If you were to look at Megan Montgomery's Instagram account‚ you'd see a beautiful‚ smiling woman in the prime of her life‚ her youth and fitness the envy of women the world over. You'd even see some photos of her with her husband (#datenight)‚ with comments saying things like "Aww‚ gorgeous couple!"But beneath her picture-perfect feed was the story of a woman in an abusive relationship with her husband—one that would start with his arrest shortly after they got married‚ and end 10 months later with him shooting her to death in a parking lot. In a Facebook post‚ one of the people who was out with Megan the night of her murder detailed how her estranged husband had come to their table‚ put his hand on her neck and shoulder‚ and escorted her out of the building.She went with him willingly‚ but anyone familiar with abusive relationships knows that "willingly" is a subjective term. He had reportedly threatened mass violence before. Perhaps she was trying to protect the people she was with. Perhaps staying felt more dangerous to her than going with him.The couple reportedly had a volatile relationship from the start‚ and at one point both had restraining orders against the other. Regardless‚ she was killed by the man who had claimed to love her‚ an ex-cop who had been arrested for domestic violence and had been bailed out multiple times prior to that evening.Feminist News wrote the gist of Megan's story on Facebook‚ sharing photos from the couple's wedding to illustrate how invisible domestic violence can be to those outside of it. "THIS is the face of domestic violence‚" they wrote.But what was perhaps most striking about the post was the deluge of comments from women describing their own experiences with domestic violence. Comment after comment explaining how a partner always made them think the abuse was their fault‚ how restraining orders were repeatedly violated‚ how they were charmed and loved into questioning whether the verbal abuse or physical violence was really that bad. Story after story of how they didn't see it coming‚ how slowly and insidiously it escalated‚ how terrifying it was to try to leave.Those of us who have not been in abusive relationships don't always understand why people don't leave them. But the dynamics of abuse—the emotional manipulation‚ the gaslighting‚ the self-esteem destruction‚ the fear and shame—are well documented.Unfortunately‚ those dynamics can prove deadly. Domestic violence murders have been on the rise in recent years‚ going up 19% between 2014 and 2017. And sadly‚ our justice system does not protect domestic violence survivors as well as it should.Part of the challenge of prosecuting in domestic violence cases is that victims are not always willing to cooperate‚ either out of fear or shame or embarrassment‚ or unhealthy loyalty. According to some estimates‚ domestic violence victims recant their testimony up to 70% of the time. That's why some are pushing for evidence-based prosecution without requiring victim testimony‚ much like we try murder cases.But some‚ like University of Maryland law professor Leah Goodmark‚ argue that pushing for more law enforcement hasn't proven to reduce domestic violence rates. Addressing issues of poverty‚ childhood trauma‚ attitudes toward gender equality‚ and other risk factors for domestic violence may be more effective by stopping violence before it starts.While abuse happens to both men and women‚ women are more likely to be victims and much more likely to be murdered by a partner. Thankfully‚ there are many resources for domestic violence survivors to seek help‚ whether you're trying to determine if your relationship is abusive or trying to figure out if‚ when‚ and how to leave. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.thehotline.org or call 1−800−799−7233) has a wealth of information on domestic violence and what to do about it. The website even has a live chat where you can get your questions answered and receive assistance making a safety plan for you and your family.If you are afraid of your partner or other loved one‚ there's something wrong. No one should live in fear of the people who are supposed to love them the most.This article originally appeared on 12.16.19

It had been rumored that Tracy Chapman might be making an appearance at the Grammys this year‚ after Luke Combs’ country version of her iconic song “Fast Car” earned a grammy nomination.Combs' rendition of the late 80s classic‚ which won him Song of the Year at 2023 Country Music Awards‚ has been met with both great praise and great criticism. Many applauded Combs for giving the tune a major resurgence and even bringing it to a whole new audience. At the same time‚ some took umbrage with the fact that Combs’ version had placed higher on the Billboard Hot 100 charts than Chapman’s original and argued that it was a symptom of long-endured racism within the country music genre.Chapman eventually came out of her private life to endorse Combs’ cover‚ saying‚ “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”Which brings us to the opening half hour of the Grammy 2024 Awards‚ where both Chapman and Combs appeared on stage in matching all-black outfits to perform a moving duet. This made for a landmark appearance for Chapman‚ who hadn’t performed publicly in several years.As they sang‚ audiences mouthed the words and clapped along. Some songs really do have the power to bring folks of all walks of life together. Watch: — (@) “Fast Car” has struck a chord with listeners since that seemingly fateful night at Wembley Stadium in 1988‚ when a few technical difficulties led Chapman to performing it as a backup plan‚ unwittingly stepping into musical history. Fans love the folk anthem for its raw simplicity and vivid depiction of yearning‚ brought to life by Chapman’s one-of-a-kind voice.And even though there’s no replacing her original hit‚ the collaboration with Combs has led to some amazing genre-busting breakthroughs. Back in November of 2023‚ Chapman also reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Songwriters chart and won song of the year for “Fast Car‚” making her the first Black woman to win a Country Music Association award.Then a mere moments after Chapman’s Grammy performance with Combs‚ “Fast Car” shot to No. 1 on iTunes Top Songs. Her debut album from 1988‚ titled “Tracy Chapman‚” also shot to No. 1.Art is subjective‚ but it stands to reason that a work of art can be considered great if it continues moving people time and time again. Chapman’s art certainly has this kind of staying power‚ and it’s wonderful anytime that achievement gets recognition.

