TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama Women’s Resource Center will sponsor its annual Take Back the Night rally on Thursday, April l2.

The purpose of the march is to support the end of violence against women. The rally will begin at Denny Chimes at 7 p.m.

This event is being co-sponsored by the women’s studies department, SGA, Students for Gender Justice, New College, Alpha Gamma Delta, Delta Xi Phi, Turning Point, National Organization for Women, Men Against Violence, Women Involved in Learning and Leading, and Unscripted.

Take Back the Night is an international rally that began in Europe in 1976 when the women attending the international Tribunal on Crimes Against Women marched together in solidarity, lighting candles to protest the ways in which violence permeates the lives of women worldwide.

The first Take Back the Night rally occurred in the United States in 1978 in San Francisco and has spread to communities across the country.

All members of the campus and Tuscaloosa community are invited to attend and participate in all of the events throughout Sexual Assault Awareness Month to raise awareness and serve as a collective voice to end the violence against women.

To find out more information about Take Back the Night or to order ribbons to show support, contact the WRC at 205/348-5040.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.