll buy me gifts to all those things.
And of course, kind of like what miss Winn said earlier,
my head was telling me you need to get out,
but the heart was so forgiving, although it.
Speaker 7 (18:00):
Didn't want to be.
Speaker 9 (18:03):
Yeah, the reason why I asked that question. I had
a very close friend who's now deceased, and he was
kind of confessing his sins in that regard way before
he had cancer, about what he did wrong. And he
would tell me the story of how when he would
come in at night after he had been with you know,
the extra America, that the old lady, he would come
(18:23):
into the door and start beating it. The woman he
was living with even married a women with living with.
And the only thing that stopped him really was the
fact that he was sitting in a chair once and
she got a gun and she shot at him, and
he moved just enough not to get killed, but he
was injured. And when the police got there, he refused
(18:46):
to press charges as well. So I was just curious
with that. So his whole thing was, I'm going to
jump on you before you complain about the fact that
I'm having an extra marital affair.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
I think the whole thing was sick.
Speaker 9 (18:59):
But like I said, and I told him so. But
before he passed away, he talked about the things that
he did wrong. Now another question, I had something that
I wanted to donate to one of those centers, and
I'm sixty four. My memory just saying as was it
used to be bare. I can't remember what it was,
but I wanted to know how easy it wasn't money.
(19:21):
It was like a computer or something that was, you know,
that I thought would be useful to the center for
the ladies or the gentlemen who needed to look for
a job or or email and that kind of thing.
How difficult is it because I know you have to
have a certain amount of secresit. I don't want to
meet the folks. I just want to, like if I
had something to donate in money, you know, But at
(19:44):
times I have items that are good, but I want
to just get rid of them and I bought something new.
Is that an easy thing to do in these type
of centers?
Speaker 8 (19:54):
Yes, sir, you could. Actually we do most of the
donations at our headquarters at seven sixty six South South Highland,
where the shelter is not even located at that particular address.
So it is the shelter is in a confidential location,
but you can bring it a call our administrative of
office and we can assist you with it.
Speaker 9 (20:18):
If you leave that number later I have to hang
up if you got it.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Yes, sir, Yes, we'll have the number and I we'll I'll.
Speaker 7 (20:24):
Have it for you.
Speaker 9 (20:26):
Okay, thank you, thank you, bab and thank you ladies,
and sorry you had to go through. You had to
go through to get over to this side, you know,
for real. So but keep the faith. Y'all have a
great dat and David.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
Their survivors they're here, yes.
Speaker 9 (20:40):
Still still ma'am.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Yes, absolutely, thank you, David, Thank you, bye bye. One
of the things with the y w C A ladies,
and also miss will use it because you have to
raise funds and you all are.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Coming up with something very special. I like this. It's
coming up Saturday. Tell me about it.
Speaker 8 (21:03):
Well, I'm gonna let because Miss Gwenn was actually the
visionary and we had our first one on last year.
But I just will say, we're having our second annual
sneaker Ball and at this time we had fun last year.
It was actually at Stax and it was a pod
house and we partied and we danced and we just
(21:24):
had a wonderful time.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
And I'm gonna be quiet.
Speaker 8 (21:26):
I'm gonna let the visionary of the sneaker Ball actually
talk about it.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
So it's going to be so good, Bib, and we
have some of your favorite people on the show. So
those of you that know me know that I'm a singer.
I'm a gospel singer. So music is my life as
well as the work that I do. So when I
came back to work for the Why Miss Mark, we
(21:53):
told me, Okay, you're.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Gonna have to put on a musical.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
You're gonna have to do this something with the music community.
And I didn't want to do a regular church service
because everybody does not go to church, everybody does not
go to the club. But I knew that everybody loved
some genre of music, So I don't care what kind
of music you've got, there will be representation there. And
(22:19):
keep in mind all of these artists that are participating
on this. First of all, there's some a Memphis Premier singers,
and all of them are buying into the domestic violence
awareness packet, which was I didn't just go out and
find people.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
These are people who have actually.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Experienced some domestic violence or they've seen domestic violence. And
all of them are my friends, so they knew my
journey about it, so they bought into it. It's going
to be a great time as party with a purpose.
