When Tribute Must Become Action: Honoring Our Fallen Sister
They were leaders. They were protectors. They were purpose-filled women… and they should still be here.
“Our fallen sisters deserved protection while they were living—not just praise after they were gone.”
We Say Their Names
- Nancy Metayer Bowen – Vice Mayor, trailblazer, public servant
- Cerina Fairfax – Mother, dentist, community builder
- Barbara Deer – Educator, advocate, anti-violence organizer
- Tammy McCollum – Pastor, servant leader, woman of faith
🕊️ Gone too soon. Not forgotten. Not in vain.
There are moments when the news stops being something you read…
and becomes something you feel in your spirit.
In just weeks, we have witnessed the loss of powerful women—leaders, healers, and pillars in their communities—taken by acts of violence that should have never happened.
These were not just names in headlines.
They were women walking in purpose.
Women who created safe homes…
yet were not protected within them.
AS A SURVIVOR, THIS IS PERSONAL
As a survivor of domestic violence and gun violence, I cannot disconnect from this.
I know what it means to have your life hang in the balance.
I know what it feels like to survive something that could have taken you out.
And I also know this truth:
Some women never get the chance to tell their story.
So when I read these stories…
I don’t just feel grief.
I feel responsibility.
THE REALITY WE CANNOT IGNORE
- When an abuser has access to a gun, a woman is 5x more likely to be killed
- Black women are disproportionately impacted
- Most of these women are killed by someone they know and trust
This is not random.
This is preventable.
WHERE THE SYSTEM IS FAILING WOMEN
Even with laws in place, there are still dangerous gaps:
- Lack of mandatory firearm surrender enforcement
- Delayed or weak response to protective orders
- Not enough protection for dating partners (not just spouses)
- Survivors often left to navigate safety alone
- No consistent high-risk danger assessment systems
In states like Missouri, these gaps are even more visible.
Protection on paper is not protection in real life.
TATU’S LAW: A CALL FOR CHANGE
This is where your voice rises.
This is where your movement speaks.
TATU’s Law Must Include:
✔ Mandatory firearm surrender for domestic violence offenders
✔ Proof and enforcement of weapon removal
✔ Protection that includes dating partners
✔ Immediate response to high-risk threats
✔ Survivor-centered safety planning
✔ System coordination (courts, law enforcement, advocates)
✔ Early intervention before escalation
TURNING PAIN INTO PURPOSE
I may not know every detail of these women’s lives…
But I know enough to say:
They should still be here.
And I refuse to let their stories be reduced to silence.
What You Can Do Today:
- Share this message
- Check on a woman you love
- Support survivors in your community
- Advocate for stronger domestic violence protections
- Speak up when something doesn’t feel right
- Sign the TATU's Law Petition
SOUND THE ALARM DECLARATION
We will not normalize this.
We will not stay silent.
We will not wait for another name.
We sound the alarm NOW.
🕊️
To Nancy.
To Cerina.
To Barbara.
To Tammy.
Your lives mattered.
Your work mattered.
And your stories will not end in silence.
Atara Estes
Founder, TATU Your Wellbeing
Sound the Alarm Outreach
Empowered by Grace. Crowned in Purpose.
