We are glad you’re here.
Trigger Warning: This blog contains material about sexual and relationship violence.
About #DeacsToo
What
This project aims to create a strong network of survivors and to offer a space for healing through supportive, growth-oriented blog posts.
Why
To provide a platform that continues the conversation regarding sexual assault and uplifts one another on their own journey to recovery.
Who
This initiative was founded by two female-identifying students within the Class of 2022.
Learn more below about the mission of #DeacsToo, its need within our campus community, and the team behind it.
Where do you want to go?
How Do You Heal?
Healing from traumatic experiences is different for everyone yet the feelings and fears are not unique. Our campus culture allows for such experiences to continue to occur with little to no resolution. Although the past cannot be undone, we want the survivors within our Wake Forest community to be known for their resiliency rather than, or in addition to, their pain. Survivors are much more than what happened to them; this blog aims to foster collective healing while raising awareness on the pressing issue we face on campus in a more positive way.
We support and stand with all survivors, regardless of one’s identity. As women and seniors here at Wake, we know the issue of sexual assault is nothing new on any collegiate campus. The discussion regarding SA came to a head at the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester; students openly expressed their anger and pushed back onto the school while still feeling frustrated, triggered, and helpless. The conversations around SA need to be ongoing in order for a culture change to occur. The concept of #DeacsToo is built around the idea that there is a way to keep this essential conversation alive in a way that uplifts our student body and continues to raise awareness, without slander.
This project is bigger than both of us as founders, and, for that reason, we have chosen to remain anonymous. #DeacsToo is a collection of stories created by and for our campus community; we are here only to ensure that those who wish to tell their stories have an avenue to do so.
Personal Statements from Your Founders
“As a co-founder, this project is incredibly special to me, and it's something I'm proud of, but #DeacsToo isn't about me; it's about expanding the power of choice and options for survivors and nonsurvivors alike to share their stories and speak on this pressing issue. While some share on social media, others may not see that as an option. Most of us have seen the volatility in anonymity, but when mediated, we believe it can turn into something beautiful. The concept for this project came from a conversation between people who were trying to figure out how to go forward after the intense discussion around SA left us all emotionally drained. My co-founder and I wanted to launch this project solely because we, like so many others, are looking for a way to heal.”
“Feeling safe is right and a freedom that all individuals should have yet this is not the reality. Survivor stories from small college campuses to the work place and beyond have proven that SA and harassment manifests itself in every part of our lives. This horrible truth is followed by intense feelings of fear, frustration, and shame without any way out. #DeacsToo was created to find solace once the dust has seemingly settled and not allowing those experiences define you. Within a small PWI like Wake Forest, it is easy to feel alone, small and unsupported. My cofounder and I saw a need for support and feeling of closure without feeling silenced or allowing slander; hence the birth of this blog.”