Mayor Rawlings' Legacy Is His Leadership in Reducing Domestic Violence in Dallas

The call came the morning after the horrible, tragic murder of Karen Cox Smith. Her estranged husband killed her in a parking garage at UT Southwestern. Mike Rawlings, in his first term as mayor of Dallas, wanted to know what he could do make a difference in how our community addresses domestic violence. He was particularly affected by this murder because his own mother had just died, and he had spent many trips coming and going through that same parking garage. The death of Smith followed several other gruesome domestic violence murders including Deanna Cook, whose ex-husband choked her to death.Having worked for many years with Rawlings when he served as the Dallas homeless czar, I knew he was a man who could get things done. I also knew his heart and passion for helping people. A high-profile problem-solver and an advocate who would take a stand proved to be exactly what was needed to help raise the consciousness of our community about the dangers of domestic violence.This man took a stand and encouraged other men to stand up and make domestic violence a "men's issue." From that galvanizing moment, Rawlings determined that engaging men in efforts to stop domestic violence is where he would begin.  Continue reading...