As we honor the life and legacy of the late Tina Turner, the most common highlights surround her music career and her transparency in sharing the most private and hurtful moments of her life early in her career. The cultural shifts that came from What’s Love Got to Do With It cannot be overstated.
“Eat the cake Anna Mae”. Many of us are familiar with this line stemming from a very public outburst depicted between the late Tina Turner and her late ex-husband, Ike Turner. The display that was depicted in What’s Love Got to Do With It shows a woman who was gaining the strength that she so long attempted to draw from to help her to leave her abusive ex-husband. And the limo scene and the events that occurred thereafter present a totally transformed woman with the help of a good friend.
Personally, I cringe with every scene that shows not only the actual depiction of the intimate partner violence, but also with the scenes reflecting the shameful acceptance and justifications that were depicted for the behaviors. I commend not only Ms. Turner’s strength, but also the strength of the talent that was involved in recreating these moments, most notably, that of Ms. Angela Bassett.
To endure these atrocities in reality and then have the strength to simply tell your story is nothing short of a showing of resilience. It is because of the honesty and strength of survivors like Ms. Turner that we have progressed in our collective strength as a society to speak up. Although there is still a lingering sub-culture of “that’s none of my business”, there is solace in the fact that more are willing to help those who may not be able to help themselves.
The sub-plot of the friend that provided undying support to Tina Turner can be seen played out in reality in the lives of people who endure experiences so challenging as to require some level of intervention. This was a woman who, as seen in the screenplay, was violated one time, and that was enough for her. This was a friend who was there for every strike to Ms. Turner until she became the punching bag. When your loved ones are so tired of seeing you endure pain that they must walk away, it is a pivotal moment calling upon your innermost strength to finally love yourself enough to pick up whatever pieces have fallen, and move in a positive direction. This goes beyond intimate partner violence.
When you have even just ONE person on your side, supporting you through your most difficult times, that someone can often times be overlooked. Have you considered your support system? Who is always there? That would be someone who, too, needs to be poured into, whether that is from you, or from someone else.
One of my first roles in being able to provide support for victims to become survivors one by one was with a family law attorney who founded a non-profit specifically to provide support and resources to victims of domestic abuse. She imparted upon me the idea of changing the world one person at a time very early on in my career, and that concept has been with me both personally and professionally.
Bearing in mind the cultural differences that we embark upon, particularly here in this melting pot of the United States, overcoming domestic abuse is often times challenging. Religious beliefs and cultural norms come with people who transition their lives to be US citizens. As such, it is often times important to address things like citizenship when assisting someone who may have had his or her life impacted by intimate partner violence. InStepp, for example, provides immigration support, which can address a survivor’s total circumstances in some situations.
Without the likes of survivors such as Tina Turner, there may not be as much support available to domestic violence victims. Thank you for breaking free.