According to rainn.org one out of
every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape
in her lifetime. Rape. It’s a scary word that’s become far too common in this
day and time. Since news broke out in Hollywood around scandals involving numerous
sexual assaults as well as with other predators in different workplaces and all
over the world, sexual assault is no longer being tolerated.
Although strides and resolutions have been made to prevent its casualties, it
still appears there’s a long road ahead of ending it for
good. Change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s challenging changing a culture even when something as tragic as rape is involved. When I’ve read and watched
haunting stories about men and women who’ve been sexually assaulted, one common
thing I’ve heard is what were they
wearing? As ludicrous as that question must be for victims, what’s scary is
the fact that the question is even presented at all. That question can be
damaging to the victim, because the predator is the one at fault. Why is the
victim being interrogated about their choice in clothing? Here you will find art exhibits showing
clothes worn by different sexual assault survivors, further exploring this
haunting question. No woman, man, child, or anyone else, deserves to have their space
violated or to be victimized by someone, regardless of how they’re dressed.
Also, no one should fear losing their employment, being granted opportunities,
or be threatened by anyone in power who chooses to abuse their authority. It’s wrong but that kind of behavior still happens every single day, and sadly, isn’t always reported. I’ve actually met and spoke with two rape
survivors, both women, who shared their stories with me. One of the things I
found most disturbing about both of their assaults was that they each knew,
trusted, and were well acquainted with the men who raped them. That was painful
to learn. Awareness and accountability is growing, though. It’s incredible to
see the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements supported by men and women from all
different races, cultures, and social-economic backgrounds. There really is
strength in numbers, because it’s going to take as many people as possible to
end sexual assaults and rape culture for good. We’ve had enough casualties and I’m looking forward to change.
About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...