Twin Cities' 12th Annual Take Back the Night

CONTACT: Jon Schober (612) 655-7499 // Nikki Bowman (952) 486-1178

The Twin Cities hosts 12th annual Take Back the Night rally and march at the Capitol
Saint Paul, MN – The Twin Cities will be hosting Take Back the Night, a rally and march at the Capitol to reclaim the streets against gender, sexuality, and community violence. Take Back the Night is a global and annual event which began in 1978 and includes survivor testimonials, a candlelight vigil, a march, and a celebration.  The event is organized by MPIRG (the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group), a non-profit, non-partisan, student run group.

“Take Back the Night is a way for people to discuss the general issue of violence freely and safely,” Nikki Bowman said, student at UMTC and task force leader of Women’s Initiatives.  “It is so important for us to shatter the silence surrounding these issues, because they are part of a much broader movement to protect human rights.”

A tentative schedule of events includes a keynote address by Senator Sandra Pappas. She has been a senator from Saint Paul since 1990 and is a noted champion for women’s rights. Patricia Weaver Francisco, author of Telling: A Memoir of Rape and Recovery, and lead organizer Kelly Lewis from OutFront MN, a group working to lead Minnesota towards GLBT equality, will also be speaking. Scholar Esme Rodriguez, a locally renowned drag performer with highly regarded roots in social activism will emcee the event.  A march through downtown Saint Paul with police escort will follow the speakers and the event will end with a candlelight vigil offering survivors of violence and their allies a chance to speak out on the issue.

Live music includes The Sleeper and the Sleepless and No Bird Sing (featuring members of Hyder Ali and Abzorbr) as well as a spoken word performance by Sierra DeMulder. Food sponsors include Jimmy Johns, Erbert's and Gerbert's, Pizza Luce, Mississippi Market, Breadsmith, and Peace Coffee. Many community and campus groups will be tabling including (but not limited to) The Alexandra House, Aurora Center, MNCASA, La Raza, WSAC, Amnesty International, The Minnesota Women's Consortium, and OutFront MN.

Pre-rallies will be hosted at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus for UMTC and Augsburg students and a second one will be hosted at Macalester College for Macalester, Hamline, and St. Kates students.

WHO: The Minnesota Public Interest Research Group
WHAT: Twin Cities hosts 12th annual Take Back the Night rally and march at the Capitol
WHEN: Friday, April 24, 2009 from 6-10PM
WHERE: Minnesota State Capitol, upper and lower mall
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