Sac State students to march against sexual assault
Survivor solidarity walk on campus to be held April 26
Howl Arts Collective / CC BY
Montreal students gather for a Take Back the Night march at the Center for Gender Advocacy at Concordia University on Nov. 23, 2013. The Take Back the Night movement has sprung up marches across the globe, and Sac State has been holding its own for 17 years running.
April 26, 2018
The 17th annual Take Back the Night march, an event meant to spread awareness about sexual violence and support survivors, will take place in the library quad on Thursday, April 26 at 6 p.m.
The theme for this year’s march is “Embrace your Voice,” which event organizer Bajha Jordan said will emphasize survivors’ stories and empower their voices in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The Sacramento State event is being held through the Healthy Relationships program within Health and Wellness Promotion, which offers various sexual health services as a part of Student Health and Counseling Services.
Jordan, the student manager for Health and Wellness Promotion, said the event aims to end silence surrounding cases of sexual assault.
“There is a lot of victim blaming that arises from sexual violence and I hope that at the end of the event, survivors will know that what happen(ed) to them is not their fault and that they have allies who are here to support and believe them,” Jordan said.
Take Back the Night will feature a keynote address from representatives of WEAVE, formerly known as Women Escaping a Violent Environment, a Sacramento-based domestic abuse and sexual assault crisis center, Jordan said.
Attendees will then be led on a walk through campus to show solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and to form a sense of community among students
Discussions during Take Back the Night will focus on consent and why it is important, Jordan said. In addition, survivors of sexual assault will tell their stories, with some reciting spoken-word poetry.
According to Jordan, a resource fair will be held to provide students with departmental support and services available for students who have experienced sexual assault.
Jordan said there will also be live music. Vocal performances of Carrie Underwood’s “So Small” and Sara Evans’ “Suds in the Bucket” will be given.
Take Back the Night will close with group healing through meditation.
Jordan said that she hopes to “bring the students on campus together to show that Sac State is a community and that as a community we will stand with survivors and speak against any jokes and comments that supports rape.”
The event will require no admission fee and is open to all who would like to attend.
