Lander University Hosts Take Back the Night to Support Survivors and Raise Awareness of Sexual Violence

The event featured Lander alumna Dorlisa Adams, who is an advocate for sexual violence survivors, and the founder of South Carolina Visions of Women (V.O.W.). Adams says she began her career in advocacy at Lander as a student and started a support group for women to have a “safe space to speak and support each other.” After initiating this change on campus, Adams says that she founded V.O.W. to help continue this mission, and she informed students of her experiences regarding violence and abuse. She concluded the event by thanking survivors and supporters for joining in the mission to stop sexual violence on campuses, and by telling survivors, “You’re seen. You’re heard. Your story matters.”

At the event, students were encouraged to share their story, create posters and sign a banner signifying their stance against sexual violence on college and university campuses. Around Lander’s campus, signs were posted with facts and statistics regarding sexual violence, and attendees were led on a tribute walk around the campus with L.E.D. candles, which Gilstrap says represents not only a tribute to survivors, but “the light in the darkness” that exists for survivors.

Emily Montgomery, a student and resident assistant at Lander, said that while it was her first time volunteering at the event, it was great to see “everyone united against a common cause.”