Tennessee Voices, Episode 265: Verna Wyatt, co-founder, Tennessee Voices for Victims
Over 30 years ago, Verna Wyatt lost her sister-in-law and best friend, Martha, to sexual assault and murder.
The grief of losing someone in such a horrific way and the helplessness she felt were profoundly painful.
While she continues to grieve her loss, Wyatt turned her sadness and indignation into a mission to help families of victims of crime.
She became the first executive director of You Have the Power, which was founded by former Tennessee First Lady Andrea Conte, who is married to former Gov. Phil Bredesen.
Wyatt is the co-founder of Tennessee Voices for Victims, and she has used her voice to help grieving family members navigate the criminal justice system, remember their loved ones, and find hope and support.
"Grief is the most powerful and devastating emotion anyone can walk through," Wyatt told me on this episode of the Tennessee Voices podcast.
Compound that with a senseless tragedy and the grief feels insurmountable.
Tennessee Voices for Victims comforts survivors and victims and works with the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. The organization also meets with incarcerated people to help them understand the gravity of their crimes.
Op-Ed by Verna Wyatt: I benefited from a homicide loss support group and so should all Tennesseans who are grieving
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About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
Please email your ideas for future guests to me at dplazas@tennessean.com. Thank you for watching.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and an editorial board member of The Tennessean. Tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Voices: Finding hope, support through grief with Verna Wyatt
