Members of the University and Charlottesville communities participated in a series of events this past week for the 24th annual Take Back the Night, an organization that raises awareness about sexual assault and violence against women.
This year's program was organized by the Sexual Assault Leadership Council and Feminism is for Everyone. More than 100 University students volunteered to provide assistance for one or more of the events that took place throughout the week, said Leslie Keena, co-chair of Take Back the Night at the University.
Events took place Monday through Saturday and included a "How to Date a Survivor Panel," a sexual assault board mock trial, an art project, a rally and a candlelight vigil. In addition to the typical annual events, this year's program included new programs such as a self-defense demonstration, a self-defense workshop and a restorative yoga class. Keena described the week as an opportunity to put a face to the statistics.
"It makes people realize this [issue] isn't just a number or random headline," she said. "It's real people experiencing real violence. Sexual assault is one of the most under-reported crimes, and it can't be swept under the rug."
Take Back the Night tries to end the silence surrounding sexual assault by providing opportunities for survivors to talk about their experiences. One of the primary events for such discussions occurred Thursday during the rally and vigil, which serves as the focal point of the week.
Participants gathered for the rally at Washington Park, where they heard from a diverse group of speakers, including Morgan Harrington's mother, Gil Harrington. Morgan was a victim of sexual violence who was murdered 18 months ago after attending a concert at John Paul Jones Arena.
After the rally, marchers proceeded to the candlelight vigil at the University's Amphitheater. During the candlelight vigil, survivors had the chance to anonymously tell their stories from behind a tent.\nKeena estimated that 1,000 people attended this year's vigil, which was a powerful event for Jean Miller, co-chair of Take Back the Night. Miller emphasized the importance of bringing the University community together.
"We're all focused on our own majors and projects and sometimes forget that we're this cohesive community that needs each other and supports each other," Miller said. "My favorite part is to see people who might not have come out at other things throughout the year to come together and support survivors [of sexual assault]."
When describing her overall reaction to this year's Take Back the Night, Miller said the program provided a chance to support survivors and to speak out against sexual violence, so that "even though we're dealing with tragedy, you come out of it and you feel better about it because there are people out there who care"
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