I was privileged enough to hear this piece in person at Michigan State’s final day of Take Back The Night 2021. While not specifying any particular incident, Danielle James’s spoken word poetry was written with a mindset of this piece being a culmination of two semester’s hard work.
Below are some of my favorite quotes from her writing. I hope you enjoy it. You can buy a copy of Dani’s poem along with all the other amazing writers’ work at HerCampus MSU’s Spring 2021 Special Sexual Assault Edition for only $5.
https://issuu.com/kay_c/docs/my_body_is_not_an_invitation
About the author
Danielle James or Dani, as known by friends, is a Junior-standing student at Michigan State University. In addition to being a member of MSU’s TBTN Planning Committee, she is also president of MSU’s Women*s Council and a 2020-2021 intern for MSU’s Women*s Student Services program. As a focused advocate, she has actively confronted Michigan State’s Board of Trustees on the roles individual members and the entire board have played concerning cases of sexual assault, harassment and misconduct at Michigan State University.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Boys Will Not be Boys
by Danielle James
“Boys will be boys… how am I expected to raise my voice?”
“A grown man first called out to me, a hot young thing”
“At 13 terrified that he might have different plans for me…”
“Women having to prepare themselves to go to war every-time that they step out the door”
“To say that no boys will not be boys but women will be women and you will not touch us till our consent is given.”