Contemporary ceramic artist Sana Musasama spoke about victims of sexual violence at MSU’s Take Back the Night event Feb. 15.
Take Back the Night is a social movement that aims to uplift the experiences of sexual abuse survivors and help people understand how widespread these issues are worldwide.
Midwestern State adopted the event in 2019 under former Title IX Director, Rachael Fornof, and has since become a campus tradition.
Violence Intervention and Prevention Peer Educators teamed up with ceramics and art education professor Steve Hilton to host this year’s Take Back the Night in Legacy Commons’ Multipurpose Room.
Upon entering, the Peer Educator team passed each student a battery-operated candle for the candlelight vigil that would take place later during the event.
The first part of the night featured an address by guest speaker Sana Musasama, a well-known ceramic sculptor from New York.
In her presentation, Musasama described her artwork, which was inspired from her experiences traveling throughout Asia and Africa, reflecting the local culture of tribes she encountered and depicting women’s lifestyles as part of these communities.
The artist described the hardships of girls in Africa and Asia who are forced into the workforce from early ages, emphasizing the physical torment of girls having to partake in foot-binding rituals and toe procedures as part of their tribal initiation.
“Being female,” as Musasama put it, “means being silent and having survival skills.”
Her presentation invited MSU students to view sexual violence as an issue that affects people globally, on a multicultural level.
“There are no remedial programs for girls over 15 years old,” Musasama pointed out, further describing the injustices young women continue to face under misguided systems that do not see them as victims, but rather as the ones to blame, “Women selling their body go to jail in New York but in Sweden, they go to remedial counseling.”
Musasama founded the Apron Project in 2015 in support of women who have fallen victims to sexual abuse. This initiative gives survivors a chance to rebuild their lives by finishing their education and getting a job.
Her foundation has raised nearly $40,000 from selling aprons stitched and painted by over 200 artists around the world.
To honor the Apron Project, MSU students were invited to the Fain Fine Arts Center to support the cause by purchasing one of the uniquely designed aprons.
In the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery, students were welcome to check out Musasama’s art collections, “Female incisions” and “Girl Soldiers.” Her works highlight the emotional anguish and physical pain women suffer due to harmful tribal practices and government instability in Africa.
Following Musasama’s address, the VIP Peer Educators commenced the candlelight vigil, a symbolic act to show solidarity with all survivors of sexual violence.
“This event honors survivors of sexual assault and takes back the nights that were taken from them,” VIP Peer Educator Ashlyn Colton stated, “The light in our candles represents our commitment to supporting victims and our gathering represents our unity in ending sexual violence.”
The event concluded with a reception for Musasama’s art exhibits in the Fain Fine Arts Center. The last day students could see the collections and purchase an apron was Feb. 16.
To report any sexual misconduct on campus, students are encouraged to fill out the online report form on the MSU official website. Any further concerns can be addressed to the Director and Coordinator of Title IX Laura Hetrick by email at [email protected] or by phone number at (940) 397-4213. The MSU Title IX Office can be found in the Residence Life & Housing building, which is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
