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Keynote speaker decries violence

The risks are too high, and so are the expectations, said women's activist and author Evelyn White.

White's speech last night focused on black women as sexual assault victims, survivors and prevention activists, kicking off a celebration of Rape Prevention Awareness week and the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Center's 10th anniversary.

"For every three white women that are murdered, there are 12 black women who are murdered," White said. "Black women are being killed by design."

Although White noted that "all blood is red," she stressed that men and white women are less likely to be raped, attacked or abused.

"It is the lives of girls and women that are limited ... and rearranged because of violence," she said.

Physical violence is not the only or the worst offense committed against black women, she said.

"We have to deal with institutions of psychic violence as well ... both the super- and sub-human images that society holds of black women."

White said society has trapped black women with stereotypes of drug-addicted, unwed mothers and expectations of strong and powerful professionals. Either way, she said, whites accuse black women of disrupting the system.

White urged survivors and counselors to be create open and honest relationships for the healing process.

"We need to be able to move through the pain and share with each other the ways we've transformed it," White said.

White's presentation drew about 200 students and community members to Rackham Amphitheatre last night.

"She had a very loving, gentle message to have compassion to people we don't really understand," said Teri Rosales, a sociology graduate student.

Survivors and counselors shouldn't feel guilty about leaving where they are uncomfortable or exhausted, White said in response to an audience question.

"(We need to) pay strict attention to ourselves. We have to know when to say `enough is enough.' We have to know when to leave the party," she said.

A faction of those attending White's lecture have recently left SAPAC, but arrived at the event donning buttons with the word "Resist!" on them.

"There was an employee, a woman who used to work for SAPAC and was fired ... and I am wearing this in support of her," said Heba Nimr, an Ann Arbor resident.

A group of peer educators left SAPAC last month in the aftermath of an employee's termination and in the midst of accusations of racism and breaches of confidentiality within SAPAC.

Ann Arbor Tenants Union director Pattrice Maurer, who attended the event, said the buttons were worn by "those of us who believe that we should resist oppression even within an organization."

Janelle White, the employee whose termination sparked the controversy, invited Evelyn White to speak during her employment at SAPAC. Janelle said Evelyn's book, "Chain, Chain, Change," helped her personally and inspired her to contact the author about the event.