Disclaimer: Please note this article discusses themes of domestic and sexual violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual or domestic violence, there are resources. Roanoke College offers Student Wellness Services, contactable at (540)375-2286. The National Sexual Assault Legal Hotline (including free legal assistance for survivors) is (567)742-8837.
On Tuesday April 7, Student Wellness Services hosted a Take Back the Night event in which students could march together to raise awareness during Sexual Assault Awareness Week.
Take Back the Night (TBTN) is an international movement beginning in the 1970’s that seeks to empower victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. To accomplish this, TBTN holds rallies and marches to raise awareness and create a safe space for survivors.
According to the Advocacy Center of Tompkins County, TBTN began because in the 19th century the streets were perceived “as a place of permissible violence, especially at night.” Generally, both domestic and international culture accepted this as reality. Many women were denied social and legal justice because of the assumption that their intentions were immoral when walking alone at night.
Public outrage over misogynistic assumptions and a failed justice system resulted in the first TBTN walk taking place in 1972 at the University of Southern Florida. Following incidents of gendered assault and violence, protestors took to the street in witches costumes, wielding brooms and banners in an ironic protest of sexist stereotypes and the deep rooted history of violence against women.
The first national TBTN march in the United States took place shortly thereafter in 1978. 3,000 protestors gathered with banners, posters and torches to march up the red-light districts of San Francisco, chanting “Women Unite, Take Back the Night.” These marches began to integrate themselves into a larger feminist movement, particularly spreading awareness on how pornography creates a normalization and demand for violence against women.
Although the movement began as a women’s movement, TBTN emphasizes their devotion to standing with all people who have experienced sexual violence including women, men, transgender people and all members of the LBGTQIA+ community.
The oldest worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence, TBTN’s “global mission as a charitable Foundation is to end all forms of sexual violence… and to support survivors in their healing journeys,” according to Take Back the Night. This is demonstrated with the adoption of a different slogan- “People Unite, Take Back the Night.”
Today, we can see that some of the same false cultural assumptions that first led women to organize and protest are still prevalent. Common rhetoric dismisses the impact that sexual violence has on people of all walks of life. TBTN is especially significant because it challenges these rhetoric and creates a safe space for all people who have experienced such violence.
The movement, while offering resources and community to those who are already victims, also seeks to combat the root of the issue. Widespread misogynistic rhetoric, pornography, ineffective legislation and cultural acceptance all play a role in the prevelance of sexual violence, so the movement continues to target these issues.
Sexual assault and domestic violence are unfortunately more common in college settings. Coming together as a community is one of the best ways to raise awareness for and fight against this issue. Sophomore Lauralee Robinson, who attended the event, said that, “The event showed that the college is a support system to those in need who are affected by sexual assault. It was nice seeing how many people showed up to the event because not a lot of college students stand up for something bigger than themselves.”
Ultimately, TBTN demonstrated the strength in community that Roanoke College students and people of all walks of life have when they come together to express their beliefs. Sexual and domestic violence continue to be prevalent issues even 50 years after TBTN protests began. Although the fight for justice has been a long one, what has remained consistent is the solidarity and support we can offer to each other.
Sophia Vance
Staff Reporter
