Photo courtesy of civilrightsmuseum.org
Story by Janecia Gales / Contributing Writer
On Tuesday, students and teachers alike made their way into the College of Education building for a screening of the film, “The Rape of Recy Taylor.” The film, about a black woman who was raped by six white men in 1944, captures the horrors of the event but displays Taylor’s courage to speak out about the incident.
By speaking out, she put her life and family in danger but inspired black women to speak up about their experiences of being sexually assaulted. The room was filled with students and teachers who had different emotions and opinions about the film.
A discussion was held after the viewing, where students shared the worry, pain and questions that can never be answered today. Some students felt a great deal of empathy for her.
“There was no justice for her or anyone else in her situation. I think it is just so sad. Those men should have been prosecuted,” said MTSU student Nyjoel Steeley.
“Recy Taylor fought for everything she believed in, and she was able to tell her story and help other women along the way. Everything she went through was inhumane, but she did everything in power to tell her story,” said Tatyana Brasswell.
While the story behind the film was a tragic, horrific event, Taylor’s courage displayed in the film left viewers feeling proud for her efforts to share her story.
MTSU’s viewing of “The Rape of Recy Taylor” is part of the university’s observance of Black History Month. A full calendar of this month’s events can be found here.
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