October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Unfortunately, it doesn't get a lot of play. There is no CNN "Abused in America" series. Churches don't talk about it. Neither do schools. And yet, 1 in 4 women will experience it in their lifetime, with the group most at risk being 20-24 years old- college aged women. So when thinking about someone to bring for our social justice chapel, I had to bring Kemba Smith this year.

This was a very high profile situation, and yet I still find many who don't know about her. Kemba started at Hampton University, got involved with a drug dealer, and ended up spending 6 1/2 years in jail for her role in drug trafficking. She turned herself in at 6 months pregnant, and had her son while incarcerated.

President Clinton pardoned her in 2000, and she has been actively speaking since then. Her message resonated with the women on campus because unfortunately, some of them are already in abusive relationships. Our task is finding out how to make them whole so they can listen to their inner voices and walk away.

For more on Kemba, go to her site: http://www.kembasmithfoundation.org/

The Prez