Empowerment in the Face of Pain: The Story of Christy Sims

While there is a lot of pain associated with our histories as Black Women, Black History Month is also an incredible opportunity to center Black joy and Black empowerment!

That's why today we want to share the story of Christy Sims with you. Christy's life was forever changed on April 28, 2013, when her ex-boyfriend attacked her with chemicals, causing third and fourth degree burns on her face, neck, chest and arms. No one would have blamed Christy for feeling anything but resilient after this horrific attack. But instead, Christy emerged from a two-month long medically induced coma resolved to survive, to return to her children, and to pursue the prosecution of her abuser. Due to her diligence, her abuser was finally brought to justice on July 17, 2015 after a two-year fight.

Christy's story has touched the lives of millions around the world and possibly prevented other cases of domestic violence. She uses her experiences to empower others through the Christy Sims Foundation where she helps prevent intimate partner violence by providing community-based education and awareness programs for young adults. She received the Fortitude Award on April 12, 2014, the Courage to Act Award on October 11, 2014, and, most recently, the Community Empowerment award and the Uplift Award for her work in advocating against domestic violence. In 2015, the Fulton County Commission honored her with the official Proclamation of April 25th as “Christy Sims Appreciation Day” in Fulton County, Georgia.

A native of Atlanta, Christy is a public speaker, a nationally-certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a survivor of and advocate against domestic violence. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Marketing from Georgia Southern University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University. Christy is also a member of the National Board of Certified Counselors, the American Counseling Association and Chi Sigma Iota National Counseling Honor Society.

You can learn more about Christy Sims and the Christy Sims Foundation here.