Updated to add more University of Kansas events on April 6, 2021:
April is sexual assault awareness month, and several Lawrence organizations are working on virtual events for people of all ages with that theme in mind.
Through Thursday, April 8, the documentary “Sisters Rising” is available to stream for free via the University of Kansas. It tells the story of six Native American women reclaiming sovereignty.
A panel conversation about the film is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday. According to KU’s First Nations Student Association’s website, Hailee Birdtail, a member of the Fort Belknap Indian Community located in northeastern Montana and a first-year master’s student in KU’s Indigenous Studies program, will moderate the panel.
Panelists will include:
- Carole Cadue-Blackwood, LMSW, an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas (Thunder Clan) who has served at the Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center and “is moving into her new role as a therapist” at the Kansas City Indian Center;
- Sarah Deer, JD, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma and a distinguished professor at KU who wrote “The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America”;
- Laurie Ramirez, MSW, who has taught at Haskell Indian Nations University and whose research interests include culturally grounded social work practice with practice with oppressed populations; and
- Jaida Grey Eagle, an Oglala Lakota artist and co-producer of the documentary, who is also a Report for America fellow with the Sahan Journal in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Find up-to-date info about the panel event on the Facebook event page, Sisters Rising Panel, and register to attend at this link. The panel will not be recorded.
Other events:
The Lawrence Humane Society and Lawrence Public Library will partner up for Cats for Consent on April 11 and 25, virtual story times for kids “featuring cat friends and consent friendly books.”
The library will offer a consent-focused Teen Make + Take crafting kit for pickup to craft on your own time on April 16. Registration is required.
“Collage through a virtual conversation about the power of radical acceptance” during Mindful Crafting, slated for 11 a.m. April 17. Registration is required and only a handful of seats remained as of Sunday evening, but if you are on the waitlist, you’ll receive a recording of the Zoom session.
Take Back the Night will be held virtually on April 29. “Join the community to take a stand against sexual violence and honor those who have been affected,” according to a flyer from the STA Care Center.
More from KU
The University of Kansas’ Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center is also hosting a number of events this month, including some intended for students only.
In addition to sexual assault awareness month, April is also Gaypril, according to SAPEC. The Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity will present “Drag Showcase, Drive-in Edition” from 8-11 p.m. Saturday, April 24 in the Lied Center parking lot. It’s free for KU students and $10 for general admission, and tipping will be available from your phone.
Next week, April 12-16, flags on the Watson Library lawn will represent the number of KU students who are impacted by sexual assault, according to SAPEC’s page.
At 1 p.m. Thursday, April 20, student Emerson Karsh-Lombardo will discuss her research on “what we can learn about consent from the kink community” on Instagram Live. Follow @KU_SAPEC, log in and ask questions about Karsh-Lombardo’s research.
The “What Were You Wearing?” Digital Gallery will be online from April 19-30, according to SAPEC’s page: “In response to the all-too-common question victims and survivors of sexual assault hear, this digital gallery show features stories from KU student survivors. Illustrated by Faith Maddox.”
SAPEC director Jen Brockman and Dr. Mary Wyandt-Hiebert, of the University of Arkansas, will also discuss the art installation during a panel at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 20. The Zoom link for that discussion is available on SAPEC’s site.
Maddox, SAPEC peer educator, will also give a drawing tutorial “that will help you envision a space that brings you comfort” at 7 p.m. Monday, April 26, on Instagram Live. And at 7 p.m. the following day, April 27, SAPEC’s third annual Consent Coffeehouse will host LK Ultra, a “punk-ish” band from Lawrence, also on Instagram Live.
If you need help, information or resources on sexual assault, visit the STA Care Center’s website. Call 785-843-8985 for 24/7 support.
Know of an event that should be added to this list? Let us know: hello@lawrencekstimes.com
