April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month! Commit to learning more about the problem of sexual violence and ways you can better support survivors by watching documentaries, films, and series that highlight survivors and the impact of sexual violence on their lives. Below are summaries of movies and shows that our New Orleans Advocacy Team recommend… Read More
Category: Supporting Survivors
F. King Alexander’s Unhelpful Politicization of Sexual Violence
By Caroline Schroeder, Guest Blogger This past week Oregon State University President F. King Alexander eschewed blame for his role in Louisiana State University’s mishandling of sexual misconduct complaints during his tenure. Alexander claimed that, regardless of whether or not he was aware of this crisis, he could not have addressed it because Louisiana is… Read More
Speak Up Against Anti-Asian Violence
Yesterday, a white gunman in Atlanta killed eight people in three attacks, six of whom were Asian women. On this same day, the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate released a report on thousands of incidents of anti-Asian harassment and violence reported to them over the past year. The gunman in yesterday’s Atlanta shooting denies race… Read More
STAR Demands More Support for Survivors
Yesterday, STAR’s Legal Director, Morgan Lamandre, joined dozens of survivors and advocates to testify before the Louisiana Senate Select Committee on Women and Children about the need for the state to take more action to support survivors of sexual assault and hold the institutions that fail them accountable. As Morgan said in her testimony, “Our… Read More
Our Work in Advancing Institutional Change on Campuses and Beyond
This week, the Louisiana State University (LSU) community is preparing to receive the Husch Blackwell law firm’s investigative report on the university’s Title IX policies and their implementation. LSU retained the law firm to conduct this review in response to a series of articles published by USA Today last fall which featured student survivors’ experiences… Read More
Preventing and Responding to Third-Party Harassment
STAR staff members interact with many different community partners ranging from schools to law enforcement agencies to hospitals and more. Frequently, Black staff members and other staff members of color at STAR are called upon to go into majority white spaces to provide STAR services. Last month, we became aware of a student at a… Read More
Honoring Black Changemakers
Highlighting those who have transformed the anti-sexual violence movement Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in our history. This month, we want to take the opportunity to highlight six key Black leaders in the anti-sexual movement that have shaped our work.… Read More
Trauma Histories and Futures: STAR’s Response to Recent and Ongoing Political Violence
Last week, as our staff returned to work after the holidays with hopes of a better year to come, we were instead faced with the reports of a violent mob storming the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6th. As arrests, investigations, and political responses continue to unfold, threats of violence remain. The FBI is warning… Read More
Understanding Human Trafficking
Watch our latest Teal Talk Tuesday video featuring Angela, STAR’s Community Educator Director, to learn about the definitions and prevalence of human trafficking in Louisiana. If you are interested in learning more about human trafficking, register for our upcoming virtual training on Friday, January 22nd from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. This 2-hour training is designed to… Read More
2020: A Year in Review
We are nearing the end of 2020, a year that was difficult and challenging for all of us. This time last year, STAR staff gathered in a meeting to discuss a ‘20/20’ vision for the upcoming year. We were so optimistic about the new year and explored ways we could enhance our services to survivors… Read More