It was standing room only inside Grace Hall Atrium for Troy Vincent Sr.’s keynote address at the 12th Annual Domestic Violence Education Symposium on Wednesday, October 12. Presented by Cabrini’s Barbara and John Jordan Center for Children of Trauma and Domestic Violence Education, the symposium centered on its theme of the power of leadership to end violence.
Vincent was clear in his 45-minute speech that men must lead the charge to reduce violence in our homes and communities.
“This data has been the same for decades,” Vincent said, citing a statistic that a woman is assaulted or beaten in America every nine seconds. “This is where we as men…we gotta step up. The numbers don’t lie, and the silence implies that we’re OK with it.”
The former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback recalled the moment domestic violence became a personal issue in his life. Vincent described his harrowing childhood memories: the sounds of distress from his mother and later, the sight of her in a hospital bed wearing a full facial cast. Her boyfriend had been the perpetrator. From the moment he recognized his mother as a victim of assault, Vincent said he sought to push back against violence wherever he saw it.
“I’m not an expert, I just want to be part of the solution,” he said. “Ten million children witness some kind of domestic violence every year—I was one of those 10 million.”
Now serving as head of Football Operations at the National Football League, Vincent said certain settings create cultures of violence, especially when left unchecked.
“The athletic locker rooms, they’re just cultures, cultures that allow these things to exist,” he said. “This is learned behavior and when your leaders are doing it that means it’s OK. We have the power to end it.”
While Vincent spoke with Cabrini student-athletes later in the day to share his message in a more intimate setting, he noted earlier during his address that student engagement is the key to creating a culture of anti-violence. He stressed the importance of an on-campus center, like the Jordan Center, to initiate these conversations.
The Jordan Center, led by Director Colleen Lelli, PhD, Professor, Education, has served as not only a campus resource but also a force for good in the community in the five years since its founding.
“Over the years, countless trainings and presentations sponsored by the Center have been held locally, nationally, and internationally on topics such as the impact of trauma and ways to be trauma sensitive and mental health aware,” Lelli said. “Similarly, numerous professional development sessions have been led on campus and in various school districts.”
Vincent said Cabrini was a “model” institution on the issues of violence and assault.
“It starts with…the efforts that we’ve seen with John and Barbara [Jordan],” he said. “Then the student body has to embrace it. You take care of one another. When you see someone who may be vulnerable, this is where you as men and you as women have to come in and become a real campus partner.”
Following Vincent’s keynote, the Jordan Center’s Assistant Director, Amber L. Gentile, EdD, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education, presented the Center’s 2022 Resiliency and Advocacy Award to Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin R. Steele. A closing prayer by Lailah Dunbar, Director, Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (ODEIB), closed the symposium in a moment of reflection.
"We know that we do not have to look for peace for peace is infinitely accessible," Dunbar said. "We must trust the peace of God and surrender to it, for peace is more vast than oxygen. Peace is our birthright."