Some of our survivors will be there and we're going
to have fun and raise a whole lot of money
(23:00):
so that we can keep doing the work that we're doing.
And not only that we can keep doing it, but
we can do it even in a more excellent way.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Yes, So now where are you having it?
Speaker 5 (23:11):
Avon Akers?
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Okay, before you're gonna love it. It's nice, you're gonna
love it. Stax Museum. We had a ball the served
us well and what better place to have an inaugural
UH event than Stax the Memphis Music Place. But it
was a little too small this year, okay, so we
(23:35):
moved it to Avon Akers and they have been more
than accommodating for us.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
It is a beautiful facility. So that's where we're going
this year. Now you want to talk about the gas, yes, ma'am. Okay.
So if you like gospel, and if you like gospel.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
And you live in Memphis, Tennessee, you know Deborah Manning Thomas, yes.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
Ma'am, I got to know it. If you like hip hop,
we got Damian Griffin.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
He was there last year along with Debra man and
my sister. And then if you like jazz, contemporary jazz,
the jazz lady herself, Lady Anitra Taylor is what I.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
Call O Taylor.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
And then we have that golden voice of Karen Brown.
Kavy Brown is coming and not only she's singing, she
got a powerful, powerful testimony. Then we got the bird
Will Yams. Oh yeah, yes, I love him and his
whole family, but he's coming out. And then our headliner,
(24:42):
Yo girl, okay, Melby.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
A chick rock. Got that rock.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
That's my sister.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
Yes, I know, I know, and we're gonna have a time.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
We just really are and who knows, I might sing
a little background.
Speaker 7 (25:00):
Start here, your sister.
Speaker 8 (25:03):
Yeah, outside of just the band dancing.
Speaker 6 (25:07):
So you'll be able to dance. Yes, okay, Now it's
gonna be a b and acres right what.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Time seven o'clock, seven o'clock doors will open it six
point thirty. Put on your best dress and your sneaker
and
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Your sneaker be comfortable
That's just a show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Bell jumping time with this talking and home away.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Holp you go, you go.
Speaker 4 (00:11):
Don't getting ready.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
In time? Man, Just say show bell show, Let's go.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Bell just then we'll make your oday right here, wrong, d.
Speaker 5 (00:29):
Listen to what to say.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You know it's Tampa.
Speaker 6 (00:32):
The bell.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Just show tap of the bell, just show. Let's go.
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Good afternoon, and welcome back to WDIA the BEV Johnson Show.
It is a Tuesday, November nineteenth, twenty twenty four. Enjoyed
this fabulous day. Today we are here with our very
special guest in the house here from the y a
(01:34):
WCA of Greater Memphis.
Speaker 7 (01:36):
Marcita Williams is.
Speaker 6 (01:38):
Here and Gwendolen Turner and as always they are getting
ready for something special and also to raise awareness about
domestic violence. But before we talk about their special thing,
let me get our guests in today.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
How you doing, ladies?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Us?
Speaker 5 (01:59):
All right? Glad to be here.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Good I have y'all here.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
First of all, before we talk about something very special
is coming up, the executive director, Miss Mark Creda Williams,
tell us a little bit about the hy WCA and
your part in that organization.
Speaker 8 (02:23):
The YWCA. First of all, We've been around since nineteen nineteen,
and we are here to empower women and girls and
to also eliminate or try to eliminate racism and just
social injustices. But our major program is our domestic Violence Shelter,
which is seventy eight beds and is the largest in
(02:45):
the state of Tennessee. And we're all inclusive, so we
accept women, men, men, women with children including boys over
the age of twelve years old, which is which makes
us different and special than most of your shelters within
our city. And my role as executive director is just
(03:05):
to you know, bring awareness and of course raise funds
and just make sure that we move in excellence in
everything that we do at the YWCA.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
Yeah, so that's interesting that you are including men. So
you've been doing that.
Speaker 8 (03:21):
Yes, since twenty nineteen, we have included men, even though
we have you know, more men within the last two
or three years, well we may have maybe four or
five per year, but previously we didn't see any because
you know, mostly when we think of men, you know
me and I won't don't want anyone to know that
I have been in an intimate partner the mystic violence situation,
(03:43):
and because of their ego and their pride. But we
are having more who are coming forth and saying I
need your help, I need your wrap around services. I
need a safe place where I rebuild my life.
