by Joyce Kyles | Aug 1, 2016 | Blog
I just wanted to take a quick moment to acknowledge my 2 year wedding anniversary to my amazing husband, Jason. People often ask me how I gained enough trust in someone to allow them into my heart after having dealt with abuse. I dedicated an entire chapter of my book, Restoring the Whole in My Soul to our story because I felt that others needed to see and know that love after abuse is possible, and the HOW it happened wasn’t a fairy tale knight in shining armor type of story. It’s about real people who established a friendship which set the foundation for love, trust and understanding on a holistic level.
I absolutely love my husband for helping me to grow, trust, love and pursue my dreams. He encourages me to go further, push harder, dig deeper and explore infinite possibilities. He helped me to develop a business brand, a nonprofit and a confidence to share my knowledge and experiences in a way that is both professional and personable. I have never felt more safe, secure and encouraged in a relationship. I not only speak and train about healthy relationships, micro enterprise, personal development and life after abuse. I live it daily. It’s evident in the way I carry myself. It’s evident in my conversations. It’s given my family, friends and colleagues an opportunity to see my growth. I am grateful for this phase of my journey and all of the wonderful adventures that my husband and I will share for years to come.
by Joyce Kyles | Jun 25, 2016 | Blog
I’m honored beyond words to have been selected as one of 12 women in our community as the Elizabeth Terry Reproductive Justice at the Intersections Award honoree. The beautiful program was hosted by SisterReach, Founder and Executive Director, Cherrise Scott. I absolutely love working in a field that helps to bring awareness and change regarding issues related to domestic violence and sexual assault. As a survivor, I can transparently reflect on times when I felt that my reproductive choices were compromised due to marriage. As I learn more about SisterReach and reproductive justice as a whole, I understand that it’s more than just about abortion. I strongly suggest that you take some time to learn more about the wonderful work of SisterReach and how you can get involved.
Here’s the link to the official announcement re: the award, honorees and more information about SisterReach: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/SisterReach-Honors-Black-Women-in-Memphis-in-Honor-of-RJ-Founders.html?soid=1124028770878&aid=B5OwzgXP1qU
by Joyce Kyles | May 20, 2016 | Blog
I am honored to share that I am one of 16 women who was selected to participate as a L.E.A.P. Cohort 3 Fellow.
About L.E.A.P. (information taken directly from the www.calcasa.org website).
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA), in partnership with Women of Color Network (WOCN, Inc) has established the Leadership Education and Advancement for Professionals (LEAP) Project. LEAP’s primary purpose is to enhance the professional skills of individuals of color seeking professional advancement in the anti-violence against women field.
The goals of the LEAP Project are to:
- Build upon and enhance the professional capacity of women of color (WOC) executive directors, directors and senior managers in anti-violence against women programs.
- Create a community of support and professional network for emerging WOC executives and management leaders, aimed at reducing isolation, maximizing skills development, information-sharing, and communication.
- Optimize the success and effectiveness of emerging WOC leaders by providing opportunities to impact spheres of influence and communities through “Pay it Forward” activities.
The LEAP Project is designed to provide an intensive interactive, distance learning and in-person, comprehensive training and practicum experience. As a cohort member, LEAP Fellows will develop and enhance leadership and management skills to enable to take upon and succeed in leadership/management roles in their organizations and in the anti-violence against women field.
I have attached the link with the newsletter associated with our specific announcement. http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1114973702222&ca=56fbc23f-8efd-40f4-9729-ccb4d21caab7
by Joyce Kyles | Apr 25, 2016 | Blog
April is Sexual Assault Awareness month. All month, I have been participating in different activities in honor of the month and to help spread awareness & education. Each year, I also strive to do something new and challenging as a way of establishing my personal and professional growth. Most people that know me tend to associate me with being a survivor of domestic violence. And, while that is what I started my journey speaking about and my primary focus, I am also a survivor of sexual assault. I participated in a 5k race against sexual assault, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve have.
The race was hosted by the Memphis and Shelby County Domestic and Sexual Violence Council. There were 111 individuals who signed up, with 87 people who actually ran. Of the racers, I was #44 overall (which is actually my current age) and my race tag was #45 which is what I will be on my birthday this year. I’m quite proud of myself for pushing through the pain and for not being discouraged with seeing so many others run past me. There’s some great significance in my last sentence. I pushed through the physical and emotional pain of a toxic relationship to get to this point of holistic peace in my life. I’ve learned to run my own race, recognizing that everyone’s journey and experiences are different. Therefore, the way that one responds to how they address it will be different.
The most important two points I want to make in this short blog is one, to challenge yourselves to do something new and two, operate within your comfort zone. I was not in the best physical shape to run this race, but I showed up, competed and finished. I did it in 42 minutes. I learned a lot about my mental and physical self. I established a foundation for myself and will continue to exercise my mind, body and spirit. I will continue to grow stronger and continue to endure. This is the overall attitude that I have as I continue my journey as a speaker, trainer, author, radio show host, wife, mother and survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault.
by Joyce Kyles | Apr 2, 2016 | Blog
April is recognized nationally as sexual assault awareness month, aka S.A.A.M. Throughout the month, I will be participating in a number of activities in support of the month, but it’s also quite personal for me. One of the worst experiences of my life was being sexually assaulted by someone that I loved. What I’ve come to learn over the years is that sexual assault/abuse within intimate relationships is common and often not reported, mainly because it is an intimate partner. Being in a relationship is not consent for abuse in any form. Rape is rape. Abuse is abuse. The relationship status isn’t a pass to mistreat another individual.
April 10th marks the anniversary of when I shared my experiences of domestic violence and sexual assault in a public setting. I’d talked about it to some degree with a person here and there, but I decided to go public with it at the Young Women of Excellence program for which I was a chairperson. At the time of my presentation, I wasn’t aware that April was a month of any particular meaning. I just felt that it was the perfect opportunity to share with the women in the audience about my experiences. My hope was that those mothers would hear what I had to say, think about what may be going on in their own lives or the lives of someone they knew, and have the courage to talk about it and of course, leave.
I never thought about what I’d do or how I’d feel after the event was over. But, the most amazing things have happened since I released my hurts, doubts and frustrations. I’m still telling my story. And, now, I have even more stories to share. I’ve been able to travel, teach and train. I’ve gotten remarried. I’m an author. I’ve watched my children become adults, and we have worked through many of our individual and collective hurts. We’re stronger. We’re better.
I’ve learned a lot from all of my experiences, and I’m dedicated to helping as many individuals, businesses and organizations as I possibly can to transition from awareness to action, become more educated, empowered and become holistically sound.
I just wanted to take a quick moment to acknowledge my 2 year wedding anniversary to my amazing husband, Jason. People often ask me how I gained enough trust in someone to allow them into my heart after having dealt with abuse. I dedicated an entire chapter of my book, Restoring the Whole in My Soul to our story because I felt that others needed to see and know that love after abuse is possible, and the HOW it happened wasn’t a fairy tale knight in shining armor type of story. It’s about real people who established a friendship which set the foundation for love, trust and understanding on a holistic level.
