Surviving domestic violence is usually handled quietly. The second Courageous Awards, in downtown Atlanta on October 28, 2026, is built on the opposite idea, that leaving is an achievement and the women who did it should be called to a stage for it.
Television personality and entrepreneur Karlie Redd hosts the night through her nonprofit, the Big Heart Foundation, and she is not describing it from a distance. “I know firsthand that finding the courage to walk away and rebuild your life is not easy,” she said. “The Courageous Awards is my way of reminding survivors that their pain does not define them.”
The program is more than a ceremony. It pairs survivor testimonials with a resource room that connects advocates to support programs in Georgia, and it raises money for scholarships and for the financial independence work that decides whether a woman can afford to stay gone.
Entertainment executive Yandy Smith co-hosts. “When women come together with purpose, we have the power to change lives,” she said. Author and TAI Nation founder Kie Fair is also on the program and puts part of the obligation on men. “Domestic violence is not just a women’s issue. It’s a community issue,” he said. Former Georgia state representative Erica Thomas Adeyemi, a survivor, speaks as well.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which mostly produces statements. This is a room.
