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Editor's Note: Photographer Teresa Prince created three powerful videos of the stories told in this series. Watch them at www.dailynebraskan.com/assault .
After the sun set behind the bell tower at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, candlelight illuminated the somber faces of more than 50 men and women as they listened to emotional accounts of sexual violence.
The crowd of activists, survivors and concerned students gathered in UNO's plaza on March 28 for the school's first Take Back the Night rally.
Part of a movement to bring men and women together to protest against issues such as pornography and domestic violence, Take Back the Night stages rallies, marches and vigils across the country.
"Events like this empower women to take back the night they were violated," said Stephanie Johns, a UNO alumna who helped set up the rally.
Tearful survivors walked offstage after sharing their stories, and were greeted by four or five people who ran to offer support.
Organizers hoped having survivors share their experiences in an encouraging environment would free them of feelings of shame and empower hidden survivors.
"Without events like this no one would talk about it," said Renee Boyett, a UNO alumna who was the unofficial art director for the rally. "It would still be under the rug, behind closed doors."
"I'm hoping it'll make more people aware of the fact that women are terrified of the night and we don't want to be," Boyett said.
"We want to be able to have the courage to go out without having an escort, without having to carry knives, a gun, pepper spray ... just so we can cross the street at night."
There are a lot of false stereotypes about rape, said Laura Elliot, a UNO sophomore education major. She said she hoped the rally would educate people and bring awareness to the realities of sexual violence.
Elliot and junior social work major Martina Running spearheaded the March event. They enlisted the help of UNO's Women's Resource Center director Jenn Piatt and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance president Katie Ladd to help spread the word and organize the event.
"Our hope for this rally is that a lot of people will come and people will have the education and the awareness and the tools to continue to support the movement against violence," Running said, "and that it be a healing experience for the victims."
andreavasquez@dailynebraskan.com
