Take Back The Night: UMD students and community support survivors of assault

This week marks Consent Week as well as being Domestic Violence Awareness Month. UMD has hosted a number of events to bring awareness including a Take Back the Night event. The event serves as a rally cry and protest for women who continue to fight for their right to walk at night and be free from sexual violence, including but not limited to: domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse, sexual assault, etc.  The event is hosted by UMD’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion and Women’s Resource and Action Center. The event saw a number of people come out to support the cause. The events all week have included: hosting tables with community resources and advocates, marching, holding a candlelight vigil for the lives lost to violence, as well as many speeches from community speakers.

“So tonight’s event is, Take Back The Night Tonight”, which is a huge global movement about protesting and spreading awareness about sexual violence against anybody, for that matter. And it’s very important for us because we are trying to change campus climate, demanding for change, helping survivors in their own healing journey and making sure that we have voices. And of course, we always want to spread awareness towards those who can’t use their voices,” says Aaliyah her, a UMD Women’s Resource Action Center Intern.

Community involvement is absolutely key. The support of not only the student life on campus but the community as a whole is what many at the event expressed as key in ending this violence.

“I think having support can actually help someone to an extreme amount, just having a sense of community around them. I think feeling alone is a very hard thing just to feel by yourself. And I think if you have others that support you and that can either know what you’re going through or can give you resources or help you, I think that’s something that’s really amazing,” says Ella a student a UMD.