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ental health session themed Healing the Inner Girl held at Central Pointe Church of Christ,Aug. 10. – Photo by Tiffani M. Turner/The Dallas Examiner

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(The Dallas Examiner) – Due to the systemic oppression based on race and gender, Black girls are disproportionately at risk for sexual abuse. By 18 years old, 1 in 4 Black women have experienced childhood sexual abuse, according to Black

women, the forgotten survivors of sexual assault published by the American Phycological Association. Of those assaulted as children, 27.7% were abused by a family member, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Many of these women have carried the scars and bruises of their childhood trauma well into adulthood.

Aimed at “Healing the Inner Girl,” Central Pointe Church of Christ, located in Redbird, held its annual women’s conference on Aug. 9-11. The conference highlighted some of the disparaging statistics that affect the wellbeing of Black women. Mikki Taylor, an award-winning journalist, motivational speaker and the editor-at-large for Essence magazine, was the keynote speaker at the conference.

Friday evening showcased a “Night of Fashion.” Attendees were encouraged to dress in their most fashionable attire.  

On Saturday, the event had four breakout sessions that were held simultaneously. One of the sessions was “Feeding While Bleeding,” presented by church member Linda Murray. Her focus was to help participants along their healing journey by sharing her own experiences. One of the main goals for attendees was to identify some of the causes and effects of personal inner girl pain and suffering.

Murray then shared her story and the causes of her inner girl pain as a way to help the women understand what she relied on to be able to “feed others while bleeding.”

She opened her session with Isaiah 53:5, which states, “But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed.”

She then shared that she has relied heavily upon the word of God for her healing while helping others heal. She then explained some of the causes of her inner girl pain and how she struggled with the feeling of abandonment.

“When I found out I was adopted, I wondered who my mom was. Why did she give me up? Didn’t she love me? I felt rejected. I felt unloved,” Murray said. She also explained that she was sexually assaulted by one of her uncles as a child. This resulted in feelings of shame and a lack of self-worth as she entered her teenage years.

Murray admits she is still a work in progress. One residual effect of her inner girl pain that has followed her into adulthood is difficulty with feeling confident, she revealed.

“I still struggle with feeling loved, accepted and protected at times,” Murray added.

Afterward, Taylor, an advocate for inner and outer beauty for women of color, focused her keynote speech on self-awareness.

“Recognize that there’s a divine force at work in you. Your life story should demonstrate that you know who you are, and you aren’t playing,” Taylor began.

She expressed that she wanted her speech to feel like “kitchen table talk.”

“As I said last night, when grown women gathered around the kitchen table, you know some serious lessons of living were about to be dispensed,” she explained.

Taylor proceeded with words of wisdom that resonated with the plight of Black women in the audience and beyond. Many of women battle with surviving while trying to succeed at the same time. She encouraged those listening to remove the walls of limitations and self-doubt. They should trade-in what others say for what God says ­– to fully walk in power, and never be ashamed of one’s struggles.

“Sometimes, it just feels easier and safer to hide one’s pain rather than to show it. But closing the gap between where you are and where God is taking you must begin with the truth,” Taylor added.

People’s lives are directly influenced by what rests in their minds and how determined they are to execute their “divine narrative,” Taylor stated as she described God’s will for everyone’s life. There is power and peace found in believing in the promises of God.

“You weren’t created to conform. You were created to transform,” she said.

She pointed to Jeremiah 33:6 as encouragement to trust God beyond measure when the troubles of life occur – to count on the joy that cannot be seen.

“God will intervene. He will step into your hurt, your sorrows, your scars, your situation, and restore your wellbeing and make you whole. He’s gonna put the broken parts back together and shower a renewed sense of safety, stability and sustainability,” Taylor said, asking “What kind of God would He be if He only brought you through something and then dropped you off like Uber?”

Laughter echoed from the audience.

The conference concluded on Sunday with church services.

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