Speaker 6 (03:56):
Yeah, and so it's really interesting and I'm glad because
you you Also when I think about Miss Williams, we
all always hear, you know, women who are coming or
seeking shelter because of domestic violence, but I never really
hear about the men doing that.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
And so you're telling me this day that men come
to your shelter. Yes, we have one right now.
Speaker 9 (04:21):
It's going on too.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
We have too, we have two out there children there.
Speaker 6 (04:25):
Yes, oh really okay, yeah, wow, wow wow before Miss
Gwinne Turner.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
How you doing today?
Speaker 5 (04:34):
I am so awesome.
Speaker 7 (04:35):
You look at awesome, sister.
Speaker 9 (04:37):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (04:38):
So what part do you?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
I mean, you're playing a part in the why WC.
Speaker 7 (04:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So it's my job and my privilege, my honor to
run the day to day operations of the shelter. So
I am there almost seven days a week. Sometimes we
are a twenty four hour operation. So it's my job
to over see the case management, to oversee the staff,
and to make sure that I try to walk in
(05:05):
there every day letting them know that I'm a survivor
of domestic balance. I spent over twenty years in a
horrific relationship.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
And so when they can look at somebody and say,
if she can rise above that demon of domestic dollars,
so can I. So I'm that base of hope, even
though it's more than.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
Just the place.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
But I take care of the day today duties. We
have full wrap around services. We try to meet you
wherever you are when you walk in that building. If
you need a high school diploma, I got you. If
you need secondary education, I got you. If you're looking
for a job or job training, I have you. My
goal is that they not only survive domestic violence, but
(05:51):
thrive when they leave our facility.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Wow, So I want to go back because yourvie, Yes,
how did you get out of your situation?
Speaker 5 (06:04):
So it was the grace of God.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
And I tell everybody everyone's situation is a different situation,
and how I came out may not be how other
people come out. So many people don't have a support system.
I had a support system, even though I didn't listen
to them originally.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
So it took that and.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
My abusal was a pastor of a church, so wasn't
my church, So let.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
Me throw that in.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Not the church.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Yeah that's important, that's important.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
So but he was a pastor, and you know, I'm
a gospel singer of course, and so people would look
and say, who's gonna believe the little gospel singer.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Over the big pastor. But the day the light.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Bulbs went off was the day that he slapped me
in the church. My pastor at that time had preached
a sermon that said, get me out of this and
get this out of me. I prayed that prayer for
three years because what people don't realize is I can
tell you bell get out, yeah, you know, but you
may not have anywhere to go. And I oftentimes say
(07:17):
when the heart and the head, my head told me
for years I needed to get out, but hard I
love him, okay, and he's gonna change and you know, yeah,
and you were gonna change him, Yeah, oh absolutely I was.
I was gonna pray it away, I was gonna turn
around three times, I was gonna do all those things.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
None of those things worked.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
So I finally had to get the wherewithal to know,
because had I not gotten out, things would have ended
so much differently. I probably wouldn't be here, you know,
because I was gonna kill him. I just split it
out there.
Speaker 7 (07:52):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (07:52):
So, and we've heard of cases where women have killed
or they've done that, you know what, Miss Turner, And
I tell our listeners, Miss Williams, I watched too much
failure traction and for my man, I understand.
Speaker 7 (08:13):
And their real story.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
And I look at that all the time, and I
guess I look at it just trying to to to
try to understand what's happening.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Absolutely absolutely, and it's just a different world. And I
tell people, and I try to encourage and talk to
the residents there, letting them know that unless people have
walked in those.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
Shoes, they don't understand, they have.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
No clue of the type of fear that comes along
with being a victim of the mystic olence because it's
a different thing. It's different, and that mental control is
a powerful weapon.
Speaker 6 (08:53):
So, so did you, miss Turner, did you seek refuge
with the why or you went somewhere?
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Now, this is a great story, okay, a great question.
While I was being abused actively in an abusive relationship,
I was working for the y w C, A and
nobody knew that I was being abused because I was
the best actress and the best makeup artists and all
(09:21):
of that, so nobody knew. So I well had the
tools to do what I needed to do to stay out.
