TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama Women’s Resource Center along with a group of UA student leaders will be hosting the 19th annual Take Back the Night rally on Wednesday, April 20, at 7 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Plaza.

“Take Back the Night is an amazing event for campus awareness of sexual assault,” said Kate Gibbons, a UA graduate student in women’s studies. “Most people assume that if we as a society do not talk about sexual assault and domestic violence then it does not exist. This rally is a great way to visually confront the silence of this issue. It is also a safe environment for survivors to speak out about their experiences and realize they are not alone,” she explained.

The rally’s purpose is to unify communities opposing violence against women. The rally along with the march provides support and healing for all victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. UA has participated in this event since 1986. Take Back the Night is held in April in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Other WRC events include:

• A presentation of the film “Women: A True Story in Body Politics” on Tuesday, April 19, at noon in the Ferguson Center Forum.
• The WRC will also be holding auditions for a new theatrical peer education project on Monday-Tuesday, April 18-19, from 4-6 p.m. on the third floor of Russell Student Health Center. Based on a style of performance called Theatre of the Oppressed, the new production will seek to break down barriers between audience members and actors in order to educate people about the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. The WRC is seeking male and female students in any major. Auditions are by appointment only, and applicants should prepare a performance no longer than three minutes in duration.

For more information about any of these events visit http://wrc.ua.edu or call 205/348-5040.