10/4/2021

Article by Professor of English Lana Whited

Janine Latus, a New York Times best-selling author and survivor of domestic violence, will speak at Ferrum College on Wed., Oct. 13. Latus is well-known relationship violence prevention educator whose clients have included the U.S. Department of Defense and Major League Baseball.

Latus is author of If I Am Missing or Dead, the story of her own escape from an abusive relationship and her sister Amy’s murder. In April 2002, Amy Latus taped this note to the inside of a drawer: “Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved, but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems like the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me.” Three months later, Amy Latus was dead.

Janine Latus, who is returning to Ferrum’s campus for her third visit, has been called a “heart-stopping” speaker by Jaye Kennedy, a previous sponsor. Kennedy says, “You could have heard a pin drop during her presentation as she had us all on the edge of our seats.  Although her story is chilling, it is also very real and a powerful reminder that domestic violence lives among so many of us.  Janine is an amazing speaker and one (an) audience won’t soon forget.”

According to the National Coalition to Abolish Domestic Violence, one in four women and one in nine men experience physical violence, sexual violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

Janine Latus earned a B.S. in horticulture and an M.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has taught writing at her alma mater as well as East Carolina University and the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies. She has also conducted writing workshops in several states.

The Ferrum program will take place at 7 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room of Franklin Hall. It is sponsored by the Ferrum College chapter of Help Save the Next Girl, the Integrated Programing Board, and the Quality Enhancement Plan. A reception sponsored by the Boone Honors Program will follow the talk, and copies of Latus’s book will be available.

Author, speaker, and domestic violence educator Janine Latus will visit Ferrum College’s campus on Monday, October 28, 2019, at 7 p.m. in the Panthers Den of Franklin Hall. She will present “You Know What’s Really Scary? Relationship Violence.” A reception will follow the presentation. This event is free and open to the public.

Janine Latus had recently left an abusive marriage and was attending a conference when she learned that her youngest sister, Amy, was missing. In April 2002, Amy had taped a note to the inside of her desk drawer. “Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved,” it read, “but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems like the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me…”. Two years later, Amy’s former boyfriend Ron Ball was sentenced for her murder.

These experiences led Latus to launch a campaign against relationship violence, and today she is a widely sought-after teacher, author, and speaker who regularly conducts workshops for clients in the corporate, educational, and military sectors, as well as professional athletics. Her talks have inspired thousands of people to recognize relationship abuse, break free, and heal.

Dr. Lana Whited, professor of English and director of the Boone Honors Program at Ferrum College, describes Latus’s previous visit to the Ferrum campus: “I have seldom heard the undergraduate students on our campus quieter than when Janine Latus was speaking to them. Janine is generous with her time and talents and unwavering in her crusade to spare others what she and her sister Amy endured. Her message resonates long after she has gone.”

Visit Latus’s website to read the first chapter of “If I Am Missing or Dead” or to listen to Latus’s 2017 Tedx talk.

Latus’s appearance at Ferrum College is sponsored by the Office of Student Life, the Boone Honors Program, Stanley Library, and the campus chapter of Help Save the Next Girl.

Event details submitted by Dr. Lana Whited.