The screams echoed through the Milwaukee night. Neighbors called 911, unsure what they were hearing — but those who knew Desiree Harris say the sound still haunts them. Desiree was 31, a mother of three, and a domestic-violence advocate who worked at the Asha Project, helping Black women escape abuse. Her friends called her “the light in dark rooms.”
But on July 31, 2022, that light was extinguished. Police say her partner shot her in their home — the very place where she once comforted others, telling them there was a way out. It was a bitter and tragic irony: the woman who spent her days saving survivors could not survive her own situation.
Her death laid bare a brutal truth. Black women in America are 35 percent more likely than white women to experience domestic violence and more than twice as likely to die at the hands of an intimate partner. Desiree’s murder became another data point in a growing crisis — but to her friends and children, she was more than a statistic. She was a mother who believed love could be safe.
And in Atlanta, that same year, in a modest Atlanta apartment, Tamara, who asked not to use her last name, crouched in a corner, her body trembling. Her partner’s shouting had grown worse that week — the insults sharper, the threats darker. With her two little ones asleep in the next room, she held her breath, praying he wouldn’t come in and hurt her. When he did, she curled inward, shielding her face, as years of pain and trauma wrapped themselves around her like a cloak she could not remove.
For many Black women like Tamara and Desiree, domestic violence is not just a private crisis — it’s a generational, systemic one. It’s rooted in economic strain, isolation, and too often, the burden of silence.
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A Crisis Disproportionately Felt
Domestic violence in the United States has always been a national issue, but for African American communities, the burden is especially heavy. Research shows that more than 40% of Black women experience intimate partner physical violence.
Economic stress is a powerful driver of violence. Studies highlight how financial insecurity, lack of stable housing, and limited access to services trap survivors in cycles of abuse. During the Great Recession, for example, Black individuals saw a more than threefold spike in domestic-violence–related emergency room visits, underscoring how deeply poverty and economic collapse fuel intimate partner violence.
And when Black women are victimized, they often face greater barriers to seeking help — from distrust of institutions to systemic racism within social service systems.
A Visionary Philanthropist Stepping Into the Light
Into this darkness steps Simone Gordon, better known to her community as The Black Fairy Godmother. As the founder of The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation, Gordon has built a lifeline for families in crisis — providing emergency aid, housing, food assistance, and educational resources to those who need it most.
Her journey is deeply personal. She’s seen the intersections of poverty, race, and trauma, and she has made it her mission to uplift those left behind. Under her leadership, the foundation operates not just as a charity, but as a beacon: a reminder that compassion can be radical, and support can be structured to change lives.
Purple Diamonds & Powerful Beacons: The 10th Annual Gala
On Saturday, November 8, 2025, The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation will host its 10th Annual Purple Diamond Awards Gala at the Brookside Banquet in Bloomfield, New Jersey. This evening is devoted to honoring those who use their platforms to uplift, transform, and heal.
The gala — powered by OX_Agency and Xtrends.io — will spotlight leaders across entertainment, activism, social justice, and philanthropy. SiriusXM personality Jazmyn Summers of “Jazmyn in the Morning” and Kathleen Smith, founder of Morphmoms, will co-host. Celebrity stylist DivaMadonna Williams is the Purple Carpet host. Musical performances will include rising stars Tiffany Evans and Chris Weaver.
Among the honorees are luminaries such as:
- Sean Paul, Grammy-winning artist
- Wendy McLendon-Covey, actress and activist
- Stephanie March, SVU star and advocate
- Larry Namer, media entrepreneur and founder of E!
- Sir Gary Sze Kong, philanthropist
- Debra Antney, music executive, producer and star of Deb’s House
- Michael L. Browder, community development and STEM advocate
- Joi’s Angels, a human rights organization
- Caribbean Project, an LGBTQ+ activist group
- Persia Oliver, community organizer
- Sandy Broadus, attorney and human rights activist
- KreditVerse and Kredit Koncepts, leaders in immersive education
- A posthumous honor for the late fashion icon Shavi Lewis
Prominent guests will include Sedeck Jean, singer/songwriter; Shawn McClain, President of the NAACP; Jenni Mundell, Mayor of Bloomfield; and Mama Jones from From Rag to Riches, among others.
Sponsors of the event reflect the gala’s ambition and reach: KreditVerse, Dwelling Place Holdings, Inc., OX_Agency, Xtrends, Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health, Authentic Visibility Agency, Wasa Water, GlamsenseDiva, Billie Mitchell PR, Melody Shari of Seventh Avenue Beauty, and The 1Wine, with security by Quality Security Services.
Why It Matters — Right Now
In a time of growing economic precarity, rising costs, and widening inequality, the stressors that fuel domestic violence are more potent than ever. For Black communities — already disproportionately burdened by systemic racism, housing instability, and under-resourced social programs — the stakes are particularly high.
By elevating the voices of survivors and visionaries at its gala, The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation is doing more than handing out awards: it’s shifting narratives. It’s reminding us that philanthropy rooted in lived experience doesn’t just heal — it sparks change.
Simone Gordon’s work underscores a powerful truth: the fight against domestic violence is not just about rescue — it’s about prevention, empowerment, and restructuring the systems that too often keep survivors trapped.
The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Simone Gordon, dedicated to providing emergency aid, housing, food assistance, and educational resources for families in crisis. Through compassion, advocacy, and community partnerships, the foundation continues to change lives nationwide.
For tickets, sponsorships, or media inquiries, visit www.purplediamondawards.org.
Article by Jazmyn Summers. You can hear Jazmyn every morning on “Jazmyn in the Morning “on Sirius XM Channel 362 Grown Folk Jamz . Subscribe to Jazmyn Summers’ YouTube. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
