Chanel Miller Is Her Name, Please Say It
For over three years, no one knew her name.
Trigger warning: Sexual assault
A few years ago, news headlines broke out after a student at Stanford had been sexually assaulted and left to fend for herself. The attacker was eventually found and convicted for three years. He received, however, a mere six-month sentence of which he only served three. Part of the reasoning behind the ruling was the fact that he was a student-athlete, more specifically an Olympic level swimmer. It can't be ignored that the attacker was a White individual- this detail would most likely have not been overlooked had he been an individual of color.
The judge believed that the attacker deserved a second chance at life because of his swimming record. The victim, however, cannot be given back what was taken away from her. For over three years, no one knew her name. Now, she has come out in public and is writing a book about her experiences.
Chanel Miller is her name. Miller was assaulted after a party. She writes about how after the incident, she didn't want her body anymore, scared of how a stranger had been inside of it. That itself, speaks volumes. Almost every woman fears an incident like this one, and it's unfortunate that they still hear about it from time-to-time.
Though the assaulter was handed his life back, it took years for the victim to come out and share her identity with the world.
Chanel Miller's book "Know My Name" will be released on September 24. You can preorder the book here.
