Students discuss #MeToo and sexual assault at recent Coffee, Cake and Theology event
“To all the girls in this room who have been told that you wouldn’t have been assaulted if you had dressed more modestly, I would like to say to you: it was not your fault,” panelist and theological graduate student Kathleen Kent said during the School of Religion's Coffee, Cake and Theology Forum.
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College-aged women are more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other female age group, and panelists for Coffee, Cake and Theology believe the time has come for change.
According to the Bureau of Justice, women ages 18 to 24 have a victimization rate of 4.3 per 1,000 compared to the 1.4 per 1,000 seen by the age brackets above and below them. With this knowledge, the demand for justice for sexual harassment has exploded within the past few months. In October of 2017, the #MeToo movement, started by actress Alyssa Milano, brought to light the magnitude of how common sexual harassment is.
Shortly after, Time Magazine released their annual Person of The Year issue highlighting “The Silence Breakers,” a group of people representing those who have come forward about their experiences with sexual harassment.
Time Magazine not only highlighted recognized faces in Hollywood, but also featured average American citizens who have similar stories of sexual harassment, writing, “When movie stars don't know where to go, what hope is there for the rest of us? What hope is there for the janitor who's being harassed by a co-worker but remains silent out of fear she'll lose the job she needs to support her children?”
In an effort to bring this conversation to Lee's campus, the School of Religion hosted its Coffee, Cake and Theology panel event with a focus on sexual harassment and the abuses of power. The panel featured four graduate students who discussed different stances surrounding the issue.
Panelist and second-year student in the Lee Master of Arts in theological studies Drenda Butler said Millennials have had a positive involvement in this movement.
“Although we often hear about the ills of online communication—and there are many—I think there are some beautiful benefits to being connected to others across the globe,” Butler said. “Unlike any other point in history, we have unlimited access to others' stories. … Hearing these stories often helps us realize that we are not quite on our own. Discovering that we are not alone in the world…can bring a powerful sense of solidarity.”
The topic hit closer to home for one of the panelists. Theological graduate student Kathleen Kent said, as a victim of sexual assault herself, she encourages those who have been personally affected by sexual misconduct to keep going.
“To all the girls in this room who have been told that you wouldn’t have been assaulted if you had dressed more modestly, I would like to say to you: it was not your fault,” Kent said. “The excuses that society comes up with to justify these actions are just that. Excuses. You are not responsible for any actions of your abuser. You are still alive, and you are still here. You are strong, and you are brave.”
Discussion continued as panelists shared perspectives on the dynamic and abuse that power plays into this issue. Theological graduate student Rebecca Serbu said the true nature of power is distorted by its misuse.
“Power does not shut down the opportunity for response but invites it," Serbu said. "Power does not silence but gives others a voice.”
As the topic of abuses of power was discussed, Sebu and her fellow panelists addressed the role of the church in this cultural shift.
“I think we need to spend more time hearing each other’s voices every week instead of one prominent voice from the pulpit that’s typically a man,” Sebu said. “That alone would get us more comfortable in hearing others speak and perhaps change this sort of expectation that people can be taken advantage of because of the voice they now have.”
The discussion also recognized those who may not be specifically affected by this issue but can still make a difference in the way the society addresses the conversation.
“Recognize that the time for complacency has passed. We can no longer afford to remain blind. To keep scrolling when our friends post a confession. To count ourselves out of the conversation due to our feelings of inadequacy,” Sebu said. “I have become convinced that due to the nature of the world we live in, and especially the nature of the church, we are called to be a part of this. This must be an all-hands-on-deck situation.”
Host and professor of theological ethics Dr. Daniela Augustine closed the discussion with a call to action for the Millennial generation.
“I do believe that you will be the generation that is rising up,” Augustine said, “making [the world] a home to all who have been victimized by systemic abuses that have been passed down from generation to generation. You are the ones who wills say no and transform it into a better place.”
As a continuation of this conversation, the next Coffee, Cake and Theology event will be held on March 13 at 6 p.m. in the Jones Lecture Hall of the School of Religion.
