Content warning: sexual assault
In an effort to mobilize all people to limit sexual violence against women, Take Back the Night was born. What began as a solitary march at the University of Southern Florida in 1972 blossomed into a national and international movement of college students taking action to prevent sexual assault. Now as a foundation since 2001, they strive to advocate for, support, and provide resources to survivors at all times.
A Look Back
What inspired you to plan this event?
I'd read about the history of Take Back the Night events and attended one when I was in college at UCSB. I saw how much healing happened when people came together for survivors and let them know that they had community and were supported as human beings. At the time, I was serving as the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator in Ventura County, CA. I spent my weekends and evening in hospitals and police stations holding the hands of sexual assault survivors of all different backgrounds and ages. They felt shame, dirtiness, and isolation. The city of Ventura was small and had never hosted a Take Bake the Night event. I wanted to raise awareness around sexual violence, change the narrative about how it happened and who survivors are, and create community for anyone who had experienced sexual violence or had a loved one who was assaulted. I had a phenomenal supervisor at the time who very much empowered me to lead the planning for the first-ever event there. I remember going into her office timidly and saying, “do you think we can do something here?” And she said “yes, and I want you to organize it!”
Can you explain the timing and the current climate?
It was 1997: I had just graduated from college and began working at the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator position at what was then the Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (now known as Coalition for Family Harmony). When I was in college, we weren't talking or thinking every day about sexual assault. But I do remember walking home from parties at night alone being terrified, or feeling very uncomfortable as an acquaintance got too close and was inappropriate at a party. I had conversations with friends who questioned whether their encounters were attacks or brought on by themselves. You would hear rumors about assaults or situations, but for the most part young women lived in silence.
What did the organization behind the event look like with your organization and support?
I received a ton of support from the organization I worked with, and we organized a great group of volunteers to help get out the word in the community. We had to get permits from the police and city departments, but they were open to hosting.
What was the intended and actual outcome of the march?
Honestly, I just wanted to raise awareness for survivors and create community support. I wanted to show solidarity and provide space for people to come forward if they had stories to tell. And we did! We had people speak about their assaults for the first time, and women and men held hands and marched while chanting “Take Back the Night”. We received local press coverage, and similar events continued to be hosted in the years to follow.
What advice would you give someone who wants to organize marches and their community but doesn’t know where to start?
Just do it! Start talking to your friends and local organizations about your idea. Reach out to others who have hosted events in the past to learn from their experiences.
How does organizing and activism connect back to politics/policy?
Raising awareness definitely leads to policy change. Giving people a voice and autonomy leads to people speaking out in several different ways, including contacting their legislators and policymakers. Rallies give us opportunities to educate and empower. In the case of Ventura County, the work we did to organize Take Back the Night and raise awareness around survivor rights coincided with the opening of a second Sexual Assault Response Center. This additional center in another part of the county provided greater accessibility for survivors to not have to travel so far for exams when they were in trauma.
A Look Ahead
Amy Zucchero has surely set a prime example of what activism and advocacy can resemble in a college setting. Today, women and advocates are more active than ever in facilitating positive change on our campuses and communities.
One woman on the forefront of sexual assault awareness is Jemie Fofanah. In addition to attending law school at NYU, Jemie is a Policy and Advocacy Organizer for Know Your IX. In this role, she serves as a advocate for ending sexual violence and aids in the organization’s mission of educating all about the protections of Title IX of the 1972 Education Admendments. Jemie works to curtail sexual and dating violence and harassment through education and programming in all spaces, especially college campuses and empowers others to join her in the fight.
Katarina Watson is also making strides in limiting sexual assault as a Student Engagement Team Organizer for Know Your IX and as a Georgia Policy and Birth Justice Intern for SisterSong. This latter organization works to promote reproductive rights for minority women specifically in the South. They host training and leadership programs, like the Reproductive Justice Training Program, to elevate women into positions of power and use their voice to advocate, educate, and mobilize others for an intersectional approach to health and reproductive rights.
Quadira Coles, a former IGNITE fellow and the current Policy Manager at Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), also fights to end sexual violence. This organization, which was directed by #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, works to amplify the voices of girls and women of color in physical, psychological, social, and economic means. They organize and mobilize hundreds of boys and girls in NYC to help end discrimination and segregation toward communities of color. One of the many programs GGE organizes, “Sisters in Strength,” works to better educate and mobilize women of color in high school to protect their peers from gender-based violence, including sexual harassment.
With these amazing and impactful women shaping the policy and advocacy surrounding sexual harassment and assault, our future looks brighter. You can help be a part of the movement as well! Advocate for legislation like the Abby Honold and Campus Accountability and Safety Acts today! Organize a Take Back the Night march on your campus or in your community! The time is now to start educating yourself on current issues of social justice and expand your advocacy to progress toward a more equitable and safe future for all!
Resources
If you are in immediate need of support, call the National Sexual Assault Helpline.
They accept phone calls 24 hours a day at 1-800-656-4673.
A comprehensive list of services and resources is available at rainn.org.
Suggested Viewing
View Liberal Jane’s artwork
Interact with Take Back the Night through Instagram
Getting to Know the Campus Accountability and Safety Act
Take action: the Abby Honold Act
We Should Be Heard: Christine Blasey Ford’s Voice in Politics