Some day we will all march to the
Capitol carrying flowers, and we will
leave them on the steps.
We will celebrate our anniversaries.
We will give our names.
The month, the day, the year, the hour.
We will stop being silent.
We will stop being alone.
I wrote these words in my essay, "Returns of the Day," which appeared in The New York Times Magazine on October 4, 1992. (Follow the link to read and/or print a copy.) They expressed my hope that society can change its attitudes toward rape and rape survivors as more and more of us speak out. I dreamed of a day when the silence and isolation that haunts rape survivors can be transformed into a celebration of our strength and courage.
On April 17, 1999 the dream of rape survivors celebrating their lives became a reality when 400 rape survivors gathered at the Los Angeles Central Library for a day of music, poetry, and inspirational stories of courage that culminated in a ceremony honoring all survivors. You Are Not Alone: A Day Honoring Women Who Have Survived Rape and Those Who Have Given Them Voice was organized by an ad hoc group of rape survivors in Los Angeles.
I met rape survivor, Karen Pomer, whose vision and energy launched this event, on The Leeza Show in December 1998. On that show Karen announced her intention to make my words a reality. In four short months she succeeded in creating an extraordinary day of healing and celebration. Karen and I shared the events of that day with other survivors who have chosen to speak out about rape Š Patricia Weaver Francisco, author of Telling: A Memoir of Rape and Recovery; Charlotte Pierce-Baker, author of Surviving the Silence: Black WomenÕs Stories of Rape; Jamie Kalven, author of Working With Available Light; Kate Miller, director of the acclaimed television and radio public service announcements, Survivors; Jeanne Boylan, forensic sketch artist and author of Portraits of Guilt: The Woman Who Profiles The Faces of AmericaÕs Deadliest Criminals; and Sister Dianna Ortiz, advocate for the rights of victims and survivors of political violence.
The celebration on April 17, 1999 began with a press conference that announced a petition to the Surgeon General of the United States declaring the trauma of rape a national health problem. Since April 1999 thousands of signatures have been obtained. It is our dream that someday these petitions will be presented to the Surgeon General as part of a national celebration of survivors in Washington, D.C. I will keep you informed of developments with this effort.
Nancy Venable Raine
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After Silence by Nancy Venable Raine, © Copyright 1999, site last updated: April 23, 2000