Join YWCA Central Alabama October 29th from noon-1 p.m. for YWe Talk: Suffering in Silence: The Traumatic Effects of Domestic Violence. Victims of domestic violence experience hurt by someone they love. This can have serious consequences on how the victim thinks, acts and feels. These traumatic experiences tend to overwhelm the victim mentally, emotionally and physically. This webinar will explore the traumatic experience of domestic violence, how it affects the brain, and impacts the victim. We will also identify ways to assist victims who have experienced trauma due to domestic violence.

Meet the Panelists

Dr. LaRhonda S. Magras

Magras (she/her) is Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Central Alabama, whose mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

Magras has over two decades of nonprofit experience leading anti-poverty and social justice programs in urban and rural communities. Her work focuses on alleviating poverty among children and families.

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, she began her work with youth and parents — delivering drug prevention and parenting programs in communities and schools — after leaving a career in retail management to “pursue a career with meaning and purpose.” The first in her family to graduate college, Magras earned a Doctor of Education in leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University (Nashville, Tenn.), Master of Science in human services administration from Spertus College (Chicago), and Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Chicago State University.

Prior to joining YWCA Central Alabama in 2019, Magras served as Senior Vice President of Program Operations with YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. She previously worked in the Nashville Mayor’s Office as Director of Children and Youth Education Initiatives and worked as Vice President of Youth Development with Nashville’s Martha O’Bryan Center. While serving at the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix, she led the U.S. Virgin Islands territory’s first transitional housing domestic violence program funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women.

Andrea McCaskey

McCaskey is Momentum’s Statewide Director of Programs. Prior to joining Momentum in 2018, she served as Vice President of Human Resources at BioHorizons Implant Systems, Inc. where she and her team managed all aspects of the Human Resources Department for more than 500 employees worldwide.  Prior to joining BioHorizons, she was Vice President, Human Resources at Regions Bank.

McCaskey received her B. S. in Finance from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN.  In her community work, she is currently President of YWCA Central Alabama Board of Directors where she has served for more than 15 years.  Additionally, she is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Birmingham and was the 2006-2007 president, becoming its first African American president. She also serves on the boards of Baptist Health Foundation, the Rushton Early Learning Center in Woodlawn and ProSomnus Sleep Technologies in northern California.

In 2012, McCaskey created Sanctuary, a retreat ministry for women. She is a certified life coach and retreat leader.

Danna Perdue-Melton

Perdue-Melton, M.Ed., LPC, RPT, IMH-E®, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist and endorsed Infant and Family Specialist. She works as a family therapist at YWCA Central Alabama, where she provides counseling services to women and children that have experienced domestic violence.

Perdue-Melton has extensive experience working with young children, adolescents, and adults to address mental health concerns, family of origin issues and healing from adverse childhood experiences such as domestic violence. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and master's degree from the University of Montevallo.

She is very passionate about helping others and speaks candidly about her own experiences with domestic violence. Perdue-Melton recently published her first book, Angel in the Nursery: Destiny Fulfilled which is a memoir of how she stop the transmission of Intergenerational trauma.

DeShunn Wilkerson

Wilkerson has spent more than a decade working in the nonprofit field advocating on behalf of some of our most vulnerable populations. This includes time spent working with individuals who have experienced homelessness and domestic violence.

Wilkerson graduated from Jacksonville State University with a bachelor of arts in communication and English. She worked one year as development manager at a local nonprofit and knew she wanted to engage on a more personal level with the people she served. She dedicated a year of service with the first class of AmeriCorps members at YWCA Central Alabama creating the Healthy Relationships program.

After that year of service, her passion for empowering those who felt powerless grew. She spent another 7 years serving in several different positions at the YW until leaving for another opportunity in 2017. She is overjoyed to be back working as the Domestic Violence Outreach and Prevention Specialist educating her community about the many layers of domestic violence.

Shurla M. Morris

Morris, MSW, LMSW, is a Board Licensed Master Social Worker and Clinical Therapist at YWCA Central Alabama. She received a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Alabama and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Oakwood University. Morris has worked in social services for over 10 years and in the last 5 years have focused particularly on mental health.

Morris is passionate about individual counseling and working with families after her experience working with a variety of populations in settings that included a disability service center, the department of children and family, a mental health facility and a domestic violence service provider.

Through these and other experiences Morris recognized the need for competent mental health work with the individual and embraces her unique calling and learned skillset to support the individual and the family to unpack trauma and work towards a sound mind. She noted that with health mental health support the community and individuals would be much more capable of addressing their day-to-day challenges and build a healthy foundation to support themselves and their families.

Morris offers her services at the YW supporting women and their families to that have experienced domestic violence and other mental health trauma.

About the Series

The YWe Talk Series provides a platform and communal space of exchange to discuss important topics and issues facing women and women of color. We take a seat in the chair next to influential and motivational speakers who inform the community as we amplify voices that are often unheard.

Through dialogue and healthy conversation, YWCA Central Alabama is able to build bridges in spaces of indifference, as well as share in the lived experiences of women and men in Central Alabama.

YWCA Central Alabama commits, communicates, educates, and advocates every day to further our mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

To learn more about the YWe Talk Orange Chair Series, visit here!