Making a Difference

 A  leader, advocate, poet, and victim advocate. Originally from  Durham,  North Carolina, this fearless woman touches audiences around the country  with her biting poetry, soulful stories and heartfelt commitment to the  healing of women and community. Through the gift of spoken word poetry,  Daye shares her intimate story of surviving sexual abuse and domestic  violence.  As the founder of STANDUP- SPEAK OUT, Monica's personal  mission is to speak out and act out against sexual violence and domestic  abuse. STANDUP-SPEAKOUT (S.U.S.O), was founded in the Spring 2004,  developed as a community outreach program against domestic violence and  sexual assault.  Daye organized S.U.S.O's first series of community  events in April 2004 to promote awareness related to violence against  women. In addition, to community outreach, S.U.S.O launched its first  community-wide collection drive in April 2004--collecting personal  hygiene products for battered women’s shelters and rape crisis centers  in the state of North Carolina.  Since the launching of S.U.S.O the  programs and services have expanded from a small outreach program to a  locally recognized 501c3 non-profit organization.

Daye obtained  her Masters of Science in Multidisciplinary Human Service with  concentration in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. In addition, Daye  received her Contemporary Theory in Mental Health Counseling and Public  Health Certification,  and completed her Bachelors of Science in  Psychology from the University of Phoenix.  Daye envisions ways to  utilize the arts as a way to assist people in overcoming traumatic  experiences. Using her own life journey as model for a therapeutic  process, Daye has effectively used poetry, music, journaling, visual  arts, drama and dance as ways to unlock the mystery of pain that  hindered her own emotional instability. As a mental health and human  service provider currently works  with victims of abuse and batterers to  get at the root causes and to end the vicious cycle of domestic  violence. As both a victim of and an abuser, Daye seeks to show the  emotional scares caused by abuse, and how those abused grapple with  understanding and contending with the consequences of that abuse. Daye  believes there is a thin line between victim and abuser when trauma is  left untreated. Daye's  journey is a celebration of the power of  transformative change. She believes Art Therapy paved the way for the  emergence of a empowered woman. Daye stands up and speaks out to those  denied their own voice and passionately believes "healing begins through  ART".