Johnnetta McSwain

Johnnetta McSwain, Ph.D., MSW, from the mean streets of Birmingham, Alabama to the halls of academia, and from GED to Ph.D., Johnnetta McSwain, beat the odds. She is the recipient of the Emmy Award winning documentary, “The Road Beyond Abuse”, expert in Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Sexual Violence (SV), published author, “Rising Above the Scars”, Victim Empowerment Specialist, Adjunct Seminar Instructor and Field Liaison at Clark Atlanta University (CAU) Whitney M. Young, Jr., School of Social Work, Coach, Program Development/workshop facilitator. She is an International Speaker extraordinaire who tells it like it is with wit, charm, and wisdom. Wearing her fabulous stilettos, she aids to empower and inspire individuals to move from hopelessness to hope by becoming of aware of their cycles that impede their life and take action to break them to reach their fullest potential in their life.
Born to an alcoholic mother and an absent father, the odds were unceremoniously stacked against her even as she drew her first breath. By the innocent age of five, she was viciously raped and incessantly battered by her three uncles while in the custody of her grandparents.
She kept this dirty little secret to herself as she continued to be sexually, physically and emotional abused by her uncles, aunts and her momma. Life was unbearable as she was beaten, tied up, sat outside naked in the cold winters of Birmingham Alabama until she came down with a severe case of pneumonia and was hospitalized. Threatened to secrecy and death, she didn’t tell anyone she was being abused. Throughout her adolescent years, she became a product of her environment. At the early age of 12, she started shoplifting shoes and panties.
At age 17, she dropped out of high school and started a life of self-destruction, selling drugs, tricking, clubbing, and promiscuity. At age 19, she bore her first son, which led to her applying for low income housing, welfare, food stamps and Medicaid. With no baby daddy, nor a high school diploma, Johnnetta got her GED and a few temp jobs here and there. While continuing her lifestyle of clubbing 5 nights out of seven, shoplifting, and promiscuity, she bore her second son at age 26.
Seven months later, she got caught stealing at the mall and left her 7 year old son and 7 month old son in the middle of the mall parking lot, while running from the police. While sitting in jail overnight, she decided she needed to change her life to save her boys. With no money and little knowledge about the criminal system; she was convicted with a felony and a year probation.
On her 30th birthday, she had an epiphany to run for her life. She packed up her house, rented the largest truck and drove to Georgia twice in one night. In 2003, at age 33, she started Kennesaw State University, she combated her fear of writing by visiting the writing lab for three years. She studied with the smartest, until she became one of them. In 2006, she graduated with a BS from Kennesaw State University.
Her mission was to become the first doctor in her family. Wasting no time, she applied to Clark Atlanta University (CAU) School of Social Work. In 2006, she started studying for her Masters in Social Work. In 2007, her mentor Dr. Susan Kossak encouraged her to write her life story. She wrote her story in a 12 Step Self Awareness Model (SAM). Today she has presented this 12 Step model in more than 55 conferences and organizations in 20 states and 6 countries.
In 2007, she met with the producer of Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) in hopes of sharing her story of breaking her generational cycles of childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse, self-destruction, prison, drugs, poverty, high-school dropout, promiscuity and death. In 2008, she graduated with a Masters in Social Work and with a GPA of 3.98 along with honors.
In April, 2009, National Child Abuse and Neglect Month, the Emmy award winning documentary, the Road Beyond Abuse, debuted on GPB. The documentary directed and produced by GPB and narrated by Jane Fonda, depicted Johnnetta and her slightly older sister Sonya brutal life story of sexual, physical and emotional abuse by three uncles and their mother. In 2010, after hundreds of emails from women and young girls all around the world, some sharing their stories, others praising Johnnetta for being brave enough to tell her story, while others just want to know how did she do it, how did she make it out and others like Sonya don’t. Although Johnnetta had a fear of writing, she knew she had to write and publish her autobiography and in October 2010, she debuted, Rising Above the Scars and have sold over 3000 globally.
Johnnetta has since founded the organization Breaking the Cycle, Beating the Odds, an organization that help women to become self-aware of their negative, self-destructive behavioral cycles that cripple their ability to reach for their fullest potential in life.
In 2012, Johnnetta story was featured in guru John C Maxwell’s latest New York Times Bestselling book, “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth; Chapter 3: The Law of the Mirror: You Must See Value in Yourself to Add Value to Yourself.
“Johnnetta story was an example of what can happen in a person’s life when she recognizes her value and begins to add value to herself”, John C. Maxwell, pg. 38, 2012
On April 11, 2014, after 10 consecutive years of college, Johnnetta defended her Ph.D. in Social Work Policy and Administration; thus, becoming the first doctor in her family in May, 2015. Her passion to end childhood sexual abuse were directly related to her dissertation research titled, “An Analysis of Program and Services Designed to ameliorate Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence among Women with a History of Child Sexual Abuse”. Her two sons now, 26 (married and pursuing a Sociology/Social Work Degree) and 19 (freshman at Kennesaw State University) are following her footsteps by continuing to break their family generational cycles.
Johnnetta is a sought ought published author, mentor, international empowerment speaker, philanthropist, entrepreneur, life development coach, workshop creator and facilitator. She creates, develops, implement and facilitates her very own seminars, panels, workshops, work books and training programs. She works in all settings (community, church, juvenile, schools, colleges, universities and shelters, addiction). She is an intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child sexual abuse expert, survivor, and advocate.
In May 2014, she traveled to St. Vincent to help initiate the first hotline for women and children that are suffering in silence from sexual abuse and violence. She have appeared in numerous newspapers (AJC), magazine (Examiner), TV (ABC 12, Fox 14), Radio, and has opened up as keynote and/or plenary for over 30 conferences/organizations. In addition, she have travels to over 21 schools including high schools, colleges and universities. In 2009, she was the recipient of Kennesaw State University Siegel Institute Phenomenal Woman Award and in 2011she was the recipient of the Soroptimist International of Atlanta Ruby Award. Thus, she has received numerous certificates and awards.
Johnnetta has created, implemented and facilitated eight workshop and trainings addressing how to overcome sexual abuse, domestic violence, failure, hurt, worthlessness, anger, hate, self-destruction, negative cycles and other social ills that keeps you trap. Her presentations and workshops, will inspire organizations, schools, groups, or teams to reach a new level of self-esteem, value, worth, and confidence. Her strong leadership skills empower women and young girls, to become self-aware of their negative, self-destructive behavioural cycles that cripple their ability to reach for their fullest potential. Her keeping it real style is loud, raw, funny, honest, transparent, engaging, thought-provoking, and unforgettable.
She is the true meaning that you too can Rise Above the Scars. She was awarded her Ph.D. in Social Work Policy and Administration from Clark Atlanta University December 2015. Making her the first doctor in her family’s generation. continues to travel globally sharing her story of how she broke the chains of abuse and self-destruction.