All About Yes

College is a time of self-discovery, and for many of you it will be a time and a place where you explore your sexuality. But a truly important part of that journey is understanding consent.

GIF of Moira Rose, from TV show Schitt's Creek, saying

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has an Affirmative Consent Policy, which means they define what consent is, and, very importantly, what consent is NOT. In short, consent is a freely given and ENTHUSIASTIC YES to EVERY STEP of sexual contact. 

Things to remember about consent:

  • Consent can be taken back at ANY time.
  • A “yes” to some things doesn’t automatically mean a yes to everything.
  • Consent can only be given by someone who fully understands their actions. Someone under the influence of drugs, alcohol, someone under the legal age, or someone unconscious or asleep can’t give consent.
  • It is not consent if the person feels threatened or afraid of saying “no.”
  • It is not consent if the person said “no” many times, but was asked until they were worn down or guilted and eventually said “yes.”
  • Just because someone doesn’t say “no,” does not mean they mean “yes.”

GIF of Keenan Thompson enthusiastically saying

When taking part in any sexual activity you need clear consent. If your partner seems quiet or not into it, just stop and talk to them. Proceeding with sexual activity without consent is called sexual assault. 

And consent is sexy! Consent is the best way to know that everyone is comfortable and having a good time. Consent is the key to exploring your sexuality in a safe, respectful manner. How better to get to know your own preferences than to explore in a culture of consent? 

GIF of Thor yelling

Much like other campuses around the country, we are still growing a clear culture of consent on our campus. Studies show that sexual assault does happen on campuses, and it happens at higher rates to women and transgender or gender non-confomring individuals. But that does not mean it doesn’t happen to men either! Sexual assault is defined by the Univeristy of Illinois as “any sexual act directed against another person, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent.” Assault can happen to anyone by anyone. This is why understanding exactly what consent is and what it is not is so important. 

Don’t think it’s just sexual contact that’s wrong. Included in the Sexual Misconduct policy at Illinois is Sexual Harassment. Anything that falls under the Sexual Misconduct policy is subject to discipline by the university.  

Sexual assault is NEVER the victim’s fault. If you have been affected by assault, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has resources available to help. We Care can connect you with the right people to report an incident, who to talk to about what happened, and they also provide prevention training. They’ll listen, respect, and believe you. They also have resources for friends and family of assault survivors with simple steps to help you be there for your loved one. 

If you want to build a culture of consent on campus, the first place to start is with your friends and partners. Establish clear communication and consent for any touching, even hugs! Be there for the people around you, respecting them and listening if they have something to tell you. And always remember there are people here at Illinois who are available to help. A culture of consent isn’t something that will happen on its own. Each of us must do our part to make our campus a safe, supportive place to learn and grow.

GIF of Rihanna saying

Resources:

AAU Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct (2015). Association of American Universities (AAU). (2015, September 3). https://www.aau.edu/key-issues/aau-climate-survey-sexual-assault-and-sexual-misconduct-2015. 

Add Consent to Your Teen’s College Checklist. National Sexual Violence Resource Center. https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/add-consent-your-teens-college-checklist. 

At illinois we care. https://wecare.illinois.edu/help/support/. 

Her Campus (2018, April 30). Creating a Culture of Consent on Your Campus. womenshealth.gov. https://www.womenshealth.gov/blog/campus-culture-consent. 

Human Resources. Sexual Misconduct – Campus Administrative Manual. https://cam.illinois.edu/policies/hr-79r/.

 

Written by: Maurissa

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Black History Month

As Black History Month dawns, as a woman of color, I lament the shortness of this month. However, February was chosen for specific reasons, in spite of its shortness. February was chosen by Carter G. Woodson to honor the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, and one of the most famous Abolitionist and a former America’s Most Photographed, Frederick Douglass to honor the birthdays of both men.

Despite the shortness of the month, Black History is everywhere. In lightbulbs, fun summer toys, Washington, D.C., music, fashion, language, and more. In fact, this is one of my favorite times of the year as I get to learn something new about the contribution of Black people to the fabric of the American experiment.

As Former President Barack Obama stated:

… From our earliest days, black history has been American history. We’re the slaves who quarried the stone to build this White House; the soldiers who fought for our nation’s independence, who fought to hold this union together, who fought for freedom of others around the world. We’re the scientists and inventors who helped unleash American innovation. We stand on the shoulders not only of the giants in this room, but also countless, nameless heroes who marched for equality and justice for all of us. It’s about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America.

“Shared and lived experiences,” forged on paper to challenge societal viewpoints, are present in all media forms. Literature reflects the current environment of our nation. Many books now feature individuals of color as main characters or are written by authors of color, a major change from decades past. And this inspires many children to become published and speak about what is important to them and why Their Black is Beautiful. For example, an eleven-year-old Black student, Aiden Taylor, has become a published author in the pandemic. His book, Me and My Afro, discusses the importance of his hair to his identity.

