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Antebellum Slave’s sexual violence
President Abraham Lincoln instilled the Lieber Code of 1863 that prohibits Union soldiers from obstructing property in hostile land. Even though Lieber Code was enacted, soldiers still enforce violence and rape on black women of the South. In 1864, Jenny Green, a young black girl who escaped slavery and sought refuge, however Lt. Andrew J. Smith raped her. -
Testify Memphis Riots
A white mob gang-raped a group of black women during the Memphis Riot of 1866. Lucy Smith and Frances Thompson, two brave and valiant women, testified before Congress. -
Black Women’s Clubs
Middle-class black women took the initiative to organize the Black Women’s Club Movement. The focus of these clubs was to identify, analyze, and eliminate all forms of African American oppression. Ida B. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper, Fannie Barrier Williams, and many others took it upon themselves to to counteract the postwar sexual violence. They continued their work by analyzing themes of black feminism: such as sexual politics, race pride, and race prejudice. -
Rosa Parks, the anti-rape activist
Rosa Parks, iconically known for her adamant stance on black public transportation, receives little credit on her work for activism on sexism and brutality. In 1943, Parks was a secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) of the Montgomery branch. Her duties include the investigation and documentation of sexual crimes. -
Committee for Equal Justice
Recy Taylor was a 24-year-old mother who was kidnapped and gang-raped by six white men. The NAACP sent Rosa Parks to investigate. The case gained national attention, but unfortunately, Taylor’s case received no indictment. Rosa Parks used her position to offer other women, who have been underrepresented, a fighting chance. -
Activist against local businesses
15-year-old Flossie Hardman was raped by her employer, Sam Green. Rufus Lewis, a black veteran and businessman, organized a boycott on Green’s store, which was located in a primarily black neighborhood. The activist may have lost the trial, but they succeeded in closing down the store. -
New Coalitional Movement
The 1970’s age of the New Coalitional Movement garnered public attention and raised awareness of sexual violence. Many women of color, such as Inez Garcia (1974), Joanne Little (1975), Yvonne Wanrow (1976), and Dessie Woods (1976) had experienced rape but fought back by killing their assailant in self-defense. This resistance pave a way for leaders to create crisis centers for women dealing with this traumatic pain. -
Feminist Alliance Against Rape (FAAR)
In 1972, major cities, Berkeley, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C, began to house rape crisis centers. This allowed an increasing number of women to share their horrific experience with each other. Additional it breaks the silence that had prevented women who desperately need support, which illuminated the political nature of rape. The exposure of rape crisis centers brought in allies of middle class white women into the fight of activism. -
Cohambee River Collective
From 1974 to 1980, Combahee River Collective is a group of activist consisting of black feminist lesbians, such as Barbara Smith, Demita Frazier, Audre Lorde, and many more. They are known for developing the Cohambee River Collective Statement. The Statement highlighted black feminist activism as well as creating the concept of intersectionality. -
Against Our Will
In 1975, Susan Brownmiller published her novel, Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape. Brownmiller created a concept about prehistoric men using rape to instill fear in the hearts of women. The purpose of the novel was to expose the savagery of men throughout the course of history as well as offer an opportunity to deconstruct this male prerogative. -
National Organization for Women (NOW)
From the mid 1970s to the 1980s, National Organization for Women (NOW) instituted legislation about rape laws. Every single state in the United States allowed fair prosecution and offered women, who hid in silence, to report their case. -
Date Rape: A Campus Epidemic
In 1985, Dr. Mary P. Koss, research psychologist, published a studied about the alarming rate of date rape on college campuses. Ms. magazine’s article “Date Rape: The Story of an Epidemic and Those Who Deny It” was funded by the government to survey 7000 students across 35 schools. From her research, one in four women had been victims of rape or attempted rape. -
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
1990, Senator Joe Biden submitted a proposal for Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA 1994) (source). The bill assure that there will be provisions and protections associated with stalking, sexual assault, and domestic violence for women. -
Title IX
In the 2010s, Harvard Law School and Princeton University, two highly praised education institutions, are under investigation for defiance to update their Title IX laws. Attorney Wendy Murphy wrote an article on the lack of integrity of college campus have when ignoring the preponderance of evidence standard. -
Activism on Social Media
In 2011, the internet became a great networking agent which allowed students from across the map to communicate with each other instantly. A 19 year old Emily Rasowsky lead George Washington students to protest against their school’s sexual assault responsiveness. -
#
May 2015, sparked the #SayHerName social movement. The goal is to raise awareness of police brutality and antiblack violence against black women of color. The movement highlights the disproportionate treatment against women of color who suffered from racial injustice. Tarana Burke started the “Me Too” movement to communicate the power of empathy among women of color who had been sexually assaulted.
