Rape has nothing to do with sex, Lori Robinson said Monday in the Art and Journalism Building.
"(It) is a crime of power and control," Robinson said. "And it has devastating and potentially lifelong consequences."
Robinson, an award-winning journalist and rape survivor, was invited to speak Monday to keynote Ball State's Sexual Awareness Week. The event was sponsored by the Counseling Center's Sexual Assault Prevention Outreach Team to increase education about sexual violence, staff counselor John Stachula said.
According to www.lorirobinson.com, Robinson was on the staff of Emerge magazine when she was raped in 1995. When she later wrote an article about her assault, she received numerous letters from readers who were affected by her story, the site said.
The letters inspired Robinson to publish "I Will Survive: The African-American Guide to Healing from Sexual Assault and Abuse" in January 2003.
Robinson said her primary motivation for writing the book was to counter the sexual abuse so often overlooked in today's society.
"Transforming myself from a rape victim into a survivor was the hardest thing I've ever done," Robinson said. "But I wanted to contribute to anti-rape social change so we can all move forward in a positive direction."
Robinson said one of the key reasons today's society has trouble countering sexual violence is because it perpetuates the myth that primarily black males are sexual predators.
Until people realize that anyone can be a sexual predator, they will not be able to fight sexual assault, she said.
"The stereotypes we are perpetuating are negatively affecting us," she said. "Women are continuing to suffer in silence."
Robinson said at least two-thirds of all rape victims are raped by someone they know. According to a government study, one in six women in the United States has been a victim of attempted or completed sexual assault, she said.
To help end sexual abuse in the United States, local communities need to collaborate to increase awareness about sexual violence, Robinson said.
"What we need is an extreme change in the way we are educated," she said. "It's not just a women's issue or a men versus women's issue; it's a matter of whether our entire community is going to be safe."
To get more information about sexual abuse, Robinson said people can contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.
Robinson said she is grateful to be able to share her story with others and plans to continue promoting sexual assault awareness in the United States. Throughout her career in journalism, she has received several awards, including National Association of Black Journalists awards and the International Black Women's Congress Inspirational Award. Her work has appeared in publications such as the Washington Post and Essence.
Junior Latrice Alexander said she was glad she attended Robinson's speech Monday and hopes more Ball State students come out for future Sexual Assault Awareness week activities.
Men and women of all races should take the time to learn something new, Robinson said.
"(The events) make us all more aware about what we can do to prevent sexual assault," Alexander said. "It's always beneficial to become more informed."
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