In recent years, public conversations about sexual assault have
become increasingly mainstream, from President Barack Obama establishing the
White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault in 2014 to Lady
Gaga paying tribute to rape survivors at the Oscars last month. It raises the
question: how can we better support sexual-violence survivors in our own city?
To respond to this concern, six local organizations have come
together to create “
Not Alone Baltimore,” a three-part event series centering on the experiences of
sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivors, which takes place at
University of Baltimore over the next month. The three events—ranging from an
evening of performances to a town hall discussion—lead up to an April 9 display
of the
Monument Quilt, a public monument for survivors of rape and abuse conceived
by
Force: Upsetting Rape Culture.
The three events not only provide a healing space for
survivors, but also work to “build political strength among survivors,”
according to Rebecca Nagle, co-founder of Force. “It’s creating space for
survivors together, for us to really talk about what we need from Baltimore
City.”
Along with Force and University of Baltimore, the series is
organized by American Association of University Women’s (AAUW)
Younger Women’s Task Force: Baltimore Chapter, The Family Arts Museum, FreeState Legal and Equality Maryland, and Hollaback! Baltimore.
Through collaborating with a range of organizations, the
series’ coordinators aim to touch on issues they feel are under-discussed in
conversations about rape and abuse–for example, how sexual violence intersects
with homelessness or police brutality. “I always feel like we don’t have enough
people talking about these issues,” says Brittany Oliver, director of
Hollaback! Baltimore, who is part of the organizational team for the series’
second event.
For Force, the event series also serves to further ground the
organization in its hometown—Baltimore. “Because the Monument Quilt is a
national project, this series of events is really to re-root us in Baltimore,”
says Hannah Brancato, co-founder of Force. This sentiment is one of the reasons
Brancato’s excited to partner with UB, since, unlike many other universities in
the area, its students are predominantly from the city.
Force has also been organizing with Dr. Tara Richards, an
assistant professor at UB’s School of Criminal Justice, whose research focuses
on domestic abuse and sexual assault. The UB Foundation, which funds the event
series, has contributed $7,600, according to Richards. “It’s a very good fit,
because we actually have academic programming that draws students that are
specifically interested in serving victims of crime,” she says, noting the school’s
victim studies concentration options and the associated Roper Victim Assistance
Academy. “Victim services, generally, are very important to the school.”
Attend the event series,
listed below, and stay tuned for our full story on Force in the June issue, on stands
in late May.
March 9: Storytelling as Resistance
University of Baltimore,
Wright Theater, 21 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 6-8 p.m. Free. 336-404-0959.
themonumentquilt.org.
Survivors and allies share stories, poetry, and other
performances.
March 23: What Does Community Accountability Look Like?
University of Baltimore’s
Business Center Auditorium, 11 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 6-8 p.m. Free. 336-404-0959.
themonumentquilt.org.
Sit in on a
panel discussion that considers paths to justice for survivors.
April 6: Town Hall for Survivors of Sexual and Domestic Violence
University of Baltimore’s
Business Center Auditorium, 11 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 6-8 p.m. Free. 336-404-0959.
themonumentquilt.org.
This community-wide event will feature small-group
discussions about the healing and justice resources that survivors need from
the city.