Speakers at TIME Impact Dinner Emphasize Supporting Domestic Violence Survivors

TIME hosted an Impact Dinner in Chicago on Thursday, bringing together advocates and survivors to discuss the critical importance of supporting those affected by domestic violence. The event featured remarks from photojournalist and activist Donna Ferrato, author and speaker Tommi Vincent, her husband NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, and actor and humanitarian Ashley Judd.

Donna Ferrato, whose work documenting domestic violence has spanned decades, opened her remarks by honoring her mother, a survivor herself, and pledging allegiance to survivors of domestic abuse and sex trafficking. Ferrato highlighted Elisabeth Lindberg, a survivor whose story Ferrato documented in her well-known photograph "Behind Closed Doors." Ferrato described Lindberg as "unbeatable" and a testament to self-empowerment. She emphasized that Lindberg's decision to share her story, giving up her privacy for the benefit of other women, represents courage and validates the need for women to trust their inner voice. Ferrato noted that when she began her work over 40 years ago, victim blaming was prevalent, and she aimed to raise awareness through her photography, praising the women who entrusted her with their experiences. She concluded by stressing that breaking the silence and praising survivors remains as crucial as ever.

Tommi and Troy Vincent shared their personal connections to domestic violence, with Tommi Vincent identifying as a survivor working to normalize conversations around the issue. She stated her commitment to using her voice, experience, and resources to aid victims and survivors. Troy Vincent recounted witnessing his mother's abuse during his childhood, an experience that underscored the link between domestic violence and financial instability when his mother sought help due to the threat of eviction. He emphasized that those closest to the problem are often best equipped to find solutions. The Vincents are collaborating with organizations like the National Domestic Violence Hotline to create a "house for survivors"—a space where their voices are heard, their experiences shape solutions, and a new definition of love, one that does not intentionally hurt, is taught.

Ashley Judd spoke about the prevalence of sexual violence and abuse, linking it to a sense of "entitlement to female bodies." She argued that men who perpetrate violence, and those who remain silent in the face of abuse—whether they are other men, women, or family members—are complicit. Judd, identifying as a resilient survivor, questioned why strength is necessary in the first place, referencing the abuse women endure. She urged attendees to speak up against abuse, defining an "upstander" as someone who heals the community, themselves, and holds men accountable, rather than being a passive bystander.