Guest Written by Cornell Student, Jeffrey Ho
Note: This blog is part of our Guest Blog Series, where we invite community members who are passionate about our topics to contribute written works relating to our issue areas. These pieces are not written by our staff, and encourage people across Tompkins County to bring awareness to specific topics they are interested in various creative formats.
This April 24th will be one of the largest nights supporting domestic violence survivors in Ithaca: Take Back the Night. Domestic violence is one of the most pervasive forms of violence in the world. In the US, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men have experienced some form of sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by a partner in their lifetime. In fact, nearly 20 people per minute experience some form of domestic violence. As April is sexual assault awareness month, this is a time for community. Through Take Back the Night, we can amplify our voices as a force of change.
Take Back the Night started in the 1970s after a string of violence against women across Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Frustrated with the lack of protection or support, many women took to the streets to protest. The Philadelphia Inquirer coined it the march to “Take Back the Night”, spurring a long tradition of marches for domestic violence support.
This continued into the 1980s, where colleges became a hot bed of vocal advocacy. Take Back the Night marches became more frequent, spurred by increasing violence against women. Activism in the 1990s would change policy, garner awareness, and encourage reform for domestic violence survivor rights and protections. The march itself expanded to include the rights of survivors of all genders, touch communities across the US, and receive support from organizations, universities, and volunteers. Today, Take Back the Night continues to inspire, educate, and push for change.
In Ithaca, the march followed a similar growth. Originally starting in 1979, the march has grown exponentially in size, including performances, music, and guest speakers. Local institutions such as Ithaca College and Cornell University, community organizations such as the Advocacy Center of Tompkins County and the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, and many more show up in support. This is a night not only for advocacy, but for community.
The theme this year is “Give Us Our Roses, too”. Signs, banners and/or clothes that highlight solidarity and survivorship are encouraged. The marches will start from different areas across the community, all converging at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Commons where the rally will be held from 7 PM to 9 PM. If you would like to join the march, please note the following locations where the different marches will take place!
- Ithaca College March: leaves Textor Ball at 6:15pm
- Cornell University March: leaves Ho Plaza at 6:30pm
- Community March: leaves from GIAC lawn (Greater Ithaca Activities Center, 301 West Court St, Ithaca) on the corner of West Court and North Albany at 6:40pm
Join us as we encourage awareness. We hope to see you there as a uniting force for change!
References
“About – Advocacy Center.” Actompkins.org, 2026, www.actompkins.org/about/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
CDC. “About Intimate Partner Violence.” Intimate Partner Violence Prevention, 16 May 2024, www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/about/index.html
Take Back The Night Foundation. “History of Take Back the Night | How We Got to Where We Are Today.” Take Back the Night, 2019, takebackthenight.org/history/