Far too many people holding significant power in this country do not seem to understand the social structures that influence rape, nor are they willing to admit to benefiting from a system that oppresses and violates women and sexual minorities with regularity. This is the social structure that has created space for “rape culture” to exist.
The reach of the Teach-In is hard to fathom. With an estimated 1,600 attendees, and the majority of them active on social media, it wouldn’t be a far stretch to say that tens of thousands of people were indirectly exposed to the messages of the Teach-In through media sources. The goal of the Teach-In was to give voice to the voiceless, to highlight areas in our collective history and present realities that need change, and I think that goal was accomplished spectacularly. Social media amplified the messages spoken at the Teach-In, and expanded the audience beyond just physical attendees.