Music’s biggest night took place Sunday‚ February 4 with the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Now‚ fans have the opportunity to take home a piece of the famed event. Longtime GRAMMY Awards partner Mastercard is using this year’s campaign to shine a light on the environment and the Priceless Planet Coalition (PPC)‚ a forest restoration program with the goal of restoring 100 million trees. Music fans are 1.5 times more likely to take action to help the environment‚ making the GRAMMY Awards the perfect opportunity to raise awareness. “Through our GRAMMY Awards campaign‚ we’ve created an opportunity for our brand‚ our partners and consumers to come together over shared values‚ to participate during a moment when we can celebrate our passion for music and our commitment to make meaningful investments to preserve the environment‚” says Rustom Dastoor‚ Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications‚ North America at Mastercard. The campaign kicked off with an inspired self-guided multi-sensory tour at the GRAMMY House presented by Mastercard‚ where people journeyed through their passion of music and educational experience about Mastercard’s longstanding commitment to tree restoration. Then‚ this year’s most-nominated GRAMMY artist and a passionate voice for the environment‚ SZA‚ led the charge with the debut performance of her new song‚ Saturn. Mastercard’s partners are also joining the mission by encouraging people all over the country to participate; Lyft and Sirius XM are both offering ways for consumers to get involved in the Priceless Planet Coalition. To learn more about how you can support these efforts‚ visit mastercard.com/forceofnature. While fashion is always a highlight of any GRAMMY Awards event‚ SZA’s outfit worn during her performance of Saturn was designed to make a statement; made of tree seeds to help spread awareness. Fans can even comment ‘🌱’ and tag a friend on Mastercard’s designated post of SZA’s GRAMMY House performance for a chance to win a tree seed from the performance outfit*. “SZA has a personal passion for sustainability – not just in forest restoration but in the clothes she wears and the platforms and partners she aligns herself with. It was important to us to partner with someone who is not only showing up big at the GRAMMY Awards – as the most GRAMMY-nominated artist this year – but also showing up big for the environment‚” says Dastoor. Due to factors like factory farming‚ logging‚ and urban growth‚ the Earth is losing trees at an alarming rate. According to Earth.org‚ approximately 10 million hectares of trees are lost each year. Forests regulate the air we breathe and are highly effective in moderating greenhouse gas emissions. In fact‚ tropical forests provide up to 30% of the global action needed to stop climate change. "Planting trees can help improve everything – from air quality to economic opportunity to mental health – and everybody deserves these benefits‚” SZA said in a press release about her previous environmental activism. Guided by Conservation International and World Resources Institute‚ the PPC employs science-based best practices for the selection‚ implementation‚ and long-term monitoring of their restoration efforts. In addition to their goal to restore 100 million trees‚ the PPC also works to regrow forests in geographies that represent the greatest global need. This includes areas with the greatest potential for positive impacts on climate‚ with community and biodiversity goals being prioritized as they set out to restore forestland across the globe. To learn more about the Priceless Planet Coalition or how you could get involved in forest restoration‚ visit mastercard.com/forceofnature. * Additional Sweepstakes Details: No Purch. Nec. Void in Quebec and where prohibited. Mastercard cardholders before 2/4/24‚ who are U.S. &; Canada res 18+ at time/date of entry. Ends 2/10/24. Winners/ARV: $30 USD each. Entry must include a “seedling” emoji and tag a friend. Canadian winners must answer a time-limited skill-testing math question. Odds of winning depend on the total number of entries received. Rules: priceless.com/forceofnature

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