Domestic violence survivor, documentary subject headlines 3rd Annual Law and Humanities Series

A domestic violence survivor who spent 17 years in prison after she killed her abusive boyfriend will speak at Clemson University as the guest of the Clemson Humanities Hub this March during its 3rd Annual “Lectures in Law and Humanities” series, sponsored by Loebsack & Brownlee, PLLC.

Kim Dadou Brown was paroled in 2008 and joined other survivors to advocate for the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act to New York lawmakers, which passed in 2019 after being introduced almost 10 years earlier. The law allows a judge to resentence a domestic violence survivor who suffered sexual, psychological or physical abuse that contributed to a conviction if specific criteria are met.

Dadou Brown is one of the main subjects of the 2021 documentary, “And So I Stayed.” She tried to leave her abusive boyfriend multiple times over their five-year relationship, which ended in Dadou Brown fatally shooting him as he tried to strangle her. Had the legislation been in effect then, The Appeal reported that Dadou Brown would have received a minimum sentence of probation and a maximum sentence of five years.

“Leaving is the hardest part,” Dadou Brown told The New York Times in 2021. “I thought that all men hit, and so I stayed with mine, so I knew which way the blows would come.”

The lecture will headline a series of three informative Humanities Hub events for members of the Clemson community interested in justice, equality and social activism. The series is sponsored by Loebsack & Brownlee, PLLC, whose managing partner, Chris Loebsack ’93, is a Clemson alumnus and chair of the Humanities Advancement Board.

Dadou Brown’s lecture will be held on March 7 at 5 p.m. at the Watt Innovation Center Auditorium and can be viewed here.

Advocacy panel and documentary screening set

The Humanities Hub will host a panel conversation titled “Supporting Survivors: A Public Conversation about Advocacy for Victims of Domestic and Interpersonal Violence” on March 5 at 2 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Honors College. The public forum is open to all. Department of Languages Professor Pauline De Tholozany will serve as moderator in a conversation featuring Safe Alliance Charlotte (N.C.) president and CEO Laura S. Lawrence, Project R.E.S.T. president and CEO Krystal Smith, Safe Harbor director of shelter advoacy Michelle Gilbert, Clemson University interpersonal violence response coordinator Bat’sé Smart and Dadou Brown.

As a precursor to her public address, the Humanities Hub and World Cinema program will host a screening of the award-winning documentary “And So I Stayed” in the McKissick Theater at 4 p.m. on March 6. The Times praised the documentary as a “heartfelt window into domestic abuse.” Directors Natalie Pattillo and Daniel Nelson highlight survivors of abuse fighting for their lives, spending years in jail and how the legal system botches domestic violence cases.

A conversation between Pattillo, also a domestic violence survivor, and Dadou will happen after the show.

“The Humanities Hub is honored to sponsor three days of programming devoted to such an important topic,” Humanities Hub director James Burns said. “Concern for human rights has been a core principle of the humanities since their inception. While Clemson strives to provide the safest possible environment for our students, staff and faculty, domestic and interpersonal violence are still a tragic reality for many members of our campus and Upstate communities.”

About the Clemson Humanities Hub

With the generous support of the Humanities Advancement Board, the Clemson Humanities Hub advances the community outreach, scholarly, and teaching activities of the Humanities. It aims to coordinate and publicize campus Humanities events, turning the scholarly research and teaching of those in the Humanities into public outreach activity. In doing so, it aspires to incubate scholarship, steward humanities pedagogy, and demonstrate the intellectual and social importance of the Humanities today. The “HumHub” offers historical perspective, cultural awareness, and considerations of value in the creation, application, and preservation of knowledge.