Hands on Healing

In this episode of Crime Survivors Speak, survivor advocate and community leader Elle Travis joins Aswad Thomas for a powerful conversation about survival, systemic failure, and the urgent need for change. A survivor of sexual violence, Elle shares how her own experience—compounded by the Detroit rape kit backlog and harmful biases within the justice system—led her to found Hands on Healing Detroit, a grassroots organization that supports survivors and uplifts community healing.

Together, Elle and Aswad explore how Black women are often denied their status as victims, how trauma and victimization are deeply interconnected, and why true justice must include both accountability and care. Elle offers a message of resilience, reminding survivors that they are not alone—and that healing is not only possible, but powerful.