Take Back The Night® Event
On April 10, Oakwood University along with University of Alabama, Huntsville (UAH) Charger Union Student Affairs, Alabama Alabama A&M University, Crisis Services of North Alabama of North Alabama, AshaKiran, and other organizations participated in an event called “Take Back The Night®” (TBTN).
This event is the first collaboration in Huntsville between local institutions of higher education to address and bring awareness to ending sexual violence in all forms, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, dating violence, and domestic violence. TBTN events are held nationally and internationally.
John Ruffin from Oakwood University Health and Counseling along with Oakwood Social Work majors Peetra Scavella and Kirlann Danclar, assisted in promoting the event and manning the Oakwood University booth. Information pamphlets were provided on a variety of topics surrounding domestic violence.
The guest speaker, Kerri L. Davis, a domestic violence survivor and founder of the “Purple Passage” movement, described the events that led to her almost being killed by her husband and how she escaped. Oakwood alum, Kenneth Anderson, Director of Multicultural Affairs for the City of Huntsville and the host of the “Second Chance” radio broadcast on WJOU, was the MC for the evening. The event culminated with a Unity Walk around the center campus of the University of Alabama, Huntsville, displaying signs letting people know that we can no longer keep quiet about domestic violence.
Oakwood University will also be hosting a Take Back The Night® event in the future, which will bring another opportunity for awareness and change on our campuses and in the Huntsville community. Big thanks to Adrienne Matthews, Assistant VP for Student Services and George Ashley, Chair of Social Work for making this event such a success. For more information on TBTN visit www.takebackthenight.org
By John Ruffin, LPC,
Oakwood University Health and Counseling Center
