Take Back the Week is a week of programs that takes place during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The programs developed are centered around survivors' experiences and needs.

2024 Calendar

"Chanel Miller" Monday, 4/15, 12-2pm at the Student Union Theater - All are welcome to the Take Back the Week 2024 keynote featuring Chanel Miller! Chanel Miller, artist and author of Know My Name, will participate in a fireside chat facilitated by (AAPI)phany and the Women’s Resource Center. Attendees will be entered into a drawing for a free, signed copy of Know My Name. This event is co-sponsored by (AAPI)phany, One SDSU, the Student Success Fee, and the Women’s Resource Center.

• About the Speaker: Chanel Miller was known under the alias of Emily Doe when she astonished the world with an unforgettably powerful letter. Miller’s testimony ultimately inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge who presided over her case. In Know My Name, Chanel Miller reclaims her identity and her narrative, turning pain into a declaration of power in this memoir of trauma and transcendence. Her story underscores that even in a “perfect” sexual assault case—one with eyewitnesses and plenty of evidence—justice is never a guarantee, and often the inciting incident is just the beginning of the trauma. Now, in her intimate, inspiring events, Miller shares her insights on writing, art, and how one brave voice can change the world.

"Somatic Healing for Survivors with D Chang Huiming" Tuesday, 4/16, 4-5:30pm. Attend virtually at bit.ly/somatichealingsdsu - d chang huiming (they/them), a politicized somatics trauma resolution practitioner, will lead an interactive talk about somatic healing and practices for trauma, health, and well-being. d will offer guidance through movement and energetic practices to create a space for attendees’ bodies and minds to experience possible healing, support, and comfort. This event is co-sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center, APIDA Center, Black Resource Center, Native Resource Center, Pride Center, Undocumented Resource Center, and Imperial Valley Cross-Cultural Center.

• Instructions for Attendees: There will be invitations for standing practices, with seated options. Towards the end, attendees will be invited to lay down for a meditation. To participate in this virtual event, please wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in and not constrictive to your breathing, and consider joining the zoom on the couch or on a padded/ matted floor. Optionally, you can also bring any stimming materials or additional items that may be supportive for your time. This will be a moment to extend loving and compassionate care for yourself, so please be at liberty to create and make the environment that you need.
• About the Facilitator: d chang (they/them) is a politicized somatics trauma resolution practitioner and erotic power enthusiast. In their work, they bridge nervous system intelligence, the ancestral wisdom of their taoist lineage, and their personal practice of tantra to support our healing work in feeling more vulnerability, intimacy and belonging. Their work centers the body as the ground for our liberation, and the embodiment of pleasure as our resistance. They identify as a transmasculine nonbinary immigrant and survivor on the autism spectrum.

"Transformative Justice with Xhercis Méndez" Wednesday, 4/17, 11am-1pm at the Student Union Theater - Join organizer, transdisciplinary scholar, and decolonial feminist Dr. Xhercis Méndez for a conversation and moderated Q&A exploring the possibilities for transformative justice on college campuses. This event is open to accreditation, and is supported by IRA funds through the College of Arts and Letters. Thank you to the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and the Women’s Resource Center for co-sponsoring this event.

• About the Speaker: Xhercis Méndez is an Associate Professor in Women and Gender Studies and Queer Studies and an affiliated faculty of African American Studies at California State University Fullerton. Her research focuses on developing decolonial feminist practices and methodologies for expanding our liberatory imaginations and building towards transformative justice. During her time as an assistant professor of Philosophy and African American and African Studies at Michigan State University, she founded the Transformative Justice Speaker Series and is currently a consultant for the Transformative Justice initiative which seeks to expand the healing and accountability options available to and for survivors of gender-based violence, sexual assault and sexual misconduct within the university. Méndez is the founder of the #campusTJ Project, (www.campustj.com) a consultancy advocating for an intersectional and decolonial approach to gender-based violence and campus sexual assault.

"Survivor-Centered Poetry Workshop with Ebony Stewart" Thursday, 4/18, 10:30-11:30am at the Pride Center Multipurpose Room - Join award-winning poet and storytelling Ebony Stewart for a workshop with writing prompts and discussion focused on the assistance of healing trauma from sexual assault and domestic violence. This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Community Solutions and the Women’s Resource Center.

• About the Facilitator: The award-winning poet and storyteller, Ebony Stewart, has a powerful voice and a drive to make an impact. She is a woman of many talents, as she wears the hat of an art-ivist, social worker, and facilitator. In addition to being an international touring poet and performance artist, Ebony is also a published author and a Woman of the World Slam Champion. Her work hopes to be relatable, remove shame, heal minds, encourage dialogue, and inspire folks in marginalized communities.

"Rise - Confidential Survivor Support Space" Thursday, 4/18, 12:30-1:45pm at the Women's Resource Center Library - Rise is a confidential, drop-in support space for survivors of sexual and relationship violence. Rise is open to SDSU students of all genders. Please note doors close for late arrivals, and this space is not available for course credit. Rise is co-sponsored by Counseling and Psychological Services and the Women’s Resource Center.

"Take Back the Night" Thursday, 4/18, 6-8pm - You are invited to a dynamic evening dedicated to reclaiming power and centering survivors’ stories. Poster-making and an anti-sexual violence march across the SDSU campus will take place from 6-7 pm, starting from the Student Union Courtyard. After the march, attendees are invited to participate in an open mic/ survivor speakout, which will take place 7-8 pm in Templo Mayor (second floor of the Student Union). The open mic will provide an opportunity to share poetry, stories, songs, art, and messages of support for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in a supportive circle. All SDSU students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate in any portion of Take Back the Night. Please note Survivor Advocates will be present throughout the entirety of the event. This event is co-sponsored by Planned Parenthood Generation Action, the Women’s Resource Center, and the Center for Community Solutions.

Black Women's Healing Circle: A gathering for all Black women (students, faculty, and staff) to have a safe space and dialogue around identity/experiences.

Building Belonging: a series of social mixers intended for queer and/or gender expansive students who identify with any or all of the following: BIPOC, non-traditional aged students, parenting students, STEM students, graduate students, transfer students, and commuter students.

Queer Femme Healing Circle: A safe space to connect with other femmes and discuss the lived experiences of queerness.

Rise: A confidential, drop-in support space for survivors of sexual and relationship violence.

STEMinism Series: Formerly known as the “Women in STEM Support Group,” the STEMinism Series is a program that centers women, and gender expansive STEM students in their lived experiences pursuing a STEM career, build community with one another, gain academic support, and connect with professionals in the field.

Women of Color Empowerment Group: A confidential, safe space for women of color to receive and provide support.