Summary: Brooke Axtell's own story - and the heartbreaking and stunning way she tells it - helps give voice and hope to all other victims of abuse and human trafficking. Brooke's own story and voice rang out across the globe in her appearance on The Grammy's with Katy Perry in 2015 - where her gifts as a writer, poet and activist stunned the world: "After a year of passionate romance with a handsome, charismatic man, i was stunned when he began to abuse me. I believed he was lashing out because he was in pain, and needed help. I believed my compassion could restore him, and our relationship. My empathy was used against me. I was terrified of him, and ashamed I was in this position. What bound me to him was my desire to heal him. My compassion was incomplete - because it did not include me. When he threatened to kill me, I knew I had to escape. I revealed the truth to my mom, and she encouraged me to seek help at a local domestic violence center. This conversation saved my life. Authentic love does not devalue another human being. Authentic love does not silence, shame, or abuse. If you are in a relationship that does not honor and respect you, I want you to know that you are worthy of love. Please reach out for help. Your voice will save you. Let it extend into the night, let it part the darkness, let it set you free to know who you truly are - valuable, beautiful, loved." View Brooke's Grammy appearance address: http://www.sheisrising.org/mission Since then, Brooke founded SHE IS RISING, to provide a healing community for survivors of rape, abuse and sex trafficking. http://www.sheisrising.org Brooke herself was trafficked by her nanny when she was 7 years old. And this experience made her more vulnerable to experiencing domestic violence later in life, she explains— a major risk factor for entering abusive relationships is sexual abuse before the age of 18. "I founded SHE IS RISING because I believe in the unconditional worth of women and girls who face the trauma of violence and exploitation," Brooke says. "I believe in their dignity, resilience, creativity and vision for the future. SHE IS RISING empowers survivors to become leaders." Join Julie Ann and Brooke as they explore the ways we can all help inspire young women to reclaim their worth and express their power to create a more compassionate world.
