On Oct. 9, hundreds of community members gathered in front of the Alton Lennon Federal Building for Wilmington’s annual Take Back the Night march against domestic violence. The theme, “Building Bridges for 25 Years,” commemorated the event’s 25^th year and served as a symbol of the community support it’s created.

“Take Back the Night was an amazing experience,” Jennifer Stifter, a public sociology and criminology major and the media and social coordinator of UNC Wilmington’s CARE (Collaboration for Assault Response and Education) said.

The event commenced with a march through the downtown streets as the crowd passionately chanted “people unite, take back the night” and “there is no excuse for domestic abuse.” The march ended at the riverfront for a moving candle light ceremony.

A line of wooden body cutouts displayed stories of women who lost their lives from domestic abuse. The “silent witnesses” reminded the community of the seriousness of domestic violence and honored courageous victims. Finally, UNCW’s a cappella group, the Sea Belles, performed a rendition of “Brave” by Sara Bareilles. The song’s lyrics, “say what you wanna say and let the words fall out,” encourages people to be brave and speak out about their struggles.

Chief Judge J. H. Corpening served as the keynote speaker for this year’s Take Back the Night. He gave an inspiring speech, encouraging both survivors and supporters to remember the words, “imagine,” “believe” and “lead,” in the struggle to eliminate domestic violence.

“By remembering and living by those words we cannot only take back the night, but also take back the day,” Stifter said.

The Domestic Violence Shelter and Services (DVSS) and the Domestic Violence Advocacy Council (DVAC), two groups that work closely with UNCW in supporting and empowering victims of domestic violence, organizes the event. Ensuring that both students and community members are represented, the DVAC is partially composed of the UNCW Police, UNCW CARE and the Office of the Dean of Students.

Rebecca Caldwell, the director of CROSSROADS, UNCW’s Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention on campus, spoke about the support in the community.

“Wilmington has a strong and long-lasting commitment to addressing domestic violence as a community,” Caldwell said. “We also have an unusually strong commitment from law enforcement, the District Attorney’s office, judges and attorneys.”

After 25 years of Take Back the Night, the Wilmington community has also become whole-heartedly involved.

“As always, [Take Back the Night] brought out a huge range of community members, including children, college students, faith communities, law enforcement, affected families and domestic violence survivors,” Caldwell said.

The march united people of all ages and backgrounds, holding signs and verbally showing their support in ending domestic abuse.

Finally, Caldwell touched on the significance of the event.

“[The march] is an important demonstration of Wilmington’s commitment to change,” she said. “It’s also a moment for the community to remember those who have been lost and fortify ourselves for the battles we are still fighting.”