‘Take Back the Night’ Runs April 8-12

Humboldt State University’s ‘Take Back the Night’ April 8-12 includes workshops, speeches, discussion groups, open mics, a march and a rally.

Events begin Monday, April 8 at 2 p.m. in the Klamath River Room, Jolly Giant Commons, second floor, with the Mujeres De Juarez Workshop to foster awareness of 20 years of femicide in Ciudad de Juarez, Mexico. An open mic on Monday evening at 7 p.m. at Northtown Books, downtown Arcata, welcomes poetry, songs and other artistic expressions aimed at ending sexualized and intimate partner violence.

The Clothesline Project Workshop on Tuesday, April 9 features t-shirt testimonials of female survivors. Joyce Moser, program director for victim awareness at the District Attorney’s office and a member of the Yurok Tribe, will deliver a keynote at 5 p.m. Tuesday evening in the Kate Buchanan Room, University Center. Moser also is a member of the Inter-Tribal Women’s Advocacy Network, the Northern California Tribal Healing Coalition, the California Crime Victims Assistance Association and the Humboldt Sexual Assault Response Team, among others.

Two Take Back the Night events are slated for Wednesday, April 10. The Hatred of the Feminine Workshop at 2 p.m. in the Klamath River Room will examine how social institutions (e.g., media, religion, education, military) teach and reinforce violence against femininity. Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in Gist Hall room 218 an interactive discussion will analyze how social conditioning uses sex to encourage consumerism and normalize rape as conventional sex.

Take Back the Night’s Community Support Network and Appreciation Collective is scheduled for Thursday, April 11 at 2 p.m. in Goodwin Forum, Nelson Hall East, to start and strengthen mutual support systems in connection with stressful Take Back the Night activities.

Concluding events on Friday, April 12 comprise a series of activities on the University Quad: the Silent Witness Project and the Clothesline Project Display at 11 a.m.; a 5 o’clock rally; a gender-inclusive Speak-Out open mic at 7 p.m. and concurrent events at 9 p.m.—a woman-identified march from HSU to Arcata Plaza and a Gender Justice Collective-Men’s Story Project film at 9 p.m. in the Kate Buchanan Room.

Throughout the week, Monday – Friday, Take Back the Night will host art projects from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Art Quad opposite Van Duzer Theater.