Girls Fight Back at AACC

Ten years ago, Erin Weed was in New York City, living her dream of working in television production. But a phone call in June changed everything and her destiny took a huge turn.

On June 12, 2001, Weed’s former roommate and sorority sister at Eastern Illinois University was assaulted and killed by an intruder in her own home. It had been a gruesome ordeal, and Shannon McNamara had fought hard, but she wasn’t prepared for such a violent attack.

"Upon hearing the news she was gone, I remember thinking, 'But things like this don’t happen,'” said Weed. “It's thoughts like these that have made me an effective teacher of personal safety and self-defense all these years, because fundamentally, I am every person who likes to pretend bad things don't happen. People connect with the fact that I'm real.”

Weed determined that Shannon’s death had a purpose and that she was the catalyst to creating a way for women across the country (and now across the world) to be aware of potential danger and to be ready, but without living a life of constant fear. She created Girls Fight Back, an organization that promotes the message that women have the power to be safe and deserve to live a fearless existence.

“I traveled the USA speaking to a half million young women at schools, colleges, corporations, brownie troops, religious institutions and taverns with sticky floors,” said Weed.

“I didn’t really have time to question what GFB was becoming, or where it should go since it seemed to take on a presence all its own. During these years, a book was published, a DVD was produced, awards were given, media appearances aired…all in memory of my Shannon. Along the way I’d often stop and feel proud of all our success, but I'd still trade it all to have my friend back.”

Weed recently traveled to Anne Arundel Community College to make her safety presentation as part of the school’s Sexual Assault Awareness month activities.

The accompanying video of provides a look at what an effective and knowledgeable speaker Weed is and offers excellent advice and guidance on self defense.”

Her presentation centered around trusting your intuition if something doesn’t feel right, making yourself a very bad victim, and asserting your readiness to fight back.

The GFB program instructs women to be prepared to utter the following phrases with conviction when confronted with an attacker:

(1) "don’t"

(2) "leave me alone"

(3) "I don’t want any problems."

For more information on Weed, her presentation, and her organization, go to www.girlsfightback.com.