International Take Back the Night Rally to End Violence Against Women to be Held at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama Women’s Resource Center will sponsor its annual Take Back the Night march to support the end of violence against women on Tuesday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at the Ferguson Center Plaza.

The event will begin with performances, survivor stories, poetry and song. The march will then proceed through campus and will conclude with a moment of silence at 7 p.m. at the plaza.

Take Back the Night is an international rally and march that is organized in local communities with the purpose of unifying communities to take a stand against violence against women. The Take Back the Night rally began in Europe in 1976 when women attending the international Tribuna on Crimes Against Women marched together in solidarity, lighting candles to protest the ways in which violence permeates the lives of women worldwide. The first Take Back the Night rally occurred in the United States in 1978 in San Francisco and has spread to communities across the country.

The University has been hosting its own Take Back the Night event since 1986, involving both the campus and community in this international event.

“We are proud to work with The University of Alabama’s Women’s Resource Center to bring about awareness of abuse,” said Caran Smith, Verizon Wireless public relations manager for the Alabama/Georgia region. “Verizon Wireless is working to stop the cycle of violence in our communities and Take Back the Night provides a proactive approach to helping those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault,” she said.

The Women’s Resource Center is sponsoring the event this year with the co-sponsorship of Verizon Wireless and Coca-Cola, along with community and campus partners including Panhellenic, Turning Point, Brunos, the Counseling Center Unscripted, Alpha Chi Omega, department of women’s studies and Spectrum.