Knights of Peter Claver hosting domestic violence webinar Saturday morning
The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary, the nation's largest and oldest Black Catholic organization, are hosting a webinar on Saturday, October 30th at 11am CT tackling domestic violence.
Entitled “Being a Beacon of Light and Hope”, the event comes during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and in an era wherein more than 40% of Black women report domestic violence during their lifetimes—higher than any ethnic group other than Native Americans.
The webinar is sponsored by the order’s National Social Justice Initiative and will feature scholars, practitioners, artists, and educators from the Kansas City area.
Dr. Karen Curls, Chairwoman Emerita of the Social Sciences department at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Mo., is a Black Catholic specializing in criminology and the Black family. She is the daughter of famed local activist Fred Curls.
Joining her will be Regina Singleton, LMSW, a retired counselor and international ambassador concerning domestic violence with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She is a 45-year veteran in the work of preventing family violence.
Melissa Ferrer Civil, who holds a Masters of Education from Park University, is a teacher, workshop leader, songwriter, and poet who has competed in the National Poetry Slam. Her debut chapbook “Birthing Pains” was released in 2020.
The final speaker, Betti Givens, is a graduate of Jefferson City’s historic HBCU, Lincoln University, and currently works as a Student Success Coordinator at United Inner City Services. She serves on the board of directors for HBCU Walking Billboard.
Interested parties can register for the event here.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger, a seminarian with the Josephites, and a ThM student with the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA).