“Letters I never sent to you” by Cierra Olivia Thomas Williams.
The series revolves around the artist’s exploration of her experiences with violence and her attempts to communicate those experiences to an important person in her life. The series consists of one piece in transition, creating several artworks, each depicting different emotions and themes related to the artist’s trauma.
The first piece, titled “Gaslighted,” is a pencil and charcoal close-up self-portrait of the artist’s eyes and nose. It represents the moment when she reached out to the person she expected to love and support her, only to be met with disbelief and accusations of fabricating stories.
The second piece, called “Unsent,” features a self-portrait of the artist’s crying face against a black background. The word “LISTEN” floats in the artwork, while ripped-up letters that were never sent to the person are collaged into the piece. The text fragments express the artist’s desperate attempt to convey the truth about her experience with sexual violence and her struggles with its aftermath.
The third piece, titled “Suffer,” shows the transformation of the artist’s face from pain to rage, eventually turning into a black bear. The artwork incorporates Miwok words, representing descriptive terms for various aspects of the environment. The bear symbolizes the artist’s intense emotions and the anger she feels at not being believed.
In the final transformation, depicted in “Bear Eating People,” the artist’s sad self-portrait is consumed by red, yellow, and black shadow fingers. The Miwok term for “bear eating people” replaces the word “listen,” symbolizing the artist’s transition into a vengeful bear that represents her rage and frustration at the lack of belief and support she encountered.
Gaslighted
Media: Pencil and charcoal close-up self-portrait of my eyes and nose. I called the person who should love me the deepest and told them what happened. They said I was making up stories.
Unsent
Media: Charcoal, pencil, and collaged words, images, unsent letters, and a recycled 2021 calendar
A self-portrait of my face crying. The word LISTEN floats on a black background with my crying face being pulled into the darkness by red and black fingers. The text is made up of words from ripped up letters I never sent her. The pieces of letters say, “This is no lie. It was sexual violence. Crisis. I can’t decide how it makes me as an adult person. Manic again, scary, unthinkable. Not neurotypical skills. And this is what I remember.” There is a winding stairway from my temple and my chin. At the end of the spiral stairs at the bottom of the piece are boats facing away from the pain.
Suffer
Media: Charcoal and pencil, photography.
The transformation of my face from pain to rage, from human to black bear. Miwok words are filled with descriptive terms for things found in the environment that you might encounter and interact with. For example, you may come across a hairy bear, or a lazy bear. Yosemite is the word for murderous bear.
Bear Eating People
Media: Charcoal and pencil, photography. In its final transformation, suffer. My face is overcome with red, yellow, and black shadow fingers-pulling on me. The Miwok word for “bear eating people,” or “Hutcumi,” appears where the word listen once appeared. My sad self-portrait is transforming into a murderous bear to express the rage I feel at not being believed.
About the artist
Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams is a fat and sassy thoyewa (disabled) Miwok cisgender assa (woman) with salt and pepper hair. She is smiling into the camera and is wearing a pink floral shirt in the picture. Cierra is a survivor of poly violence with CPTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and is on the bipolar spectrum.
Cierra is a Prevention Specialist at Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, where she co-founded Indiana Disability Justice.
Housing justice serves as a vital component of violence prevention, as it directly impacts the lives of individuals with disabilities and their ability to thrive. In the United States, the lack of accessible housing poses significant challenges, with less than 1% of housing being wheelchair accessible and only a fraction of that suitable for those with moderate mobility difficulties. These statistics highlight the pressing need to address the housing crisis and ensure equal access for all. In this blog post, we will explore the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, the financial burden they experience, and the importance of incorporating their voices and needs into housing solutions.
Barriers Faced by Individuals with Disabilities: Approximately 64% of households in the US rely on assistive devices, underscoring the widespread impact of disability on housing requirements. However, the availability of accessible housing remains dismally low, with fewer than 5% of residences deemed livable for individuals with moderate mobility difficulties. This lack of accessibility perpetuates exclusion and denies individuals with disabilities the fundamental right to housing.
Financial Burden on Renters with Disabilities: A staggering reality is revealed in the financial strain faced by individuals with disabilities. In 2018 alone, over 4 million renters with disabilities spent more than half of their monthly income on rent, mortgage, and utilities. This excessive cost burden not only limits their ability to meet other essential needs but also exacerbates the cycle of poverty and inequality. It is crucial to recognize that individuals with disabilities are more likely to be extremely low-income renters, further exacerbating their housing challenges.
Discrimination and Marginalization: Discrimination against individuals with disabilities persists, contributing to their housing insecurity. They face higher rates of discrimination, limiting their choices and opportunities. To address survivor homelessness and housing insecurity effectively, it is essential to prioritize the voices and specific needs of survivors who are most impacted, including Black immigrant, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities. Unfortunately, these needs often remain an afterthought in conversations surrounding actionable solutions.
Resources for Inclusion and Change: To delve deeper into the subject, we recommend accessing the following resources:
“Housing, Disability Justice, and Sexual Violence Prevention” by Natalie Sokol-Snyder: This 4-part blog series provides valuable insights into the foundations of disability justice, reasonable accommodation mandates, independent living supports, and prevention strategies. It offers a comprehensive perspective on the intersection between housing, disability justice, and violence prevention.
“The Importance of Home Healthcare” on the Hub: Engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Jody Michele Courtney, Danielle Pitmon, and Diane Pitmon, who shed light on the significance of home healthcare in supporting individuals with disabilities and promoting accessible housing.
Pursuing Housing Justice: Interventions for Impact: this This guide profiles a series of policy and programmatic interventions that advance housing justice, as defined in Building a Housing Justice Framework: “Ensuring everyone has affordable housing that promotes health, well-being, and upward mobility by confronting historical and ongoing harms and disparities caused by structural racism and other systems of oppression.”
The journey toward housing justice and violence prevention begins with recognizing the pressing need for accessible housing for individuals with disabilities. It is essential to break down the barriers that perpetuate inequality and discrimination, ensuring that housing solutions prioritize the needs of survivors most impacted. By embracing inclusivity, advocating for policy change, and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, we can forge a path forward toward a more just and accessible future for all.
By Cierra Olivia Thomas Williams Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Indiana Disability Justice
(Picture Description: Luna is standing in a yard with bushes in the background. She has a black form-fitting dress and is using a red walker. Her hair is brown with bright purple tips.)
One thing my journey healing from domestic violence taught me is to advocate for myself. While on this journey, thanks to my advocate Nicole, I was given the opportunity to advocate for others. This is a desire I had for a while, but I didn’t know where to start. This opportunity was the start of a new journey, the spark of a passion I never thought I’d be able to pursue.
My name is Luna Eversong-Kloss and I’m The Differently Abled Advocate.
2 years ago, I got a call from Nicole about a panel with Indiana disability Justice that she was going to present on. She asked me if I wanted to share my experience as a disabled person and a domestic violence survivor. I would also share my thoughts on how resources for disabled survivors could improve and better support victims. It was a panel on sexual wellness and violence prevention. I was so excited she invited me. I jumped at the chance. This is the kind of thing I wanted to speak about, but I didn’t know how to get people to listen to me and here was my opportunity.
The day of the panel came. I was nervous and hoping that I would be able to speak and be understood. It was over a zoom call and there were lots of people in there. I was so scared that I would not be able to speak, but it turns out I found my voice. I met some great people, and we had some great discussions. I did so well on the panel that I got invited to come back a few times. And I got paid to do it. I couldn’t believe it. My voice actually had value. I’m going to be honest, as an adult with a physical disability, it was hard for me to feel like I had much value specifically in the workplace. Whenever I would speak to people online about issues in the disabled community, it seemed like nobody listened. Being abused myself, whenever I used my voice and tried to ask for help for a long time, it seemed like no one cared.
Words cannot accurately express the pride that I felt after getting feedback from these panels, from other advocates and organizations who do this kind of thing all the time. Here I was never having done anything like this before, and I actually had the power to make a real impact.
I talked to my family and my therapist and my husband about these panels and they were all really proud of me. That’s when my brother pitched the idea of me becoming a public speaker. My mom agreed that I would be really good at it. I really liked that idea. My dad had been pitching the idea for a while that I should write letters to Congress about some of the issues that myself and other disabled people were facing. But that seemed a lot more daunting than being a public speaker. Maybe becoming a public speaker will one day allow me to be able to speak to lawmakers and actually be listened to, as opposed to writing letters as an anonymous face.
Well, it took me a few months, but I finally took the plunge and launched my own website as a public speaker and advocate.
I want to help people understand that with the right support and resources, anything is possible, and I want to do so by speaking about my experience overcoming adversity while living with a disability. I want to be able to talk to organizations, lawmakers, schools, and anyone who needs to hear it about the importance of having available accessible support and resources for those with disabilities. But I also want to talk to anyone who finds themselves in a vulnerable situation struggling to find support.
Throughout my experience escaping domestic violence, and even recovering, I have found that, depending on where you live, support and resources can be scarce, especially if you are also disabled. Sometimes the available support and resources aren’t even accessible to those with disabilities, and that’s something I don’t think a lot of organizations realize. I remember not being able to go to shelter because the only shelter available to me required me to be fully independent and functioning. Some resources I encountered couldn’t help me because I was too young or because I had a child. I encountered a lot of barriers when I was trying to get help getting out of my situation, and I know that I’m not the only one out there going through the same experience. I’m definitely not the only disabled person going through this experience.
Luckily, I eventually was able to get the support I needed and form the system. But the amount of struggling I had to experience in order to do that, in my opinion, was unnecessary. I don’t want to see anyone else struggle like that to get the help that they need.
Sitting here today. I know that the support and resources that I did have and do have were essential for where I am at today. I couldn’t have gotten here on my own. I don’t even know if I would be here if it wasn’t for my support system. I never thought that I would be able to sit here today and say that I am actively recovering and that I feel strong. Now I will give credit where credit is due and say that if it wasn’t for my own determination and tenacity, I wouldn’t have got what I needed in order to be here today with you talking about this. But that support system I have has been just as essential to me finding my footing again, as my own qualities that helped me recover. I remember not that long ago I thought something like this would be impossible. Now it’s possible, and I want to show other people that. I want to share my story, my thoughts and my experience in the hope of inspiring real change. Change that will allow people like me, disabled or not, to have a better quality of life, find their strength again and to feel valuable and heard.
If you’re interested in hearing more about my story and what I’m trying to accomplish, I have blogs and video clips on my website discussing issues that people in the disabled community face as well as my own experiences. If you’re interested in speaking with me, you can book time with me on my website. Doing so is a good way to find out If you would like me to give a longer talk or be on an upcoming panel. I would love to speak with you and share my experience and my thoughts on how we can better support people in vulnerable situations, especially the disabled community.
(Picture Description: Luna is standing in a yard with bushes in the background. She has a black form-fitting dress and is using a red walker. Her hair is brown with bright purple tips.)
One thing my journey healing from domestic violence taught me is to advocate for myself. While on this journey, thanks to my advocate Nicole, I was given the opportunity to advocate for others. This is a desire I had for a while, but I didn’t know where to start. This opportunity was the start of a new journey, the spark of a passion I never thought I’d be able to pursue.
My name is Luna Eversong-Kloss and I’m The Differently Abled Advocate.
2 years ago, I got a call from Nicole about a panel with Indiana disability Justice that she was going to present on. She asked me if I wanted to share my experience as a disabled person and a domestic violence survivor. I would also share my thoughts on how resources for disabled survivors could improve and better support victims. It was a panel on sexual wellness and violence prevention. I was so excited she invited me. I jumped at the chance. This is the kind of thing I wanted to speak about, but I didn’t know how to get people to listen to me and here was my opportunity.
Image description: a blue background with black dots is framed with black and red. The yellow lettering says “I HAVE A VOICE” with 3 yellow lightening bolts in the upper right corner.
The day of the panel came. I was nervous and hoping that I would be able to speak and be understood. It was over a zoom call and there were lots of people in there. I was so scared that I would not be able to speak, but it turns out I found my voice. I met some great people, and we had some great discussions. I did so well on the panel that I got invited to come back a few times. And I got paid to do it. I couldn’t believe it. My voice actually had value. I’m going to be honest, as an adult with a physical disability, it was hard for me to feel like I had much value specifically in the workplace. Whenever I would speak to people online about issues in the disabled community, it seemed like nobody listened. Being abused myself, whenever I used my voice and tried to ask for help for a long time, it seemed like no one cared.
Words cannot accurately express the pride that I felt after getting feedback from these panels, from other advocates and organizations who do this kind of thing all the time. Here I was never having done anything like this before, and I actually had the power to make a real impact.
I talked to my family and my therapist and my husband about these panels and they were all really proud of me. That’s when my brother pitched the idea of me becoming a public speaker. My mom agreed that I would be really good at it. I really liked that idea. My dad had been pitching the idea for a while that I should write letters to Congress about some of the issues that myself and other disabled people were facing. But that seemed a lot more daunting than being a public speaker. Maybe becoming a public speaker will one day allow me to be able to speak to lawmakers and actually be listened to, as opposed to writing letters as an anonymous face.
Well, it took me a few months, but I finally took the plunge and launched my own website as a public speaker and advocate.
I want to help people understand that with the right support and resources, anything is possible, and I want to do so by speaking about my experience overcoming adversity while living with a disability. I want to be able to talk to organizations, lawmakers, schools, and anyone who needs to hear it about the importance of having available accessible support and resources for those with disabilities. But I also want to talk to anyone who finds themselves in a vulnerable situation struggling to find support.
Throughout my experience escaping domestic violence, and even recovering, I have found that, depending on where you live, support and resources can be scarce, especially if you are also disabled. Sometimes the available support and resources aren’t even accessible to those with disabilities, and that’s something I don’t think a lot of organizations realize. I remember not being able to go to shelter because the only shelter available to me required me to be fully independent and functioning. Some resources I encountered couldn’t help me because I was too young or because I had a child. I encountered a lot of barriers when I was trying to get help getting out of my situation, and I know that I’m not the only one out there going through the same experience. I’m definitely not the only disabled person going through this experience.
Luckily, I eventually was able to get the support I needed and form the system. But the amount of struggling I had to experience in order to do that, in my opinion, was unnecessary. I don’t want to see anyone else struggle like that to get the help that they need.
Sitting here today. I know that the support and resources that I did have and do have were essential for where I am at today. I couldn’t have gotten here on my own. I don’t even know if I would be here if it wasn’t for my support system. I never thought that I would be able to sit here today and say that I am actively recovering and that I feel strong. Now I will give credit where credit is due and say that if it wasn’t for my own determination and tenacity, I wouldn’t have got what I needed in order to be here today with you talking about this. But that support system I have has been just as essential to me finding my footing again, as my own qualities that helped me recover. I remember not that long ago I thought something like this would be impossible. Now it’s possible, and I want to show other people that. I want to share my story, my thoughts and my experience in the hope of inspiring real change. Change that will allow people like me, disabled or not, to have a better quality of life, find their strength again and to feel valuable and heard.
If you’re interested in hearing more about my story and what I’m trying to accomplish, I have blogs and video clips on my website discussing issues that people in the disabled community face as well as my own experiences. If you’re interested in speaking with me, you can book time with me on my website. Doing so is a good way to find out If you would like me to give a longer talk or be on an upcoming panel. I would love to speak with you and share my experience and my thoughts on how we can better support people in vulnerable situations, especially the disabled community.
Luna is a tattoo, model, advocate, writer, and mother of two. She also has cerebral palsy.
Luna is standing with her crutches. She has tattoos and a lip piercing. She has long brown hair’with blonde streak. Her head is cocked, and she is smiling broadly. She is wearing a black shirt with skulls and flowers.
The video starts with a woman holding two blank pieces of paper taped together. She has a black tank top, and all that is seen is her torso and arms. As she is crumpling the papers, phrases appear on the screen. They are in a bulleted list here to signify when one phrase ends and the other begins.
You’re crazy
I don’t think you should hang out with them.
Next, the word “wh*r*” appears.
I’ll get you back
all your threats
assault
stalking me
isolating me
hiding my meds
no one will ever love you like I do
You’re a burden
By this time the papers are in a ball.
Now she is uncrumpling the papers to reveal family photos with the words, “I AM A Survivor,” written in red below the pictures.
The pictures are an adult female in a black tank top snuggling a child while writing something, a mom holding a newborn baby, a male child about 4 or 5 held close to a man’s face, and two wedding pictures.
At the end there is a black screen with, “Video Art by Luna Eversong-Kloss.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Luna Eversong-Kloss
Luna Eversong-Kloss is a tattoo model, avocate, write, and mother of two. She also has cerebral palsy.
Luna is standing with her crutches. She has tattoos and a lip piercing. She has long brown hair’with blonde streak. Her head is cocked, and she is smiling broadly. She is wearing a black shirt with skulls and flowers.