And then I have to shout out Diane and William
Young who saved my life. I know you know, I know,
you know, yes, Sam, And so they brought me in
(09:43):
to work for them, and and as their all they
had just opened the counseling center, so I was getting
counseling regarding my situation. And and Bishop, before he died,
got hesed toid, Gwen, you're gonna tell this story now?
You said, no, I'm a tell you, and I'm not
gonna tell. But you know the rest is history. So
(10:05):
I had the tools working with the Youngs, and I
tell everybody counseling what saved my life because I had
turned into a bitter person and I was going to
end up being an abuser.
Speaker 7 (10:19):
Wow, do you have children as turn up?
Speaker 5 (10:22):
No?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
But I helped him raise his three Okay, yes, and
they still.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
Call me Mama gee.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
And when I finally left him, they were adults at
the time, and they had moved to Chicago, and they
came back and threw me the biggest party I have
ever had because they thought he was gonna kill me.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
It was like we thought you were never gonna get out,
you know. But he didn't kill me. He's deceased now,
and thank God I didn't kill him, because I told
you I was gonna kill him and tell you God
that I was gonna do that, you know, but I
didn't have to do that, and he would oftentimes after
(11:02):
I left, Peop would oftentimes say, you know, people gonna
think it's to me, and I'm like, everybody knows it's you.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
But one of my.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Last words to him was that you tried to kill me,
but you gave me a career.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
God left me here for a reason.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
Yeah. Wow, what a story, miss Williams.
Speaker 6 (11:20):
And I'm sure at the center all kinds of stories
like that.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yes, it is.
Speaker 8 (11:26):
All kinds of stories. And I try to go over
there as often as possible, because you know, Gwyn is
a survivor and myself also being a survivor, so they
can see. You know, where you are now doesn't mean
that's where you're going to be destined to be. If
you just have the willpower to pick yourself up to
empower You know, a lot of times we wait on
everybody else to empower us. But sometimes we have to
(11:49):
get our own mirrors and begin to speak life into
our own selves. And that's what I had to do
doing my situation because I was silent. No one knew
what was going on. I never said anything until it
was over.
Speaker 7 (12:03):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
So you decided said I've had enough. I'm sick and tired.
Speaker 8 (12:08):
And I was also preparing to kill to my husband.
I even had a weapon. He woke up with a
weapon upside his head.
Speaker 9 (12:15):
Oh.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
Wow, had so much that I couldn't take it anymore.
But I'm just grateful for praying. Grandmother she had she knew,
but she didn't know. I think you know. She used
to tell me, I know something is going on, but
I'm praying for you. I'm praying for you.
Speaker 7 (12:29):
Wow.
Speaker 8 (12:30):
And I think that is what saved me, because I
would probably still be incarcerated today because I never called
the police. I did call the White WCA, but I
wasn't ready.
Speaker 7 (12:39):
You wasn't ready to go.
Speaker 8 (12:40):
I wasn't ready.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
Wow. Wow, what a testimony. We are talking this afternoon.
The ladies from the y w c A and their
center there that helps with domestic violence. But also we're
going to talk about when we come back, ladies have
something that you can participate in if you have a
(13:05):
question or two for the ladies in the house, Miss
Marqueida Williams, who is the executive director, Miss Gwinderland Turner
who is.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Over the center there.
Speaker 6 (13:15):
Five three, five nine, The three four two is our
number one. Eight hundred and five zero three nine, three
four two eight three three five three five nine three
four two will get you in to us. You're listening
to Double You Dia, the bevj S Show.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
You're listening to the Heart and Soul of Memphis, The
Beth Johnson Show, exclusively on WDA. You're listening to the
(14:33):
Bev Johnson Show.
