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Annual 'Take Back the Night' this Friday
The community has an opportunity to unite and reclaim the streets from violence this Friday, at the annual Take Back the Night rally and march.
Take Back the Night is part of a national tradition that began in Belgium in 1976 when women who gathered for the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women, marched together. After a 1977 march and rally in Frankfurt, Germany, the event became official and by 1978, Take Back the Night reached areas of the United States such as New York and San Francisco. Take Back the Night took hold of Minnesota in the early 1980's and is celebrating its 13th straight year in St. Cloud.
According to Stephan Bulawski, a junior involved with the preparation of the event which has been on-going since January, Take Back the Night will have the same basic message it has carried in previous years, but with new features and activities.
"We are going to have music from 'The Four of Us' and 'Storm,'" said Bulawski. "As well as a performance from Touch Theater."
Also new this year is a self-defense workshop for adults and children.
"The Rape Aggression Defense System is a program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for women," said Lee LaDue, sexual assault prevention coordinator.
The R.A.D. System is a comprehensive course that begins with awareness and prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance. The system then progresses to the basics of hands-on defense training.
Another hands-on opportunity for Take Back the Night attendants is the drumming workshop. In the past, drums have played a significant role in the marching segment of the evening, so this year Take Back the Night organizers are making efforts to coordinate the growing percussion section.
"The drum workshop will be for people who bring their own drums and want to drum in the rally," Bulawski said. "The workshop will help make sure everybody drumming is on the same page."
As in the past, Take Back the Night will include face painting, sign making for the rally, an open mic session, children's activities planned by the Boys and Girls Club and Girl Scouts, and the well-known clothesline project.
According to LaDue, the clothesline project sponsored by Campus Advocates Against Sexual Assault, is a chance for people to read true stories of violent acts. Victims, survivors, and their friends and families design the shirts with personal testimonies. They are categorized by color: yellow for domestic violence, red/pink for sexual assault and rape, blue for incest, purple for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender hate crimes, and white for those who died as a result of violence against them.
"The shirts help raise awareness in the community," LaDue said.
And awareness, said LaDue, is one of the primary goals of Take Back the Night. LaDue also wants to provide a safe place for survivors.
"In the past, survivors have come up to me to tell me how powerful the march is, to be surrounded by so many people who support them and want to change things," LaDue said.
Take Back the Night is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Barden Park on May 3. T-shirts are currently being sold in Atwood to help fund the event and are $8 for children, $12 for short sleeved adult shirts, and $15 for long sleeved adult shirts.
Kristen J. Kubisiak can be reached at: [email protected]
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