Three years ago, after her daughter was strangled while Promise lay beside her, L.Y. Marlow wrote a letter to Oprah asking her to help her save Promise. This heart-wrenching story would become the inspiration to a national grassroots movement entitled Saving Promise.
As a little girl, L.Y. Marlow was traumatized by stories of how her grandfather horrifically abused her grandmother and their eight children, beating them in the nude until they bled, and even forcing his three year old son to eat a dead rat. L.Y.’s mother was one of his daughters. When she turned 18, she married, and shortly after their nuptials, he continued the cycle of abuse that hospitalized her with a death prognosis. Years later, at just 16, L.Y. became the third generation, the first time her eye was blackened and her lip split. Her abuser even kicked her in her eight months pregnant belly, endangering her life and the life of their unborn child. Twenty-two years later, that child became the fourth generation.
Three-year old Promise, now the fifth generation, can be the first to break the cycle.
Last year, I listened to L.Y. Marlow’s heartbreaking story and I was moved because I was able to see myself in it. Before I had the opportunity to meet L.Y, I’d had my own personal experiences with domestic violence. I’d dialed 911 first, at 10 years old, when my father broke my mother’s leg, and later, at 19 years old, when my boyfriend, in a rage, repeatedly hit me with his car, and later pushed and dragged me on the ground. The Saving Promise story challenged me to do more.
Help me get Saving Promise on Oprah!
Click here to share why you want to see the Saving Promise story on Oprah. You can write your own words (2000 characters or less) or copy and paste the following pre-written Saving Promise story:
(COPY AND PASTE THE STORY BELOW)
Three years ago, after her daughter was strangled while Promise lay beside her, L.Y. Marlow wrote a letter to Oprah asking her to help her save Promise. This heart-wrenching story would become the inspiration to a national grassroots movement entitled Saving Promise.
As a little girl, L.Y. Marlow was traumatized by stories of how her grandfather horrifically abused her grandmother and their eight children, beating them in the nude until they bled, and even forcing his three year old son to eat a dead rat. L.Y.’s mother was one of his daughters. When she turned 18, she married, and shortly after their nuptials, he continued the cycle of abuse that hospitalized her with a death prognosis. Years later, at just 16, L.Y. became the third generation, the first time her eye was blackened and her lip split. Her abuser even kicked her in her eight months pregnant belly, endangering her life and the life of their unborn child. Twenty-two years later, that child became the fourth generation.
Three-year old Promise, now the fifth generation, can be the first to break the cycle.
Three years ago, L.Y. Marlow cried as she wrote, “Oprah, please help me save Promise”. Since then, L.Y. Marlow has transformed her words into action, by launching the first of its kind domestic violence awareness organization, one that represents more than just an issue, but a solution. Her unprecedented vision will do for domestic violence what the Susan G. Komen For the Cure has done for breast cancer awareness; including several ground-breaking initiatives, such as a national tour, entitled “A Conversation with America: We Gotta Talk About It”. The Saving Promise tour stops in Chicago on October 16th during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Oprah, in your final season, please bring the Saving Promise story to the world. With your help, we can save Promise and millions more.
Posted by Dominique 