Speaker 7 (14:35):
Here's Bev Johnson.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
And we're talking about the ywc A. But hold on, y'all,
before we continue with our guest, let me tell you
about my sister friend.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
You know her.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
I've been telling you about Michelle Hayes Thomas. She is
the All State Insurance agent and Michelle can help you
if you're buying a new home, a car, a motorcycle,
or a boat. Do you need need some life insurance
or even pet insurance. You heard me pet insurance. Well,
Michelle has the insurance for you. She's the all State
(15:09):
insurance agent and she's ready to meet your needs now,
business owners, she has insurance options for general liability, employee
health plans, bonds, workers comp and more.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Call Michelle. Here's her number.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
Nine zero one nine three zero zero three two nine
nine zero one nine three zero zero three to nine.
She can also help you with renters insurance. Y'all written
out there. She can get you renners insurance as low
as twenty dollars a month and protect your business business
(15:45):
owners as low as twenty dollars a month. So if
you need some insurance, call my sister friend, Michelle Hayes Thomas.
Speaker 7 (15:55):
She's the exclusive all State.
Speaker 6 (16:00):
Agent and you can call her at nine zero one
nine three zero zero three two nine. That's nine zero
one nine three zero zero three two nine. Don't call me,
call Michelle nine zero one nine three zero zero three
two nine. Michelle Hayes Thomas, your exclusive all State agent.
(16:26):
All right, ladies, before we talk about what is happening,
I'm excited about that. I'm gonna go to our phone
lines to talk with you wda hi caller.
Speaker 9 (16:37):
Good afternoon, my most beautiful African Violey. How are you
doing today?
Speaker 4 (16:41):
I'm doing well, David, how are you?
Speaker 9 (16:44):
I'm doing well. I missed you and I didn't call anybody.
Why you was gone?
Speaker 4 (16:48):
All right, Well, I appreciate you, brother.
Speaker 9 (16:53):
But anyway, I'm lying there, you know, I'm ling.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Yeah, anyway, Yeah.
Speaker 9 (16:58):
Good afternoon, lady noon. I have a question, a curiosity
question for those of you who are in those relationships
that I have another question about donation. Well, these men
also did they have extra Maryland affairs as well in
(17:18):
their relationship?
Speaker 1 (17:21):
In my relationship, no, I actually prayed that he would
have it maybe, but no, that was not the issue.
It was just the power and control in my relationship
and in my relationship he did have extra marital affair,
(17:42):
but the power and control was so strong at the
time that whenever something would occur.
Speaker 8 (17:48):
Of course, we would just go through that cycle with
the honeymoon phase. He'll buy me gifts to all those things.
And of course, kind of like what miss Winn said earlier,
my head was telling me you need to get out,
but the heart was so forgiving, although it.
Speaker 7 (18:00):
Didn't want to be.
Speaker 9 (18:03):
Yeah, the reason why I asked that question. I had
a very close friend who's now deceased, and he was
kind of confessing his sins in that regard way before
he had cancer, about what he did wrong. And he
would tell me the story of how when he would
come in at night after he had been with you know,
the extra America, that the old lady, he would come
(18:23):
into the door and start beating it. The woman he
was living with even married a women with living with.
And the only thing that stopped him really was the
fact that he was sitting in a chair once and
she got a gun and she shot at him, and
he moved just enough not to get killed, but he
was injured. And when the police got there, he refused
(18:46):
to press charges as well. So I was just curious
with that. So his whole thing was, I'm going to
jump on you before you complain about the fact that
I'm having an extra marital affair.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
I think the whole thing was sick.
Speaker 9 (18:59):
But like I said, and I told him so. But
before he passed away, he talked about the things that
he did wrong. Now another question, I had something that
I wanted to donate to one of those centers, and
I'm sixty four. My memory just saying as was it
used to be bare. I can't remember what it was,
but I wanted to know how easy it wasn't money.
(19:21):
It was like a computer or something that was, you know,
that I thought would be useful to the center for
the ladies or the gentlemen who needed to look for
a job or or email and that kind of thing.
How difficult is it because I know you have to
have a certain amount of secresit. I don't want to
meet the folks. I just want to, like if I
had something to donate in money, you know, But at
(19:44):
times I have items that are good, but I want
to just get rid of them and I bought something new.
Is that an easy thing to do in these type
of centers?
Speaker 8 (19:54):
Yes, sir, you could. Actually we do most of the
donations at our headquarters at seven sixty six South South Highland,
where the shelter is not even located at that particular address.
