General Timeline of Sexual Assault Activism at Tulane                                        University​

​

Although records do not reveal a high number of reported cases of sexual violence during the earliest years of female education at Tulane, it can be inferred through archival documents of social activism with regards to sexual violence that cases like that DID happen, but resources were not yet made available for women to be able to confront situations dealing with sexual violence. There lacked a social acceptance of victims of rape or assault, something society still needs work on, pushing women away from feeling safe enough to share what happened out of fear of either not being heard and taken seriously, or victim blaming. Additionally, the actual mental repercussions of confronting such events is directly related to why women do not want to report their assaults or rapes. Sexual assault and rape can deeply affect one's own self worth, their trust for others and the system, so having resources provided to women is crucial in the healing process of a victim. The importance of a network of like-minded people, social activists and generally strong caring women for the benefit of one affected by sexual violence is proven through Tulane's history of organization against violence towards women. 

​

Every document posted on this site is here to provide a richer understanding of the historical activism at Tulane regarding violence against women. Although most archival documents pertain to a greater range of activism outside Tulane University, I have curated each to directly link my research to Tulane's history. 

 

Funding for this project was provided by a Newcomb Archives Gender and Diversity Research Fellowship. Views or opinions stated on this website are those of the author, or of the individuals and organizations whose archival collections were consulted.

​

The first collection present is Distaff, the first and only feminist publication in the Gulf South, having been established in 1973. Distaff was a fully female identifying newspaper that covered all issues concerning politics, art, music, health, culture, and activism with regards to women's rights. Many Distaff photographers and writers were members of the Tulane community, and Distaff worked together with the feminist women at Newcomb college to make New Orleans a safer space for women through providing articles about safety tips, resources, understanding the law, etc. 

​

Next, is the Mary Capps collection, which includes speeches, letters, notes and more from both Mary Capps and Donna Myhre, who were the director and co-director of the YWCA Rape Crisis Service of New Orleans, respectively, during the mid 70's to mid 80's. These women were instrumental in raising awareness about rape culture, and worked together with several organizations, including Tulane and Newcomb, to create education programs about sexual assault. Donna Myhre was a rape victim herself and it fueled much of her political activism regarding sexual assault awareness. 

​

Following the records of Mary Capps and Donna Myhre are the Tulane Extension Records. Established in 1985, Tulane Extension was an organization on campus that served as a way to protect victims of sexual assault by providing hotline resources, psychological help, education programs, and crisis prevention training. The organization was composed of both students and faculty who shared similar goals in making the Tulane University environment a safer space for women. The organization was initially headed by Brenda Seals and helped create hotline services for victims of rape or assault, and worked with TUPD to maximize campus safety. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding and faculty organization, Tulane Extension ended in 1991. The group did, however, lay the foundation for many resources on campus we still use today. 

​

The Ruth Chang Collection is a collection of thesis studies documents of a former student, Te-Yu Ruth Chang. Ruth Chang wrote her thesis on the abuse within relationships between students at Tulane-Newcomb, and the way in which people acted afterwards with regards to telling friends or family, reporting and remaining or not in the relationship. Ruth Chang worked with campus organizations to conduct a survey in which she would interview students who had previoisly responded to a survey that they were assault survivors. Her results revealed a low number of cases in which women affected by sexual assault reported the incident with authorities. This was fundamental to understanding that sexual assault and domestic violence was very much so a prevalent thing, but was heavily underreported due to distrust in the system, fear of labeling, and disinterest in the tedious legal process.

​

Lastly, although not the mark of the end of activism at Tulane, the Newcomb Archives reveal a smaller slice of history from 2003 about sexual assault awareness and prevention. A program that received a lot of attention from the students and the university was SAFER, which stands for Students Active For Ending Rape. The organization held several on campus programs, and worked with community organizations outside the university to increase awareness about rape, how to avoid it, and what to do if it happens. They provided numerous safety tips, pamphlets, programming, and resources for victims of sexual assault and furthered the progress of creating a safer space for women at Tulane University. 

​

Currently, Tulane has several different resources available to students who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing sexual violence, which includes SAPHE, CAPS, and Title IX on campus. A climate survey was recently conducted and the response rate was higher than most; almost 50% of undergraduates responded to the survey, proving that, if that large of a percentage of the student body is willing to take the time to have a self confrontation about sexual assault, then the students of this university are definitely moving step in the right direction. Considering the political climate of this era, and the current adminstration at charge, it is more important now than ever to take a step back into history to effectively learn how to create change. Taking surveys are important because they reveal a partial truth about the number of people affected by sexual violence, but they are not the only way to stop sexual assault. Raising awareness starts with a survey, but activism requires true dedication to a cause for the betterment of others' wellbeing. The women featured in each collection dedicated an enormous amount of time and effort to help make Tulane a safer place for women, and without them, many of the resources accessible to victims now may not have existed.