Take Back The Night 2015

Take Back the Night is a well-known sexual assault awareness program that makes the simple assertion “no one should fear the night”. Take Back the Night is a movement that is rooted in publically taking a stand against sexual assault especially against woman. Take Back the Night’s story began with various reactive protests including those in 1975 protesting the serial murders of a black woman in Las Angeles. Internationally the Tribunal on Crimes against Woman held a reclaim the night march in Brussels in 1976. Protest spanned the ‘70’s in reaction to violence against women across the United States and Canada. In Canada form 1980 to 1985 The Vancouver Rape Relief held take back the night marches. These marches became the staple of the movement, a way for people to meet publically and actively take back what was lost.

Today Take Back the Night marches are held all across the United States organized by collages, rape crises center and domestic violence shelters. These marches create a show of force, not threatening, but powerful. The idea that we have the right to our own safety and actively working towards a night without fear has great unifying power. SUU’s Woman and Families Center 10^th annual Take Back the Night march echoed this great unifying power of sisterhood. 

Wade Hess, a participant in SUU’s Take Back the Night march, shared his experience, “It was cool to take part in an event with so many concerned, passionate people. Sexual violence is a huge problem that affects every community and therefore every person. Participating in this event inspired me to do my part in both eliminating the problem and spreading the word about its prevention.”