Rallyers gathering in front of the Ada H.H. Lewis building. (Photo: Rasheed Z. Ajamu)

Snowy pileups and some icy patches didn’t stop a small but mighty group of individuals from rallying on MLK Day to stand up against domestic violence in an impactful way. 

Rallyers, both men and women, took to the curb of the 6199 Ardleigh St. this past Mon., Jan. 19, with oversized coats and big signs. Their call-to-action: convert the former Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School into a fully funded domestic violence resource and support center.


“It’s enough space. It’s in the right community. It’s in the right neighborhood. This is a pretty safe community. And a lot of people that are impacted by domestic violence, intimate partner violence, they want to feel safe,” rally organizer Shakina Rush told GIH.

Rush is the Founding President of SHE IS U, which provides resources and services to those impacted by domestic violence, like transitional housing, employment resources, and more. As a Black woman and “Overcomer” of domestic and intimate partner violence, Rush says these resources weren’t always as available to all people.

“They didn’t seem like they were a fit for someone like me, someone young, someone who is a minority, someone who’s of color,” she explained. “I always was under the impression that they were for, like, middle-aged, married white women.”

Rush organized the rally in tandem with a petition she currently has going online, where she urges elected officials and community leaders “to unite in transforming Ada H. H. Lewis into a sanctuary of hope, healing, and empowerment for domestic violence Overcomers.”

The rally comes after the tragic incidents surrounding local beauty queen Kada Scott, whose death sparked arguments around the vacant property and how long-term vacancies potentially exacerbate existing violence.

State Senator Sharif Street, currently on a congressional campaign, came out to the rally. He called vacant properties “magnets for problems” and said they bring down the morale of a community.

“And so we need to remove those kinds of spaces and invest in them to make spaces where positive activity can take place,” Sen. Street said.

He sees the issue of domestic violence as timely for MLK Day, as the late reverend wanted to “fight for the voiceless… and often the people who are victims of domestic violence are voiceless.”

Others lent their voice to why it felt important to come out on the chilly, slippery afternoon.

Rush’s cousin, Malcolm Anthony Rowe, came out to support the cause, saying exposure to domestic violence is one of the many circumstances he faced as a minority youth. Those circumstances, Rowe said, led him to spend 35 years of his life incarcerated, only just coming home the week prior.

The exposure to domestic violence “plays out way into adulthood,” increasing patterns of aggression and conflict, according to Rowe. “That violence was seen, and it was absorbed at a very young age,” he told GIH.

As a Black male, he says it’s vital to speak up as “men, normally, are the perpetrators.”

“We’re here today… feet on the ground, to spread the word and let people know that it is unacceptable to be abused and then ultimately killed,” said Alista Stevenson.

Longtime Germantowner and former student of the first graduating class of Ada Lewis, Patricia Whitehead, came out to get the attention of drifters and drivers for the cause after she saw a flyer online.

She said she came out because she’s an advocate for women and that she has a heart for folks experiencing domestic violence. She says a domestic violence resource center is the perfect thing for the vacant space.

“We don’t really need a whole lot more residential,” she said. “[I] would prefer to have something here rather than apartments or shopping areas… something that’s going to be beneficial to the community at this stage and later stages to come for our children.”

While turnout wasn’t as Rush had hoped, she remained optimistic with a steadfast mission.

She said, “As long as we showed up and we’re spreading the message, we’re raising awareness. I think that’s the most important thing.”

While there are no formal plans presented around the building, Rush looks to continue to build community interest around the petition.

GIH asked Rush if she reached out directly to any elected officials to get their attention, to which she says she’s contacted both Councilmember Cindy Bass and State Rep. Andre D. Carroll, and hasn’t received any communications.

The Germantown Info Hub reached out to both Councilmember Bass & Rep Carroll’s offices via email to get their thoughts on asks to repurpose the Ada H.H. Lewis building into a domestic violence resource hub.

Iaisha Thomas-Hines at Rep. Carroll’s office told GIH over the phone that they are familiar with the work of Rush, and that brief mentions of thoughts around the building have come up since Kada Scott’s passing, but nothing has been formalized.

Thomas-Hines notes that while there have been many mentions of what people would like to see happen at the spot, there have been no formal plans on anyone’s end, so it’s hard to give many thoughts. And says, even then, that kind of decision-making is not within the State Rep.’s capacity.

However, the office does “support anything that is pushing the space forward,” positively.

Councilmember Bass’s office has not yet gotten back with us, but we will update the story when they do.

As her final words, Rush sends a message to anyone who ganders upon this story and needs help. “There is someone out there who looks like you, who come from where you come from, that is willing to help you, that’s willing to support you,” she said.

“So don’t be afraid to reach out.”

For folks interested in learning more about SHE IS U, the organization has more information on its website, Facebook, and Instagram.