The Beyond the Sparkle Foundation was established in 2016 a year after the death of Sparkle Lynn Watson on April 17, 2015.

 

Though a year had passed, the pain of losing Sparkle still ached. Sparkle was my cousin. We were only about 3 months apart, with myself being the eldest.

 

We had a complicated relationship growing up. We knew that we loved each other and that we had to protect one another. There were so many trying experiences in our lives and we had so to rely on each other for advice.

 

Growing up, Sparkle and I saw domestic violence in our family. After she made the decision to leave her relationship, she was killed. I didn't want Sparkle's death to be in vain. It made me realize that we can no longer turn a blind eye or "mind our business" when it comes to violence in our family.

 

The rest of my family feels the same way. Sparkle's mother - Shirley Curtis, her brother - Badel Smith, and son - Michael Jackson, Jr., take part in and are members of the foundation. Michael was only 12 years old when he lost his mother and father. Sparkle's death and Michael Jr.'s life inspired the creation of Beyond The Sparkle. Our family wants to prevent family and intimate partner violence in the community.

 

The organization's name encourages people to ignore the beauty and glamour but to imagine that beneath all these things there is a woman that is suffering from domestic violence.

 

I believe that losing Sparkle has to be God’s way of forcing us to take a stand.
 

Co-Founder of Beyond the Sparkle,
Tawana Smallwood 

​

• Who is Sparkle Lynn Watson?

• About Beyond the Sparkle