"This will be the first time I talk about this publicly. My dad, Michael, was nothing short of miraculous. He almost died in a car accident in his teens. Later, he changed careers from an electrician to a doctor. He did some amazing things in this world. But he also came from so much pain.
He had a history of family sexual assault as a child. He was too scared to say anything about it. His story could have been over at five years old; then it could have been over 18 years old. Dad fought through those things. As I look back now, it makes a lot more sense to me how he parented us, especially our brothers, to respect and honor someone's word, their space, and personal value.
Dad told the family about his history of abuse shortly before he passed away. It was like he had to get this weight off his shoulders. Daisy and I made a pact of sorts that we were going to carry that weight. We thought about his experience a lot as we began talking about creating a non-profit. It was like he kept his abuse a secret to keep others mentally safe from that pain. It was a big healing moment for my sister, knowing she wasn't the only one."
~ C. Coleman.
https://ignitenational.org/blog/the-co-founders-of-safebae-are-leaders-on-fire
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