I Found My Voice Tribute Concert – Friday, Sept. 28 at the Capitol Theatre
By Sheri L. Stuart, Staff Writer
Cherisse Bradley was sexually abused as a child and hid behind her pain for years before finally speaking out. Today, she has found her voice and wants other women who have been abused to find theirs too. The Flint native whose early foundation in music began at the young age of 10 has dedicated her life to empowering women by providing creative methods to healing. One approach is an upcoming tribute concert at the Capitol Theatre featuring artists from as far away as London and as close as her hometown Flint. Bradley said while her journey to healing has been a long time coming, she has some advice for survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
“You have to accept the fact that you are responsible for your own healing and happiness,” said Bradley who has received awards in showmanship excellence, teaching, and choreography from Joe Tremaine national dance competitions in jazz, hip hop and tap dance. “Healing for me is a lifelong process, but I had to first acknowledge what happened to me,” she said.
In August 2013, Bradley did exactly that and took a huge leap of faith by exposing deep embedded childhood wounds in sharing her survivor’s story of an incest survivor at the hands of her stepfather. Bradley launched I Found My Voice (IFMV) as a creative wellness initiative that addresses health and social transformation through art and performance. The project addresses the needs of sexual assault/domestic abuse survivors by providing quality programming that helps participants find healing through artistic creation and self-expression.
Bradley has produced the tribute concert for five years. She said she was initially nervous about using the arts to promote healing and confront violence against women.
“I wasn’t sure how people would receive the show,” she said. ” People started coming up to me afterwards and telling me how they felt. So many people told me the performances helped them in some way. One woman even wrote a book about her experience,” she said.
I Found My Voice, the tribute concert, will be held Friday, Sept. 28 at 7:00 p.m. Artists include Mama Sol, American Idol Finalist Lakisha Jones; Voice Season 8 Finalist Kimberly Nichole, Harold Greene, Pierre Anthony and Bradley who will be performing a tribute to legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday.
“I wanted to bring men into the project to show positive aspects of men and what that looks like,” said Bradley. “Women will be serenaded during the evening. It’s a very powerful show,” she said.
Tickets are $25 until the day of the show. To purchase, visit www.thewhiting.com. For more information about I Found My Voice, visit www.ifoundmyvoice.org
