Emma Sulkowicz Protests Rape on Columbia Campus

RevoluationwebA young woman is using performance art to call attention to the crime of rape on college campuses. Nearly one in five women have been raped at some time in their adult lives, according to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Of those women 37.4% were first assaulted between the ages of 18-24. The CDC also reports that 19% of all undergraduate women have experienced attempted or completed sexual assault since entering college.

Women Students File Complaint Against Columbia University

Emma Sulkowicz is one of those victims. She says a classmate raped her in her own dorm room on the first day of her sophomore year. Since then she has spent the majority of her time at Columbia University trying to convince college administrators, the police, and even her friends that she was indeed raped, and that her rapist deserves to be punished. Sulkowicz is one of 23 students who have filed a complaint against the university for mishandling their sexual assault cases. She and two other women students have reported that the same man assaulted them, yet the offender has not been expelled from the campus and their complaints have been largely ignored.

As a woman, a mother, and a grandmother, all I can say is that this is outrageous. How is it possible that a student who has been accused of assaulting at least three women has not been brought up on charges or punished in any way? How is he allowed to roam the campus and attend classes? What is the university thinking? I applaud Sulkowicz’s courage in forcing the conversation around a huge issue that has largely been ignored by college administrators across the country. She is giving a face to the victims – almost one in every five college women – and her voice is being heard around the world.

Sulkowicz Carries Mattress to Focus Attention on Rapes

Her courage is inspiring because even just a few years ago, an Ivy League student going public about her rape––and telling the world her name––was unheard of. If young women were brave enough to report, they didn’t want to run the risk of stigma or humiliation, not to mention possible retribution. Yet Sulkowicz has made her voice heard, and her vocal opposition is just the beginning. Her senior thesis in performance art provides the perfect vehicle for her to protest the fact that her rapist continues to study on the same campus. As part of her project she is carrying around a twin-size dorm mattress everywhere she goes on campus. It is that act that has the world’s attention, and has started action on the issue of campus sexual assault.

It’s On Us Campaign Urges Men to Stop Rapists

The White House has enlisted Hollywood stars to help fight campus sexual assault as President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden unveil the “It’s On Us” campaign. ItsOnUs.org features a public service announcement with Obama, Biden and Hollywood A-list stars telling viewers it’s their responsibility to stop sexual assault. The campaign urges everyone on campus to make sure his or her friends are safe and to step in to prevent assault. The message is particularly targeted at men, with the White House pointing to research that shows that men often hesitate to speak out because they believe other men accept it.

Regardless of the issue, all it takes is one strong woman willing to make her voice heard, and the rest of us rallying behind her. When it comes to the horrific issue of campus sexual assault, Emma Sulkowicz is that voice, and it is our responsibility to support her and to add our voices to the cause. This is the way we can bring about change. We can do it if we all work together.

To read more about Sulkowicz and how her journey is inspiring others, go to The Cut.

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