Brooke Kelly
Managing Editor
The 4th Annual Latasha Norman Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, almost five years to the day Latasha Norman went missing after a class at Jackson State University on Nov. 13, 2007.
Many current JSU students know about the center on campus that bears Latasha’s name, but most don’t know the story of her death as a result of domestic violence. After her disappearance in November 2007 and after two weeks of searching for the 20 year old junior accounting major from Greenville, Miss., her ex-boyfriend, Stanley Cole confessed to killing her and led officials to Norman’s body in a wooded area in North Jackson. Cole, also a former JSU student, was later sentenced to life in prison for her death.
Latasha’s family and former students who knew her always remember her in a special way, and agree that the best way to honor her memory is to increase awareness about domestic violence.
When asked what they most want people and other students in particular to know about their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Danny Bolden said they want them to remember Latasha’s legacy and that through her death, hopefully many other young ladies can be saved from relationship violence.
Her parents call her “one of God’s angels.” In the biography that her family uses to tell others about Latasha, she is described as a beautiful, caring young lady who would help anyone. She was encouraging, soft-spoken, smart, a Dean’s list student; she loved God and always tried to do her best.
“It was hard for us at first, but we’re Christian and we’ve come to know that God works differently from us,” said Bolden. “He wanted to use Latasha’s life to help us speak to others… to use her name to bring about more awareness of the problem of domestic violence.”
Bolden said that he and his wife have been able to see some fruit from the seeds they have planted since their daughter’s death through their efforts to speak in schools, churches, communities and conferences.
He said he feels compelled to speak to teens about the dangers in unhealthy relationships and to point out some of the red flags. Many times, parents and others never know that violence is prevalent in teen relationships, he added.
“I let them know that you can only get help if you tell someone … don’t keep it a secret. You do not have to suffer in silence,” Bolden stated.
Jerry Miller, former editor-in-chief of the Jacksonian yearbook who got to know Norman when she joined the staff, said: “‘Tasha’ was the type of person you couldn’t not like. If you didn’t like Tasha, it was because of you. She just was not a confrontational type of person. You wouldn’t think that somebody would do something like that to her just because of the type of person who she was.”
Miller added: “I had never had anyone that close to me actually experience [domestic violence] and be killed. It was a tough situation for me, but it has definitely changed my perspective. Every friend has that ‘If it was me, I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t take that. I wouldn’t put up with it,’ ….but after what happened to Tasha, I was more adamant about it.”
Miller believes Norman’s story can also be a wake up call to young men.
“I don’t think a lot of guys realize how their anger can affect their actual actions,” he said.
Even though he said he never really cared for Cole, Miller said, “I honestly don’t think that he intentionally set out to kill her. I think it’s something that got out of hand and he went too far.”
Miller said he believes young men should understand, “It should never get to the point where you feel you have to put your hands on somebody if it’s that serious.”
Kenneth Bunch, a 2010 alumnus, who majored in business marketing while at JSU also met Norman through the student publications staff.
“She was always sweet, really nice, always helpful. And she always had a smile on her face whenever she came in the office.”
Both Miller and Bunch said they were shocked that something so horrific could happen to someone so nice.
“We were just shocked. You see somebody that you hung out with or you worked with a week before or a few days before. I saw her maybe two days before she came up missing,” said Bunch.
Miller said he thinks more women should speak up and break the silence that often is associated with domestic violence. He said he makes it a priority to ash his friends whether or nor the people they date hit them. “If I don’t know what’s going on with you, I can’t help you.”
The annual 5K run/walk that bears Norman’s name is an event that raises awareness by bringing together community, fitness and church groups, JSU faculty, staff and students, and various organizations that work to prevent domestic violence. Since the walks began, Norman’s family members have also been a part of the event.
Registration forms area available online at 10.14.12.245/studentlife/pdf/latashanorman/runwalk.pdf or contact the Latasha Norman Center at 601-979-0374.
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