take back the night march
By Hadeel Abdelhy
In 1987, the Coalition for a Women's Center at Duke sponsored the “Take Back the Night” march to support women’s right to walk unafraid and unescorted. Many campuses hosted similar marches. “We are angry at the restrictions imposed by the violence surrounding us, and the consequent limitations we face. We know that we cannot eliminate in one day, with one march, the fear and anxiety women feel, but we can help to educate the general public of this fear, its effect on women, and its origin in the widespread violence in our society.”[1] The march recognized how women are vulnerable to their own classmates on campus, including by fraternities that, in the words of the administration, demonstrate a “general spirit of tolerance … in accepting reprehensible behavior.[2] Duke continues to be a place where women are at risk of assault. A site honoring this march would recognize the important contributions of the Women’s Center and highlight the vital continuing work combatting sexual assault.