So it is the shelter is in a confidential location,
but you can bring it a call our administrative of
office and we can assist you with it.
Speaker 9 (20:18):
If you leave that number later I have to hang
up if you got it.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Yes, sir, Yes, we'll have the number and I we'll I'll.
Speaker 7 (20:24):
Have it for you.
Speaker 9 (20:26):
Okay, thank you, thank you, bab and thank you ladies,
and sorry you had to go through. You had to
go through to get over to this side, you know,
for real. So but keep the faith. Y'all have a
great dat and David.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
Their survivors they're here, yes.
Speaker 9 (20:40):
Still still ma'am.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Yes, absolutely, thank you, David, Thank you, bye bye. One
of the things with the y w C A ladies,
and also miss will use it because you have to
raise funds and you all are.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Coming up with something very special. I like this. It's
coming up Saturday. Tell me about it.
Speaker 8 (21:03):
Well, I'm gonna let because Miss Gwenn was actually the
visionary and we had our first one on last year.
But I just will say, we're having our second annual
sneaker Ball and at this time we had fun last year.
It was actually at Stax and it was a pod
house and we partied and we danced and we just
(21:24):
had a wonderful time.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
And I'm gonna be quiet.
Speaker 8 (21:26):
I'm gonna let the visionary of the sneaker Ball actually
talk about it.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
So it's going to be so good, Bib, and we
have some of your favorite people on the show. So
those of you that know me know that I'm a singer.
I'm a gospel singer. So music is my life as
well as the work that I do. So when I
came back to work for the Why Miss Mark, we
(21:53):
told me, Okay, you're.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Gonna have to put on a musical.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
You're gonna have to do this something with the music community.
And I didn't want to do a regular church service
because everybody does not go to church, everybody does not
go to the club. But I knew that everybody loved
some genre of music, So I don't care what kind
of music you've got, there will be representation there. And
(22:19):
keep in mind all of these artists that are participating
on this. First of all, there's some a Memphis Premier singers,
and all of them are buying into the domestic violence
awareness packet, which was I didn't just go out and
find people.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
These are people who have actually.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Experienced some domestic violence or they've seen domestic violence. And
all of them are my friends, so they knew my
journey about it, so they bought into it. It's going
to be a great time as party with a purpose.
Some of our survivors will be there and we're going
to have fun and raise a whole lot of money
(23:00):
so that we can keep doing the work that we're doing.
And not only that we can keep doing it, but
we can do it even in a more excellent way.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Yes, So now where are you having it?
Speaker 5 (23:11):
Avon Akers?
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Okay, before you're gonna love it. It's nice, you're gonna
love it. Stax Museum. We had a ball the served
us well and what better place to have an inaugural
UH event than Stax the Memphis Music Place. But it
was a little too small this year, okay, so we
(23:35):
moved it to Avon Akers and they have been more
than accommodating for us.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
It is a beautiful facility. So that's where we're going
this year. Now you want to talk about the gas, yes, ma'am. Okay.
So if you like gospel, and if you like gospel.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
And you live in Memphis, Tennessee, you know Deborah Manning Thomas, yes.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
Ma'am, I got to know it. If you like hip hop,
we got Damian Griffin.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
He was there last year along with Debra man and
my sister. And then if you like jazz, contemporary jazz,
the jazz lady herself, Lady Anitra Taylor is what I.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
Call O Taylor.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
And then we have that golden voice of Karen Brown.
Kavy Brown is coming and not only she's singing, she
got a powerful, powerful testimony. Then we got the bird
Will Yams. Oh yeah, yes, I love him and his
whole family, but he's coming out. And then our headliner,
(24:42):
Yo girl, okay, Melby.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
A chick rock. Got that rock.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
That's my sister.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
Yes, I know, I know, and we're gonna have a time.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
We just really are and who knows, I might sing
a little background.
Speaker 7 (25:00):
Start here, your sister.
Speaker 8 (25:03):
Yeah, outside of just the band dancing.
Speaker 6 (25:07):
So you'll be able to dance. Yes, okay, Now it's
gonna be a b and acres right what.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Time seven o'clock, seven o'clock doors will open it six
point thirty. Put on your best dress and your sneaker
and
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Your sneaker be comfortable
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