The March to End the Silence
Preparing for the D.C. March - October 18, 1997
It’s 1994 in Minneapolis, and a group of artists and authors gathers in a cozy cafe. They can’t believe the recent news. In 1991, in their home state of Minnesota, 27 women died as a direct result of domestic violence. One woman takes a nearby napkin and sketches a woman’s figure: hauntingly reminiscent of a homicide chalk outline. That day, the Silent Witness Project was born, with the goal to end domestic violence-related murders by the year 2000.
A Movement Begins
The women continued to gather - this time around sheets of plywood, saws, and cans of red paint. As they worked, a sacred tribute took shape: 26 wooden women – one for each victim – with their names and stories written on plaques affixed to their chests. And one more with no name, standing as a poignant reminder of the unknown women whose deaths were never reported.
Jacquie, one of the women working on the project, slowly found herself waking to the reality that domestic violence wasn’t just an ‘out there’ issue. For Jacquie, domestic violence was personal. Her father and husband were US Marines. Her Father served in combat during World War II and her husband served in the Vietnam War. Both had horrific war experiences that left injuries of mental disorders that brought the war into her home in the form of emotional and physical abuse.
The Silent Witness Project soon hit the streets, and the Witnesses, as the group called the cutouts, headlined a march in Minnesota’s capital. As lawmakers and citizens stepped into the Capitol’s rotunda that day, they were greeted by the Witnesses, staggered around the room, taking up space and demanding that their silent cries be heard.
Heartbreakingly, the women behind the project faced backlash. For some, the image was too vivid, too grotesque. For others, the issue simply didn’t seem relevant.
Rather than feeling defeated or allowing the victim’s voices to be silenced again, the women rallied and planned their biggest move yet – a march in DC.
A National Stage
In a time before computers and online applications, march organizers had to send letters, meet with officials and politicians, leap through a thousand hoops, and sift through yards of red tape. One woman, Janet Hagberg, called every Attorney General in the country to rally state support.
During this time, Jacquie served as the chairwoman of the prayer committee, gathering and sending out prayer requests, and supporting the rest of the team. She did this for 3 years with no intention of attending the march; after all, she knew that her husband didn't want her to go. She was afraid to ask. But, as the day approached, Jacquie’s resolve grew, and she made plans to attend.
The night before heading to DC, Jacquie dreamed that her plane had crashed. In her dream, she found herself in utter, pitch-black darkness. Yet, there in the inky space, light slowly grew. “It was like a bright white angel light!” she recalled. Despite the dream, and not having flown in roughly 30 years, Jacquie boarded her plane and marched in DC.
On October 18, 1997, she carried the figure of the oldest represented woman in the Silent Witness D.C. march. Jacquie’s witness was an 86-year-old grandmother who, along with her best friend, was murdered by her granddaughter's boyfriend.
When asked about that day, nearly 30 years later, Jacquie’s eyes hold a vibrant light. She describes the crowd, over 3,000 people, that gathered from around the nation. Representatives from each state brought their own, red-painted witnesses. That day, 1,500 Silent Witnesses were carried, escorted by bagpipes playing Amazing Grace, and led by Sheila and Paul Wellstone, through the National Mall to the steps of the Capitol.
As she mused about what being in that march meant to her, Jacquie said, “With every step I took, I was walking out of my own situation.”
On the steps of the Capitol, speeches were given, music was shared, and stories of redemption ignited hope within the solemn hearts. For the first time, these victims’ stories were receiving the honor and recognition they deserved. The dangers women face daily were on display. Domestic violence was no longer hiding in the shadows; it was being discussed over loudspeakers from the very steps of the nation’s capital.
After the march, the band of organizers gathered for breakfast. One of Jacquie's best friends and fellow organizers, Janet, gave her a gift, a small angel pin. Janet had no knowledge of Jacquie’s dream, she just felt that she was supposed to give her that pin. As she held it in her hand and looked at it, Jacquie felt Jesus speaking to her, “Jacquie, you are coming out of the darkness of your situation.”
Stepping out of the Darkness
It was here that Jacquie and Jesus began a new journey. After enduring 30 years of silence about the abuse in her family of origin and her marriage, anger had become Jacquie’s longtime struggle and bitter friend.
One day, while speaking with her therapist, Jacquie shared more of her story and the shame she felt for dealing with anger as a ‘nice Christian woman’. Her therapist gently raised a question:
“Jacquie, when will you touch that pain?”
“I won’t. If I do, it will kill me,” was her quick reply.
“Jacquie, it won’t kill you,” her therapist gently encouraged.
That was the start of a new season for her as she began to explore her pain and anger with the Lord. In 1998, she began sharing the hard-won wisdom she had earned through anger management courses. In 2000, she wrote a book that became the foundation of her work. In 2004, at 50 years old, Jacquie got her Master’s degree in Counseling and Psychological Services.
Now, two decades later, Jacquie is still teaching her transformational anger-management tools. She’s worked 1-on-1 with clients, taught court-ordered classes to groups of men, and devoted hours to the residents of The Dwelling Place. Jacquie often shares about the importance of walking through grief and pain, confronting the hard things, and holding tight to Jesus.
Much Accomplished, Much Yet to Do
Today, some of the original Silent Witness cutouts rest in a storage unit in a Minneapolis suburb. The others continue their mission at the Women's Consortium in St. Paul, where they can be loaned out for special projects.
Over the years, they’ve made a variety of appearances - churches, public areas, the Mall of America. While their silent cries for justice remain vital, some of the progress for which those women marched can be seen today. Now, domestic violence is talked about. There are billboards, websites, and books. Celebrities speak out on the issue. Movies and TV shows share its realities. While it remains a massively underreported crime and many victims still face guilt and shame, the stigma is shrinking. Thanks to advocates like those who marched that day in DC, victims are realizing the abuse they suffer is not their fault and that the shame it brings is not theirs to carry. Chains are breaking, and freedom is being found.
When we asked Jacquie what message she hopes you walk away with today, she shared that:
“The Silent Witness Initiative demonstrates the necessity of collective action to end the silence about domestic violence. The original goal was about speaking out and taking action. We did that through creating prevention programs with tools to help people learn to regulate anger and manage the imbalance of power and control that leads to aggressive and violent behaviors in relationships.”
Jacquie went on to discuss the importance of the displays:
“These displays facilitate dialogue around abusive patterns that have long been considered ‘private family problems’, helping to break the fear, shame, and secrecy that have kept victims from reporting and leaving abuse.”
She shared a moving story of one woman’s interaction with a display:
“Silent Witness exhibits bring statistics to life. One woman told me of the emotional reaction she had standing face-to-face with a Witness: “The only way [the victim had] to speak was through a placard on her chest. She was willing me to become angry at the tragedy of her death and make something happen!”
Jacquie finished by sharing her view of how The Dwelling Place is stepping into the gaps:
“The programs at The Dwelling Place provide the education and personal tools for residents to end the cycle of generational abuse in their lives and thereby change a legacy of pain to a legacy of peace and safety in their hearts and homes."
While there is still so far to go in protecting women and ending domestic violence, it is on the shoulders of women like Jacquie that every new initiative stands.
Today, let's take a moment to recognize the work done and the progress made!