Conversations on Diversity - Domestic Violence: Why I Stayed with Beverly Gooden

Beverly Gooden is an American writer, public speaker, social activist, and creator of the viral domestic violence movement, Why I Stayed. On September 8, 2014, Beverly started the Twitter hashtag #WhyIStayed in response to the Ray Rice video released by TMZ. A survivor of domestic violence, Beverly tweeted several reasons why she remained in an abusive marriage. The hashtag created a global movement to end victim-blaming and provided survivors of domestic violence an avenue for telling their stories. Why I Stayed was listed as one of the top social change hashtags of 2014 by Forbes,and one of the top 10 hashtags that started a conversation by TIME Magazine. In March 2015, Why I Stayed was recognized as one of 8 hashtags that changed the world.