Why I paint the city purple

Over 30 victims of domestic violence from Abilene and surrounding areas were pictured and remembered during “Paint The City Purple.” All of the artwork, along with these photos, can be found on display, outside of Dandy Auto Detail in order to honor their memory. (Photo by Sienna Miller)

By Jennifer Christine

“Paint the City Purple” started with one name: Desree.

What began as a way to honor Desree’s life and ensure her story would not be forgotten quickly became something much bigger than I ever imagined.

As more families reached out, I realized that Desree’s story was not an isolated tragedy. There are countless survivors, grieving families, and victims whose voices deserved to be heard.

Today, I am painting domestic violence victims for more than 30 families who are grieving the loss of someone they loved. Every mural, portrait, painting and awareness project represents a life that mattered and a family that refuses to let their loved one be forgotten.

During a “Paint The City Purple” event in March, Casper Johnson paints a picture along with a message offering hope to those affected by domestic violence. Th, gathering was arranged by local artist and advocate Jennifer Christine for victims of domestic violence and their families. (Photo by Sienna Miller)

Throughout this journey, I have learned that one person cannot do this work alone. Multiple people have stepped up to help, volunteer, advocate, share resources, support families and stand beside us in the fight against domestic violence. Their dedication has helped transform “Paint the City Purple” from a single awareness project into a growing movement.

Because of that support, we are now working to establish “Paint the City Purple” as a nonprofit organization so we can expand our ability to help survivors, support grieving families, provide resources, and create lasting change in our communities.

Our mission extends beyond awareness. We are working to advocate for stronger protections for victims, push for laws that better address domestic violence, expose patterns of abuse when it is in the public interest to do so, and demand accountability and justice when systems fail the people they are meant to protect.

We have also begun building a domestic violence registry to help document cases, preserve victim stories, increase public awareness, and highlight patterns that too often go unnoticed. By bringing these stories into the light, we hope to educate communities and prevent future violence.

What started in Texas is now growing beyond state lines. “Paint the City Purple” has expanded into Louisiana, and we are preparing to establish a branch in California as we continue building a network of advocates, survivors, families, artists and community members committed to creating change.

At its heart, “Paint the City Purple” is about remembrance, awareness, accountability, and hope. It is about standing with survivors, honoring victims, supporting grieving families, and working toward a future where fewer names have to be added to the list.

Purple is more than a color. It is a promise that these lives matter, these stories matter, and they will not be forgotten.

Paint the City Purple: Turning pain into purpose, remembrance into action, and awareness into change.