Take Back the Night, the annual community rally and march to raise awareness of sexual violence, is scheduled Tuesday, April 10, at the University of Wyoming.
The rally begins at 4 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Gardens, the march begins at 5 p.m. outside the union. Participants will march downtown and back to the Wyoming Union.
Keynote speaker is Nancy Schwartzman, founder and executive director of the Line Campaign that is dedicated to empowering young leaders to end sexual violence using original media to inspire action. Refreshments will be provided and The Bettys, UW's female vocal group, and Mama Lenny and the Remedy will perform.
Take Back the Night 2012 is designed to honor a shared history of activism with early women's rights campaigners.
"Students from my Visual Culture of Women's Activism class have worked to model this year's march after early suffrage groups that marched silently, to validate their dignity, integrity and demonstrate good citizenship in the hope that they would gain the right to vote," says Colleen Denney, UW Gender and Women's Studies Program director and professor. "The march also symbolizes the silence surrounding sexual survivors as they experience the aftermath of an assault."
Albany County SAFE Project reportedly worked with 25 victims of sexual assault in 2011. According to the Laramie Police Department, UW Police Department and Albany County Sheriff's Office, 65 reported sexual assaults were investigated -- also last year.
Take Back the Night 2012 is sponsored by the UW groups: Gender and Women's Studies Program, Service, Leadership and Civic Engagement (SLCE) office, Student Activities Council (SAC), Associated Students of UW (ASUW), UW STOP Violence Program, Women's Action Network (WAN) and SAFE Project.
