Bowie State Honors Domestic Violence Victims & Survivors Through Education

Portrait Dedication of NeShante Davis ('15) Brings Awareness of Domestic Violence

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – The Bowie State University community has engaged in educational activities to honor those impacted by intimate partner violence during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, including the dedication of a portrait of NeShante Davis (’15) and her 2-year-old daughter, who were brutally killed by Davis’s ex-boyfriend.

Tuesday’s portrait dedication remembering Davis and her daughter, Chloe Davis-Green, was hosted by the College of Education, where Davis graduated with a degree in elementary education. She was in her first year as a second-grade teacher at Bradbury Heights Elementary School in Temple Hills, Maryland, where she had worked as a teacher’s aide for many years. Davis was strapping her daughter into her car seat in February 2016 when they were both gunned down. Daron Boswell-Johnson was sentenced to life without parole earlier this year after being convicted of first-degree murder.

The portrait of Davis and her daughter was presented to College of Education Dean Rhonda Jeter by Shelby Baggott (’17), who was inspired by Davis’s story to write and produce the play, “Black Crown,” to bring awareness about domestic violence. Baggott offered to bring the portrait to the College of Education, with the hope that Davis’s memory would live on at her alma mater. The portrait will eventually be displayed in the James E. Proctor Jr. Building, home of the College of Education.

During the dedication, Davis’s former classmates, as well as her professors, former principal and family, remembered her as someone with a warm personality who made a lasting impact on people. The brightly colored canvas painting by James Ballard depicts a smiling Davis holding Chloe on her lap, both wearing matching denim shirts and khaki slacks. Their expressions of joy hide the violence that cut their lives too short.
     
While honoring Davis’s life, the program also created an opportunity to educate those in attendance about domestic violence. Professor Akeda Pearson shared valuable information about the cycle of abuse, types of abuse and statistics of incidents of abuse in Maryland. In addition, representatives from the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Office and Prince George’s County Department of Family Services provided local resources for advocates and victims of domestic violence.

Earlier Tuesday, students, faculty and staff gathered at the torch on campus for a vigil remembering domestic violence victims and survivors, which offered another opportunity for healing and education. 

Nationally, advocates for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence host awareness activities to educate the community about the impact of domestic violence throughout Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Bowie State’s activities all month long provide a vehicle to educate the campus community and promote healthy relationships.

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