Sexual assault is an overwhelming and pressing issue that American society faces today. As a survivor of sexual assualt, I have had mixed emotions about my own experience and whether I should tell people about it. While studying abroad and being silent about my experience for almost 5 years, I was inappropriately touched multiple times while taking a nap in the park one day. While the extent of this encounter was not as traumatizing as the sexual assault, I found myself so angry, but yet again, silent. It was not until I finally broke down and told my best friend about the park incident where I started exposing my secret. This exact moment was so liberating. Since that day, I have been very open about sexual assualt issues among my friends and peers. For my capstone project, I chose to write a poem about my experience with a video to accompany it. I believe that speaking out and education is essential in the fight against sexual assault.
Break the silence, Educate others, Own your body.
Written text of the poem, "My Body".