UCSC Take Back the Night 2015

Take Back the Night Rally and Vigil - April 29
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Meet at the Quarry and march around school
6:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Vigils, Testimonials, and Guest Speaker at Oakes Learning Center



The Women’s Center would like to invite you to join us for this year’s Take Back The Night Week and Take Back The Night Rally/March 2015!

The mission of this event is to raise awareness about the issues of sexual violence and to assert we will not tolerate violence of any kind. Take Back the Night, first appeared in Europe in 1976 and has continued throughout the world as a sign of empowerment for women, men and children. University of California, Santa Cruz Women's Center is hosting this TBTN Event, and it would be our honor to have you there.

This year's theme is "I SPEAK MY TRUTH!"

We are happy to announce the first event, Pre- Testimonial and Candle Making, on Monday April 27th, drop in hours are from 12:00-4:00 p.m. at the Muwekma Ohlone Conference Room. Materials will be provided and everyone is welcome.

Followed by the rally, march, and speak-out on Wednesday April 29th, where you will receive a t-shirt. The rally and march will start at the Quarry from 5:00pm-6:30 p.m. and end at the Oakes Learning Center. The rally and march are intended to explain the purpose and history behind Take Back The Night as well honor survivors. At the Oakes Learning Center there will be an open mic testimonials where individuals will have the opportunity to share their stories and get a chance to hear our guest speaker, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, and get some food.

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha is a queer disabled femme writer, performer, healer and teacher of Burgher/Tamil Sri Lankan and Irish/Roma ascent. Her writing on femme of color and Sri Lankan identities, survivor hood, and healing, disability and transformative justice has been widely published and performed throughout North America. She was named one of the Feminist Press' 40 Feminists Under 40 Shaping the Future and she is a 2013 Autostraddle Hot 105 member. She organized the successful 2014 Healing Justice for Black Lives Matter action which raised $28,000 for Black Lives Matter through community based healing justice spaces.

Take Back the Week will end with Art As Healing on Thursday, April 30th from 5:00 -7:00 p.m. Location is TBA. Students will be welcome to create art pieces that make them feel comfortable and safe. A member from the CAPS team will be there to aid more support.

Please save to date, we look forward to seeing you there!

Please let us know if you will be needing access accommodations no later than April 22, 2015. So that everyone may enjoy this event, please refrain from wearing scented products.


If there are any questions or if you would like more information please contact Carolina Vazquez (cdvazque [at] ucsc.edu) and Yazmin Ocampo (yocampo [at] ucsc.edu). You can also reach us at the Women’s Center (831) 459-2072, (women [at] ucsc.edu).