And Still I Rise

Ever wondered how many persons share the identical name?Angela’s idea was to hit the road in a rented RV, and try to meet as many women as she could who were also named Angela Shelton. Why? She had a hunch that many of those women would share something else besides just a name – something much more personal. Angela knew about the subject of sexual abuse well, because that was her dark secret. As a child, she says, her father molested her. “Abuse like this affects you forever. I was really close to my dad. I’m daddy’s little girl,” says Angela. “But yet my dad is a child molester. So it’s like…it’s a very twisted thing.” This takes me to a next question.Ever wondered how many women out there are victims of sexual abuse or violence?

Angela says her worst fears were confirmed when she discovered how many of these women had been abused: “They’re, like, ‘Oh well, I was raped. I was almost raped. I’ve been beaten.” In fact, 50 percent of the Angela Sheltons tracked down by Angela had been abused in some way. And because these Angela Sheltons also shared feelings of guilt and shame, they, too, had learned long ago to keep quiet about it. “I think it's important that you talk about it. I think it’s important that you know that you’re not alone,” says Angela. “You don't have a stamp on your forehead, like rape victim or incest survivor. That you're all of a sudden stamped as dirty and horrible and worthless and unlovable

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/09/48hours/main604910.shtml