Brooke Axtell

Brooke Axtell is an anti-human trafficking and anti-domestic violence activist. She was featured in a segment at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, where she made a spoken word performance after a speech by US President Barack Obama on domestic violence and before a performance by singer Katy Perry dedicated to domestic violence victims.[1][2][3][4] The idea to have her participate in the segment with the US President and Perry came from Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich.[5]

Axtell was trafficked by her nanny when she was seven years old; she was brought to a basement in a strange house where she was raped by several men.[5][1] In an interview with Browbeat, Slate's culture blog, Axtell testified to having been in an abusive relationship later as an adult, the experience that helped spur her toward activism.[6]

Axtell is now the director of communications and engagement for a non-profit called Allies Against Slavery. She also founded a healing community called Survivor Healing and Empowerment (S.H.E.) for survivors of rape, abuse and sex trafficking, and serves on The Gender Equality Impact Panel for Katerva, a community that identifies and funds the world’s leading sustainability initiatives. She is likewise a member of the Speaker’s Bureau for Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network (R.A.I.N.N.), the largest anti-sexual assault organization in the U.S. Axtell also serves on the board of The Refuge, the first long-term therapeutic care program for survivors of child sex-trafficking in Austin, Texas.[5]

Axtell has been featured in magazines and online sources including Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, BostonGlobe.com, SFGate.com, Washingtontimes.com and Fox News Channel Online.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Kaplan, Sarah (February 9, 2015). "Brooke Axtell, survivor of human trafficking and domestic abuse, storms the Grammys". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  2. ↑ Garofalo, Alex (February 9, 2015). "Who Is Brooke Axtell? Watch Activist's Powerful Spoken Word Performance At The 2015 Grammys". International Business Times. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  3. ↑ Goodman, Jessica (February 9, 2015). "Brooke Axtell Joins Katy Perry's Grammys Performance To Stand Up Against Domestic Violence". Huff Post Entertainment. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  4. ↑ Dockterman, Eliana (February 8, 2015). "Meet Brooke Axtell, the Domestic Violence Survivor Who Performed With Katy Perry at the Grammys". Time. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Weigle, Lauren (February 8, 2015). "Brooke Axtell, Domestic Violence Activist: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Heavy, Inc. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  6. ↑ Bennett, Laura (February 8, 2015). "An Interview With the Domestic Abuse Survivor Who Is Performing with Katy Perry at the Grammys". Slate.com. The Slate Group. Retrieved February 11, 2015.

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