Prevention is Possible – Take Back the Night at Stony Brook University
On Tuesday April 26th at 7 pm Stony Brook University will host a big Take Back the Night Event that will consist of guest speakers, banner and poster making, a march around campus, and a vigil to honor survivors.
“The more that participate, the more awareness we spread and the closer we come to completely eliminating sexual violence on college campuses,” Suzanne Loevner, co-chair/co-founder of the Sexual Assault Committee of the Undergraduate Social Welfare Alliance at Stony Brook University
The Center for Women’s Concerns and the National Organization for Women: Mid-Suffolk Chapter will be on hand for the event as well.
Loevner says April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). “It’s meant to put a stop to sexual assault everywhere and is a survivor based event reclaiming the right not to live in fear of being assaulted,” she explained.
The theme this year is Prevention is Possible. That seems to be a theme throughout the state and here in Suffolk this past year. In July Senate Majority Leader Senator John Flanagan (Smithtown’s Senator) passed a critical bill called Enough is Enough which the Governor signed into law. A comprehensive law it includes many facets including easier reporting methods, prosecutorial processing, prevention measures and an increased involvement and efficiency of law enforcement working with sexual assault survivors on college campuses.
A union of Smithtown women have also come together for form a grassroots movement. The group is made of advocates and several female members of the local government, including Legislator Leslie Kennedy, Legislator Kara Hahn, Smithtown Councilwoman Lynne Nowick and fellow Town Board members from Brookhaven Township. Their simple mission is to prevent sexual assault on college campuses through education and communication. They are reaching out at present to all Suffolk high schools to bring forth an evidence-based program by Smithtown’s own non-profit Parents for Megan’s law to high school seniors.
“I am very interested in this work and happy to be part of it,” Councilwoman Lynne Nowick
Loevner says SAAM is an international event that began five decades ago. The first big event in the U.S. was in 1975. “Keeping quiet about the subject helps to perpetuate rape mentality. It’s important to not only speak up but to show up and take a stand against sexual violence,” she added.
The Mission Statement is: It is the mission of the Sexual Assault Committee of the Undergraduate Social Welfare Alliance to promote safety, dignity, and accountability in university culture through educating, advocating for, and ascertaining transparency of university policies regarding sexual assault.
Loevner says they are again asking for ANONYMOUS submissions of individual’s experience with sexual assault to be shared at the event. “You write it, we read it…no names will be shared. The submissions can be made at by clicking: TakeBacktheNightbu.Tumblr.com link . The Tumblr account is private and all information will be be kept confidential.” she explained.
TAKE BACK THE NIGHT ®
- 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men worldwide experience some form of sexual violence.
- Less than 50% of victims report these crimes.
- No one should fear the night . . . or the day.
- Shatter the Silence. Stop the Violence.
Take Back the Night History
Take Back the Night’s history spans over half a century. Decades ago in Europe, women from many countries met together as a tribunal council to discuss women’s safety when walking down public streets.
In 1973, TBTN goers protested pornography in San Francisco and serial murders of women of color in Los Angeles. In October 1975, a march was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after the murder of microbiologist Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed to death while walking home alone. “Take Back the Night” was used as the title of a 1977 memorial read by Anne Pride at an anti-violence rally in Pittsburgh.
One of our Board members, Laura Lederer, named her book Take Back the Night, published by Harper Perennial on September 1, 1980.Canadians held one of their first marches to protest sexual violence in 1978 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Vancouver Rape Relief held Take Back The Night® marches from 1980-1985. In 1981, The Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centers declared the third Friday of September to be the designated date for Take Back The Night® marches nationwide. Since the 1970s in the United States, TBTN has focused on eliminating sexual and domestic violence in all forms. Thousands of colleges, domestic violence shelters, and rape crisis centers have held events all over the country.
In the late 1960s, TBTN began holding events in the United States after coming stateside from Europe. The Foundation’s Board Members and supporters came together to unite the hundreds of events being held under the TBTN banner around the world. Many of our Board Members participated in our earliest Events and bring with them their unique experiences with TBTN to shape our focus and future. All of our Board Members stand together with passion for our cause. Sexual and domestic violence continues to occur in epidemic proportions. People across the world are taking back their voices by speaking out. Take Back The Night® is a beacon of hope for millions.
In current practice, Take Back the Night events are not only inclusive of men, but include men as victims, bystanders, and supporters. Wesleyan University in Connecticut allows men to participate in speaking on their own experiences with sexual assault.
While the march began as a way to protest the violence that women experienced while walking in public at night, the purpose of these marches was to speak out against this violence and raise community awareness as a preventive measure against future violence. Women are often told to be extra careful and take precautions when going out at night. In some parts of the world, even today, women are not allowed out at night. So when women struggle for freedom, we must start at the beginning by fighting for freedom of movement.
Loevner is expecting a large turnout as the event has become quite popular at Stony Brook University as they have been participating for years. She urges victims, loved ones of victims and supporters to turn out for the event which encompasses a powerful candlelight vigil for the survivors. Check out the Facebook page or for more information call Maureen Rossi at 917.975.4324