Hair is a large part of many people’s identity. For many people of color, particularly Black people, it can often become a fight against societal oppression. It is only in the last five years that individuals of color in the military could wear their hair in braids or dreads without reprimand. However, this is still a pervasive problem that many students face in schools, competitions, and beyond.

Shared experiences have shaped this campus. Illinois has a rich history of Black cultural experience and activism on this campus. William Walter Smith was the first Black student to graduate from UIUC in 1900 with a B.A. in Literature and Arts (he also received a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1907).  Maudelle Tanner Brown Bausfield was the first woman in 1906 with Hilda Lawson following in her footsteps with a PhD in 1939.

Kappa Alpha Psi’s second chapter, Beta, was founded at the University of Illinois on February 8th, 1913. This makes Kappa Alpha Psi the oldest Black fraternity on campus. In the 1960s, students lobbied the university to admit and enroll more students of color, which ended with over two hundred students being arrested. In 2015, Being Black at Illinois lobbied the university to re-instate the Project 500, the 1960s diversity initiative. Former students

Black History is everyone’s history. As Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to become the Vice-President of the United States of America said in her election night victory speech, “I may be the first, but won’t be the last.”  William Walter Smith, Maudelle Tanner Brown Bausfield, and Hilda Lawson may have been the pioneers, but they were not the last. Their legacies have allowed many Black students to attend and enrich Illinois and their home communities as evident by independent artists and educators, Mother Nature, whose experiences on campus led them to use hip hop to organize communities. The contributions made by many Black students have shaped Illinois into the future, lifting every voice.

If you want to know more about Black history at University of Illinois and beyond, please check out these sites and cities (this is not a comprehensive list):

The DuSable Museum of African American History– Chicago

National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis

African American Museum– Washington D.C.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum– Atlanta

National Black Music Museum– Nashville

University of Illinois, Archives – Urbana-Champaign

 

 

Written By: Simone Stone

References Cited

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Kappa Alpha Psi Celebrates its History as Illinois’ Oldest Black Fraternity. (2012, February 8). The Daily Illini. Retrieved 2021, February 1. https://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2012/02/08/kappa-alpha-psi-celebrates-its-history-as-illinoisae-oldest-black-fraternity/

Kindy, D. (2019, June 21). The Accidental Invention of the Super Soaker. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/accidental-invention-super-soaker-180972428/

Keene, L. (n.d.). Benjamin Banneker: the Black Tobacco Farmer who the Presidents Couldn’t Ignore. The White House Historical Association. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/benjamin-banneker

Mirza, F. (2015, February 4). #BeingBlackatIllinois discusses solutions to African-American student decline. The Daily Illini. https://dailyillini.com/news/2015/02/04/beingblackatillinois-discusses-solutions-to-african-american-student-decline/

National Museum of African American History and Culture. (2021). A People’s Journey, A Nation’s Story.  https://nmaahc.si.edu/

National Center for Civil Rights at the Lorraine Motel (2021). Education and Interpretation. https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/learn

National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum. (2021). About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/about-the-center/

National Museum of African-American Music. (2020). History. https://nmaam.org/

Peters, A.M. (2020, August 21). One Proposal for Improving Army Inclusivity for Women of Color: Update Hair Regulations. Military.com. https://www.military.com/daily-news/opinions/2020/08/21/one-proposal-improving-army-inclusivity-women-of-color-update-hair-regulations.html

Scholastic. (n.d.) Latimer, L. Culture and Change: Black History in America. Famous African-American Inventors. http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/latimer.htm

Smith, M. (2021, February 1). 11-Year-Old Boy Writes Book Me and My Afro to Help Kids’ ‘Love the Way They Are.’ People. https://people.com/human-interest/boy-11-writes-book-me-and-my-afro-about-self-love/

Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture (2017, September 28). YouTube Faces GIF. Giphy. http://gph.is/2fThUTW

Straw, J., Swain, E., Prom, C. (2003, June). Guide to African-American Research Resources. University Archives at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. https://archives.library.illinois.edu/guides/afamer.php#bkmark1

Stubbs, R. (2019, April 17). A wrestler was forced to cut his dreadlocks before a match. His town is still looking for answers. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/04/17/wrestler-was-forced-cut-his-dreadlocks-before-match-his-town-is-still-looking-answers/

Student Life and Cultural Archival Program (2010). Project 500 and the Struggle for Campus Diversity at the University of Illinois. Oral History Projects at the Student Life and Cultural Archival Program. https://archives.library.illinois.edu/slcold/researchguides/oralhistory/project500/

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The White House Office of the Press Secretary (2016, February 18). Remarks by the President at Black History Month Reception. Obama White House Archives. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/18/remarks-president-black-history-month-reception

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