It is a Friday afternoon and I received a phone call. It was from William Peppers and he had a powerful message and story to tell, one that I did not expect, one that breaks all stigmas and stereotypes in the world of domestic violence.
It is a beautiful Friday afternoon, so we met in a park where he could share his story. As we sat and chatted, we gained an audience, a crowd of women sat and listened instead of setting up for a wedding shower.
He is a black man who won custody of his two girls after being a victim and a survivor of domestic violence. He also grieves the loss of one of those daughters, who was a victim of domestic violence, shot multiples times minutes after talking to her father on the phone.
This is a big story, one that is hard to tell in just one short podcast episode. It is one that takes many turns, many directions, and even takes tangents where I find myself wanting to keep William on point. But what I find in his story is his journey of grief, trying to reconcile the many years of abuse and seeking acceptance in this world where he finds himself an anomaly. His story is intertwined with numerous intersections, and I truly think he is still trying to justify to himself, he did nothing wrong.
Here is his whole story, the whole truth, the whole conversation. It is long, but what you will find is a man who just wants to feel normal again…whatever that means.
Check Out The Links Below:
- WYFF TV Town Hall: Project CommUNITY Domestic Violence Town Hall Part 1
- Long history of domestic violence leads to murder-suicide
- Families of murder-suicide victims hold double funeral to help heal
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