Last week, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence released its 2015 edition of the Remember My Name poster. The poster lists the names, ages, and states of 323 women, children, and men who lost their lives due to domestic violence from the previous year. The poster’s release is timed for release in October to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, giving organizations and individuals a way to honor and remember those who died because of domestic violence. While the 2015 poster was just released, the Remember My Name project is one that has been around for 22 years for NCADV.
Remember My Name Origins
NCADV, in conjunction with Ms. Magazine, started this project in 1994 to create a national registry of names to increase public awareness of domestic violence deaths. Since then, NCADV has continued to collect information on incidents of women and others who have been killed by an intimate partner and produces a poster each year for Domestic Violence Awareness Month listing the names of those submitted.
“The Remember My Name project is meaningful to family and loved ones of those lost and for me personally, as a survivor, I am moved beyond words each year when seeing the names,” says Ruth M. Glenn, NCADV’s Executive Director. "It reminds me and the NCADV team, we still have so much work to do. The poster is a beautiful memoriam but also a reminder that we are still losing people to domestic violence and it must stop.”
As the voice of victims and survivors, NCADV gives those who can no longer speak for themselves through Remember My Name. Remember My Name also offers the families, friends, and loved ones of domestic violence victims a unique opportunity -- a way to share their story with others in the hopes it will inspire change. Many who send in their submissions do so hoping their story will make a difference in someone else’s life.
In addition to the Remember My Name project, NCADV also spearheads a Memorial Monday on social media. Domestic violence victims from years other than the previous one are remembered and memorialized in Facebook posts that focus on their lives and the memories they left behind. “Sharing their stories, saying their names, and keeping their memory alive, all in hopes to save another from this heartache,” one submitter said. Another mentions, “It gives voice to those who have lost their lives to domestic violence. It is important to remember our loved ones; murder does not define who they were in life.”
Both Remember My Name and Memorial Mondays are examples of how NCADV fulfills its mission to serve as the voice of domestic violence victims. Work on the 2016 poster has already begun with staffers monitoring news stories and receiving submissions from family and community members. Copies of the 2015 poster are available online now along with an archive of past years. If you know someone who died because of domestic violence, you can share their name with NCADV for inclusion on the Remember My Name poster and/or Memorial Monday.
Submit a Name to Remember My Name
Submit a Name to Memorial Monday