Jessica Davis: At times like these, people need to be held accountable for their mistakes. And after something traumatic happens, it’s important to focus on healing. But the thing is… how is anybody supposed to heal if all we do is cover up the wounds and hope that they’ll go away? We have to look at them and recognize them for what they are. We have to be honest about who actually got hurt and how. The protest I led was an attempt to try to draw attention to the rape culture in boys’ sports and throughout our school. And yes, I admit that the way I went about it wasn’t perfect. I’m sorry for how it all ended up. I really am. But making mistakes is part of being a survivor. At first, you think you’re, like… permanently broken. But then… little by little, you start picking up the pieces and you start realizing what you’re making is a mirror. And… the more of those pieces that you put together, the more you start to see yourself. But maybe we can start picking up those pieces of that mirror together, and we can finally see the truth. If you think sexual assault doesn’t affect your life, you’re wrong. There are survivors all around us. People you care about… who you never knew were suffering in silence. Let them know that you’re there to listen. It’s time for you to know the survivors in your life. To hear their stories and to know that their voice matters. My name is Jessica Davis, and I’m a survivor.
(Survivors start standing up one by one…)
My name is Casey Ford, and I’m a survivor.
My name is Janelle Martin, and I’m a survivor.
My name is Maggie Kim, and I’m a survivor.
My name is Tyler Down… and I’m a survivor.
My name is Lina Ochoa, and I’m a survivor.
My name is Sarah Stern. I’m a survivor.
My name is Robby Corman… and I’m a survivor.
My name is Tanya Brown. I’m a survivor.
My name is Justin Foley… and I’m a survivor.
My name is Stephanie Rodriguez, and I am a godd*mn survivor.
Jessica Davis: To those of you who are still seated, I know a lot of you still have stories, but you’re not ready to share them yet. And that’s okay. When you’re ready, we’ll listen. And we will continue to fight to make sure that no one is assaulted, harassed or abused at this school. We will not sit down. We will not be quiet. We will not rest until that happens.
