Ohio University to hold annual Take Back the Night this April

Every spring, Ohio University students, faculty and staff and Athens community members walk the bricks in solidarity of sexual and domestic violence survivors. Take Back the Night is an annual event hosted by the OHIO’s Women’s Center and Student Senate to promote awareness and support survivors. This event is part of an international movement for survivors to reclaim their power and heal from experiences of sexual and domestic violence.

This year’s Take Back the Night event will take place on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Participants will convene at the Athena Cinema uptown to listen to speakers before the march. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and speakers will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Resources such as My Sister’s Place, Survivor Advocacy Program, and Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program will be available for attendees.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Jayvon Howard. Howard serves as the Engaging Men Coordinator with the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence. He has a background in programming and outreach with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and works to engage male survivors in the conversation. Survivors will also have the opportunity to share their stories as part of their own healing process.

After the speakers, the annual Take Back the Night march will leave the Athena Cinema heading northward on Court Street. Signs, chants and comradery will flood the streets of Athens. Advocates from the Survivor Advocacy Program will be present for anyone in need of support throughout the night.

Additional sponsors of Take Back the Night include: Survivor Advocacy Program, Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program, My Sister’s Place, Office of Health Promotion, Office of Counseling and Psychological Services, Graduate Student Senate, Center for Campus and Community Engagement, Sorority and Fraternity Life, and Housing and Residence Life.