photo by steed media service

Most fairy tales conclude with a happy ending; however, for Daphne Rice, Ms. Galaxy 2008, the journey to her fairy tale ending was an experience that she will never forget.

Beautiful and self-confident, Rice recently became the first black woman to be crowned Ms. Galaxy, yet prior to this wondrous achievement, she fell victim to domestic abuse.

"It's sad to say that a lot of women go through [violent] relationships and keep it so quiet, because [I believe] in the church's [methodology], they try to encourage you in the old traditional way," she reveals. "[They say] it's better to try to stick together and try to work things out and get counseling. I hid my abusive relationship for as long as I could."

It took a near death experience for Rice to summon the courage to leave. With the help of friends and counseling, she escaped the violence and vowed to take her life back.

"I had to take a lot of time out, because I had to re-evaluate what I wanted to do with my life," she explains. "Was I going to use this experience in my life? Was I going to let it keep me down or was I going to use it to help other people?"

From the questions came one clear-cut answer: She resigned to use her experience to help others avoid making or being trapped in the same circumstances.

Rice is now a spokesperson for the Domestic Violence Association. In addition to her philanthropic efforts, she's also working on her autobiography, Blind In Love, which details her experience in an abusive relationship and how she was able to escape. -janaya black

For more information, visit www.galaxypageant.com.


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