Take Back the Night featuring Susan Fowler

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, SOS is thrilled to be hosting Take Back the Night featuring Susan Fowler, journalist, screenwriter, and author of Whistleblower. Whistleblower details an extraordinary account of resilience and determination by the woman who first exposed Uber’s widespread culture of sexual harassment and retaliation in an industry-shattering blog post. This is a free event and is open to the public.

Take Back the Night featuring Susan Fowler is Thursday, April 24 from 5:15 – 8:00 pm, starting at Kellogg Circle on the ESU campus. The event will begin with the traditional march around Kellogg Circle led by SOS and Emporia State University’s THRIVE (The Healthy Relationship and Interpersonal Violence Education program) followed by a speak out. At 6:00 pm, in Heath Recital Hall, Fowler will present about using your voice to speak out against sexual assault and injustice in the fight for equality. Born and raised in rural Arizona, Fowler escaped poverty through her determination to educate herself, was accepted into an Ivy League College and landed her dream job in Silicon Valley at Uber. After experiencing sexual harassment and retaliation at Uber, Fowler wrote a blog post detailing her account. She became one of the firsts to come forward, contributing to the #MeToo movement. Following Fowler’s presentation will be a book signing for Whistleblower in partnership with Middle Ground Books. Copies will be available for purchase at the event.

Regarding the importance of providing presentations such as these, SOS’ Sexual Assault Advocate Coordinator Rachell Freeman said, “When someone is sexually assaulted, they almost always have this sense of shame, and begin to think things along the lines of ‘I deserved this’, ‘Why didn’t I do this instead’, and ‘It’s all my fault.’ This kind of emotional thinking can push survivors into self-isolation.” Freeman went on to say, “It’s important to have events like these to let people know that they’re not the only ones, and that there are others who want to learn and help survivors. Events like this help push for a society without sexual assault.”

The first Sexual Assault Awareness Month was first recognized nationally in 2001, but the month had been observed long before that in locations across the U.S. The first Take Back the Night event was held in the 1970s. Sexual Assault Awareness Month has always promoted awareness and prevention, but in recent years has focused more on the role that all people have in preventing sexual violence.

The CDC also reports that over half of women and one in three men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact in their lifetime. SOS provides services to those who have experienced sexual violence and child abuse in Chase, Coffey, Lyon, Morris, and Osage counties through its four programs: SOS Outreach and Crisis Services, SOS CASA of the Flint Hills, SOS Child Advocacy Center, and SOS Child Visitation and Exchange Center.