The following essay is about the ongoing struggle against sexual violence, especially in the context of the last year's events in Durham, NC. Readers should know that it could trigger difficult emotional responses among survivors and those folks close to survivors.

Background on Ubuntu

In March of 2006, a not-altogether-uncommon incident provoked a completely uncommon response from the people of Durham, NC. What began as another brutal incident in the epidemic of sexual and racial violence plaguing this country has transformed into the building of a different kind of community, a different path forward. As always, the voices of people impacted by oppression and violence have refused to be silent, and in their resistance, we begin to see a vision of a new world.

The story of the assault perpetrated by members of the Duke lacrosse team on a young Black woman, the subsequent handling of the case by the legal system, and the sensationalized media battle that ensued have become international news. For weeks in Durham, and probably across the country, you couldn't throw a stone without hitting someone who was talking about the assault or how it was being handled. Below the radar of the mass media and the water coolers, however, has been the community response.