Truth Magazine Issue 4 2019

Career
“He would explain to me that some people were born whores
and that I was one, and I was a slut, and nobody’d want me but
him, and the best thing I could do was just learn to be a good
whore,” Brown explained.
When we read stories like these, it may affect us emotionally
for a moment but, unless or until we’ve had similar
experiences we’ll never truly understand the depth of the
emotions of the victims. Cyntoia Brown found herself in a
place of hopelessness and despair. The systems that had
been setup to protect her victimized her instead and left her
with nowhere to turn and with limited options. She lost her
identity, self-worth, value, and significance and preferred to
become invisible. She didn’t want to be noticed and resorted
to hiding in plain sight. Not everyone will understand. Not
everyone can relate.
I can.
identity. I never really had one before so I thought now would
be a good time to get one.”
Her situation seemed very cut and dried but often times God
is hidden in the details. The true essence of resilience is finding
an opportunity in the direst of circumstances and using it
to rise above the situation. Not only did Cyntoia embark on
discovering and defining herself, but she also completed her
high school education and successfully pursued an associate’s
and a bachelor’s degree while in prison.
God’s plans for our lives are much different than man’s. He
chooses things that seem powerless to shame those who are
powerful. (1 Corinthians 1:27b).
God always has someone positioned as our destiny connector
who shows up when all hope seems lost. Just ask Joseph. After
being abused and sold into slavery by his jealous brothers,
When victims of abuse are further victimized
by those who should be protecting them it causes
devastating consequences in their lives.
My own struggles with the after effects of sexual molestation
and emotional abuse once led me to a similar place. It was a
dark period in my life which was reflected in the color and
style of clothes that I chose to wear back then. Like Cyntoia,
I felt that my beauty was a curse and resorted to covering
myself in extremely baggy, black clothes. Every day. When I
got the courage to tell my mother about the molestation she
called me a liar and vowed never to speak to me again. To her
credit, she apologized and asked for my forgiveness a few
months before she died in 2011.
When victims of abuse are further victimized by those who
should be protecting them it causes devastating consequences
in their lives. They lose their sense of identity, are often
haunted by the guilt and shame of being manipulated and
controlled, and some may even struggle with post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD).
In her own words, Brown confessed that she had no sense of
identity. She said, “I decided that while I’m in here I’d find an
Joseph later found himself incarcerated because of a vicious
lie from a conniving woman.
While imprisoned, he met two men, one of whom promised
to entreat Pharaoh on his behalf. When it seemed like he’d
been forgotten, the moment that suddenly altered his destiny
forever, arrived. The doors opened and he was brought to
Pharaoh who promoted him to his place of power, purpose
and prominence.
Dan Birman, a professor from the University of South
Carolina, is one of Cyntoia’s true advocates and a destiny
connector of sorts. His documentary, Me Facing Life:
Cyntoia’s Story, was pivotal in shedding light on her case. The
documentary, compounded with the attention of several
A-list celebrities, put pressure on Tennessee’s governor, Bill
Haslam to overturn the verdict against Cyntoia. It worked.
After careful deliberation, Tennessee changed its law to forbid
harsh sentences for victims of the sex trade. In addition, the
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