KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — April 2021 is the 20th official anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month after it was first officially observed in 2001.
To celebrate the milestone, the University of Tennessee will host several virtual and in-person events meant to educate the campus community about consent, healthy relationships, sexual health and how to be an active bystander.
“Sexual assault is a community issue, so it takes a community approach. We talk about being an active bystander because that action has the power to change lives,” said Bilqis Amatus-Salaam, wellness coordinator with the Center for Health Education and Wellness.
CHEW is helping organize events throughout the month, along with several other departments across the university. One of those events includes "Committed Every Day" and will last all month long. It gives community members a chance to share their stories, highlighting people who are committed to ending sexual assault.
The "SAAM Day of Action" will be on April 6 at the Student Union Plaza. It is meant to start a conversation about sexual assault by encouraging participants to wear teal and share plans for taking action.
Later that same day, the university will host "An Evening with Chanel Miller." She is the author of the memoir Know My Name, which tells her experiences with isolation and shame after Brock Turner sexually assaulted her at a fraternity party.
On April 28, the university will host "Wellness Wednesday: Denim Day." Participants of the event will be encouraged to wear denim, share selfies and write messages of support to survivors on denim patches.
Throughout the month, UT will also host an event for graduate students, faculty and staff about identifying sexual harassment behaviors and red flags. It will also discuss the effects of sexual harassment in academia.
They will also host informal, 15-minutes presentations on how students can support friends and prevent harmful situations by being an active bystander. The presentations will be designed to fit into regular meetings.
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an advocacy group, said that a person is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds in America.
At UT, the Office of Title IX said there were 154 reports of prohibited conduct including sexual misconduct and relationship violence in 2019. It decreased from 193 in 2017.