Activist, Speaker Dr. Trevicia Williams Reacts to CBSN Originals

From sex trafficking, psychological health and physical well being to education, the consequences of child marriage are wide sweeping. For many survivors, the consequences are lifelong which is why survivor-activist, speaker Dr. Trevicia Williams shared her horrific child marriage story but, equally important, also focused on hope, inspiration and empowerment during CSBN Originals' interview with her for their child marriage in America feature.

While Williams advocated to end child marriage and her testimony was instrumental in changing Texas marriage laws which resulted in her being the first survivor driven change of marriage laws in America, emancipated minors (16 and 17 year olds) can still marry in the lone star state. During keynotes, and, media interviews like the one that she did with Dr. Oz, she continues to raise awareness about the issue. In fact, that’s why she said yes to CBSN Originals producer when they asked her to share her story and advocacy work.

"I agreed to do the CBS Originals Frankly Speaking interview after producer Elaisha Stokes asked me to sit down and talk about my personal child bride story which included more than one stint of homelessness, advocacy work which led to Texas being the first survivor driven change in marriage laws, and how I bounced back. The interview was purposed to spread awareness about issues like child marriage which involves abuse and robbery of the childhood and potentials of children, disruption to education, domestic violence and more. I also included the elements of hope and empowerment that’s typically missing from stories like child marriage that tend to primarily focus on the pain and struggle of the experience. I want to help survivors and people who are still struggling,” says Williams.

While Stokes agreed that hope and empowerment were important missing elements of stories about America's child marriage problem, and that she wanted to feature it in the project, she failed to include the interview with Williams in CBSN feature. It's unfortunate that, for the sake of increasing viewership and readers, some prefer to focus on the gut wrenching experience versus compelling trial to triumph stories that, while heart wrenching, are also inspirational and empowering like Williams'.

However, that didn't keep Williams from her ongoing life and work fulfillment services that she provides through The Institute for Full Potential Living, her Strong Lives Podcast, and, more in the Dallas Fort Worth area and abroad.

Just as Christopher Gardener's The Pursuit of Happiness inspired millions of people, trial to triumph stories like Williams inspire and empower others to find and use their voice to fuel change in their communities while simultaneously inspiring people around them.

"In the wake of high profile cases like Jeffery Epstein, R. Kelly and Larry Nasar wherein under aged girls were sexually abused and rights were violated, the fight to uphold and protect the rights of children continues," says Williams.

Child marriages hurt children, and, it shouldn’t hurt to be a child, according to Texas speaker, activist and full potential living expert Dr. Trevicia Williams, founder of The Institute for Full Potential Living.

Dr. Williams inspires and empowers Texas Association of Clerks with her child bride story, advocacy work that helped outlaw child marriage in Texas, and Born to Win training.

Dr. Williams continues to share her testimony with legislators across the country to help change laws in other states too. Her work isn’t finished. In fact, she feels that there’s so much left to do in the way of hope, inspiration and empowering people to discover who they really are. That’s one of the reasons she started the Strong Lives podcast which is syndicated on iHeartRadio, iTunes, Google Play and other channels. Her podcast features professionals sharing their own trial to triumph stories and how their experiences inspired the work that they do today.

About Dr. Trevicia Williams

Trevicia Williams, Ph.D., is an author, media contributor, motivational speaker. staff learning-development presenter, child bride survivor and human potentials activist whom the Dallas Morning News has featured several times for helping to outlaw child marriages in Texas, and host of the syndicated Strong Lives life-work fulfillment podcast. She also holds a doctorate in psychology. Her media appearances and features have included Dr. Oz, Today.com, Megyn Kelly Today, Good Housekeeping, Teen Vogue, Dallas Morning News, Texas Tribune, Radio Disney, The Houston Chronicle, Woman’s Day, Bustle, Simple Most, Digital Journal, Boston Globe, Herald News, Dallas News, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, Dallas Weekly, DFW Child and more. To learn more about Dr. Williams, visit

Web: http://www.treviciawilliams.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/drtrevicia

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/drtreviciawilliams