Jeffrey S. Binkley
Founder, Maura's Voice
2022, 2023
Jeff and Margaret Binkley founded Maura’s Voice in the wake of the November 2018 shooting at a Tallahassee, Florida Hot Yoga studio that took the life of their daughter Maura, then a 21-year-old senior at Florida State University. This shooting was a crime of hate committed by a misogynist member of the incel subculture with a long history of abusive and criminal behavior toward women. FSU Medical School Professor Dr. Nancy Van Vessem was also lost, and four other women were wounded in the attack. The victims were targeted for no other reason than being women.
In the aftermath of this tragedy Jeff and Margaret are working to honor Maura’s legacy through addressing hatred and violence in our society based on the premise that: Research + Education + Engagement = Change. To put the premise into practice, Maura’s Voice supports: academic and legal research focused on hate crimes and prevention of violence against women and girls through the Maura’s Voice Fund for Research (MVFR) at Florida State University; initiatives to educate the public, policy makers and media on effective policy alternatives; and programs to promote civic engagement by the young women of Maura’s generation.
The effort to eradicate hate requires the active participation of every component of our society, to include governments, the private sector, communities of faith and indeed every aspect of civil society. There is no more urgent task in front of us. The organizers of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit are doing the United States and the world an enormous service by tackling hatred and extremism with a focus on honest dialogue and conversation, genuine learning and practical solutions. This will not happen overnight, but the Pittsburgh community’s leadership in this effort is genuinely inspiring and motivating.
