Lipstick Wars poetry slam is expanding its work and programming with an event centered on Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which begins in October.
“A lot of the participants are poets of color, and specifically a lot of them are Black. I felt like this is something that I don't think we're talking about a lot, and I really wanted to address it,” Lipstick Wars founder Rheonna Nicole said.
As a person who has family members impacted by domestic violence, she said it was important for her to cultivate a space where people could share their experiences and get validation and support.
“I think that's always necessary, especially in this society that we're in now that tries to condemn people for speaking out their truths,” Rheonna Nicole said.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one in three women and one in four men have experienced some type of intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
A 2009 study published by the National Institutes of Health found police-reported rates of intimate partner violence were two to three times higher among Black and Hispanic women compared to white women.
The night will feature several performances, free food (on a first-come, first-serve basis), community resources and a performance from “The Color Purple” Broadway show by Redline Performing Arts.
This Lipstick Wars poetry slam is Oct. 28 at Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Pamela Brown Auditorium.
Giving women, particularly women of color, a place to share is part of Lipstick Wars' purpose. Rheonna Nicole started the event in 2015 after delving into the Louisville poetry scene.
“It was dominated by men,” she said. “I’ll never forget the first time I heard a poet saying, ‘Okay, I know what this poet is going to do. She's probably going to do an angry Black woman piece.’”
She said she found a dismissive attitude to women’s words and work to be a recurring theme among male poets she encountered. She created Lipstick Wars— a poetry space centered around women and girls— in response.
“It really is a space to where you can get on there, on that stage, and you can talk about your sexuality, you can talk about motherhood, you can talk about sexual abuse,” she said. “You can talk about whatever it is that you have endured or going through.”
She wants this event to be a call to action, whether that be getting folks to donate to organizations supporting those experiencing domestic violence or being inspired to create an event of their own.
“I want people to not just sit with the fact that I went to a cool event. I got some food, but no, like taking this back with you and figuring out, okay, how can I create a safe place for me and those around me? How can I help somebody else find their truth?” Rheonna Nicole said.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available online at thehotline.org, by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or by texting “START” to 88788.
