2024 Recipient of the Kim Gresh Survivor's Award presented by Live Safe Resources

Ms. Katina M. Davis is an Author, Mother, advocate and pillar of her community. A native Washingtonian by way of Miami, Florida, Katina received her formal education in the District of Columbia public school system. Her love for books and reading extends back to her early childhood. In fact, during her junior and senior years of high school, Katina landed her first job at Borders Books and Music where she was enchanted by thousands of books on a daily basis. As an employee at Borders, Katina was allowed to “borrow” books for up to three days at a time – just like a library, which fed her obsession with books and reading even more. While she is passionate about reading, Katina gives credence to the fact that her mother is also and has always been an avid reader – her love for literature hails from her mother.

Katina holds a Bachelors Degree in
Psychology from Liberty University. She resides in the Metro Atlanta area with her family. Upon relocating to Atlanta from the Washington Metropolitan area, Katina would ultimately enter into an abusive relationship that sent her world crashing down and changed her life, forever. She was criminalized and arrested for defending herself against her abuser after contacting the police more than ten times over a short period of time having never received the resources and assistance she needed from first responders. Although the abusive relationship nearly destroyed her, it allowed Katina to undergo an internal reconstruction in the process. After surviving the abusive relationship, Katina started writing and, changed her trajectory by putting her trauma into the pages of books. While her first book “It’s Okay to Be Broken: Just Know You Can’t Stay There” was initially a vessel for healing, Katina rediscovered her love for books and writing through the publication of that book and decided to keep the momentum going. Today, she is a self-published author of two books and has released a second book that not only allowed her to heal wounds inflicted by her peers during her childhood but that also allows Black & Brown girls around the world to feel seen, heard and understood. “Learning to Love Dark Skinned Me” is now available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and several other bookstores. Recently, Learning to Love Dark Skinned Me received honorable mention in the Story Monsters Inc Book Awards for Best Picture books 6 & Older. Ms. Davis has also been named the 2024 recipient of the Kim Gresh Award from Live Safe Resources - a local organization which aides survivors of Domestic Violence and, sexual assault. Kim Gresh is on the board of directors at Live Safe Resources and has been for over 10 years. She is a fierce advocate for LSR and the clients they serve and this award was named in her honor. The Kim Gresh Award celebrates the incredible strength and resilience of abuse and assault survivors everywhere and Katina is humbly grateful to have been extended such a prestigious honor. 

Katina is a pillar of strength and a shining example of what could be achieved after experiencing the debilitating effects of an abusive relationship and it is important for everyone to see/hear what she has decided to share with the world.

Katina enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with family and, binge watching anything with a little mystery. She also cares deeply about others and uplifting her community as she dedicates a huge portion of her time to helping others in need through her non-profit, The Melanin Motherhood Inc.