Natasha Trethewey is an artist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and professor of poetry at Emory University.
George McKerrow, Jr., is an innovative restaurateur who has headed up successful ventures like Canoe, Aria, and Ted’s Montana Grill.

What these two seemingly very different people share is a commitment to speaking out against violence against women and standing up for safety and justice.

On October 11, 2008, Men Stopping Violence (MSV) will honor their efforts. One Vision, Many Voices: The 2008 Men Stopping Violence Annual Awards Dinner will gather friends and allies at the Atlanta History Center, marking 26 years of work to end violence against women. 

In her acclaimed collection, “Native Guards,” Ms. Trethewey speaks so the dead will be honored and remembered, particularly her mother, who was murdered in 1985 by her ex-husband, Ms. Trethewey’s stepfather.

“I can’t go back and save her,” Ms. Trethewey said in 2007 in The New York Times. “I can only save her memory. Figuratively, the title represents the idea that I am a native guardian to the memory of my mother’s life.” (Hear an interview with Natasha Trethewey.)

Ms. Trethewey will receive the Kathleen Carlin Justice Seekers Award, named for the founding executive director of Men Stopping Violence. Former recipients of the Justice Seekers Award are The Baroness Scotland of Asthal, QC, a Member of Parliament who was responsible for the passage of comprehensive domestic violence legislation in Great Britain, Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, author, scholar and founding director of the Women's Research and Resource Center at Spelman College, and Eve Ensler, award-winning playwright and creator of VDay.

Mr. McKerrow will receive the True Ally Award, which recognizes a man who has shown himself willing to take a stand for women’s safety. Past recipients of this award are U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, author and educator Paul Kivel, and developer and civic leader Harold A. Dawson, Jr. 

“Men need to recognize that the decisions we make every day and the words we use have the power to shape part of the way women are viewed and treated by society at large,” McKerrow says. “Advocating for ending violence is in the best interest of nonviolent men because it will improve their own lives and the lives of everyone around them, including the ones they love and want to see lead safe lives.” (Read more about George McKerrow, Jr.) 

The Awards Dinner is the main fund-raiser for Men Stopping Violence, a nonprofit organization founded in 1982 to educate and organize men to end violence against women. The proceeds from this fun and inspiring event go to maintain and expand Men Stopping Violence programs. In the year since the 2007 dinner, Men Stopping Violence has trained seven young men through the Internship Program, three of them medical students. Since that night, Men Stopping Violence has taken the next step in the evolution of our Because We Have Daughters (BWHD) program, training and supervising an enthusiastic group of fathers, daughters and facilitators.

The Training Institute for Mobilizing Men has gotten up and running, providing technical assistance and support for state domestic violence coalitions interested in organizing men in their communities to work to end domestic violence. Since then, Men Stopping Violence has created the Mentor Training Program, a project that provides training to young men who want to mentor boys.

All of this is in addition to the ongoing work with men – more than 2,000 men a year – who connect with Men Stopping Violence through classes and other outreach. 

The Annual Awards Dinner is Saturday, October 11, 2008, 6:30 p.m. at The Atlanta History Center. Awards will be presented by Pat Mitchell, president and CEO of The Paley Center for Media, and Ted Turner, chairman of the Turner Foundation, Inc. Individual tickets are $375 and can be purchased online. For more information, call 404.270.9894 or visit www.menstoppingviolence.org.