On Wednesday, March 30, 2011, a conglomeration of men and women from the BC community came out to support and spread awareness of Rape Education. Take Back the Night, started by brave and willing women in 1975, marked the start of a remarkable program that has spread nationwide and across many college campuses.
As the crisp blue sky stretched over O’Neill Plaza last night, there was an instant sense of camaraderie and calm reflection from the start of the event. After the BC Sharps – the all-female a cappella group on campus – performed with musically charged emotion, a BC professor recited a poem about the horrors of rape and explained the history of the Take Back the Night rally and then survivors of sexual assault and rape stepped up to the podium.
Followed by their tear-jerking stories, Brotherhood for Change led a men’s pledge, in which all the men from the audience came up to the front of O’Neill Plaza to recite a promise to be an exception to the statistic of men committing sexual assaults nationwide. They offered support and condolence while standing strong and confident. Following that, members of the WRC spoke briefly about Bystander Education, SANET, and the sexual assault network on campus, and stressed the importance of Concern About Rape Education (C.A.R.E) week. At the close of the event, glow sticks were passed out to students and faculty, shivering on the cold steps of the plaza to remind them to light the night, whether it be in literal dark spaces on campus or a place that is meaningful to them.
As a woman at BC, it’s hard for me to believe that there are regular cases of rape happening on a campus where I feel so safe and among people who proclaim to be men and women for others. The survivors acknowledged that rape could happen to anyone at any time, no matter who you are or what your gender is. The men and women who spoke last Wednesday are remarkable reminders of what we need to do as members of the BC community to spread awareness and reflect on our own experiences. We need to be bold, bright, and illuminating through the darkness that dwells in the shadows of sexual assault and disrespect. As the courageous survivors opened up their hearts and inspired BC to Take Back the Night, I felt proud and humbled to be part of such a powerful, empowering, and emotional experience.