The African American Policy Forum invites you to stand alongside us in solidarity with survivors of sexual violence tomorrow, April 24, by wearing denim in protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual harassment, assault and rape. These attitudes have the effect of blaming victims of sexual assault for what they were wearing, what they may or may not have imbibed, or their purported body language, as opposed to combating the culture that enables perpetrators to commit these acts of violence. For over 20 years, Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Tweet at us with pictures of you and your community wearing jeans as a visible means of dissent against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.
The consequences of these misconceptions are particularly acute for Black women and girls. Here are four startling statistics that underscore the urgency of calling attention to this critically important movement:
For every Black woman that reports her rape, at least 15 Black women do not report.
Approximately 60% of Black girls experience sexual abuse by age 18.
According to a 2014 study, about 22% of Black women reported being raped and 41% experienced other forms of sexual violence.
16.5% of Black women in a high school sample and 36% in a college sample reported experiencing rape.