Students and community members alike braved the snowy spring weather on Thursday the 18th to show up in support of survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
The Feminist Uprising Collective Club on the Boulder County campus, with help from FRCC faculty and Student Life, put together the eighth annual TBTN event.
The aim was to raise awareness around sexual and domestic violence, provide resources for victims and their families, and create a safe space for people to share their own stories.
“I think it’s important that we keep it on the surface and we don’t let it get buried,” said Zach Bell, a member of the feminist club, “It’s a healthy reminder that we’ve still got more work to do on our community and on ourselves as well.”
Amy Mann, co-founder of the Take Back the Night event and communications instructor at FRCC, shared that she requires students to attend events like TBTN every semester.
“I want them to be responsible members of the community,” said Mann.
“I have some students who really feel uncomfortable here and they don’t get it, and then they walk around and they realize that we can have fun and still talk about really important issues,” she continued.
Guest speakers shared both their professional expertise as well as their personal experiences with interpersonal violence.
“So much education and advocacy is still needed,” said forensic nurse and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program coordinator, Connie Galindo.
Galindo shared, “During the entirety of my childhood, I encountered professionals, teachers, doctors, nurses, police officers, social workers, that either didn’t have the training and education to identify abuse, or they didn’t have the courage or the environment of empowerment to be able to say anything about it when they did encounter it.”
Dr. AnnJanette Alejano-Steele, co-founder of the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, shared with audience members what to look for when identifying possible victims of trafficking.
“We need to pay attention to the people behind the scenes, the back of the house, the people cleaning up behind us. Long after this event ends, who’s staying behind?” asked Dr. Alejano-Steele.
“You are now eyes and ears in the community to be looking out for those who are in need,” she continued.
The event concluded with an open mic segment in which guests were invited to shatter their silence and share their experiences with sexual violence.
This event segment, which was originally allotted about 40 minutes in the program schedule, extended almost a full hour over the given time.
Everyone who wanted to speak was given the opportunity and space to do so.
Guests who had spoken would return to the mic, inspired by what others had said, to share more of their story.
“The only way this will ever end is if we talk about it,” said Mann.
