To the Editors:

“The Sexual Assault Support team works to dismantle the logic of domination and all systems of oppression by working in contexts where they are enforced through sexualized violence. We recognize the intersectionality of sexualized violence with systems of racism, classism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia and systems of oppression based in size, age, nationality and religion. We aim to eliminate the conditions that create and perpetuate violence within our community, our society and our world. Acknowledging that it will be both uncomfortable and difficult, we feel that we must recognize and transform organizational and personal privileges into forces for positive change in order to reach our goal of eliminating all unjust privilege. We recognize that in order to fulfill our mission of anti-oppression work we must challenge principles in our behaviors, actions and lives…”
— Excerpt from the SAST Mission Statement

As recent members of SAST and as a former hotline counselor (Christina), we are writing in response to clarify the misinformation regarding both the hotline and SAST stated in the past issue of the Review. Sexual assault is an issue that affects everyone regardless of race, class, gender or sexuality. SAST’s mission is to provide services to all victims of sexualized assault and SAST recognizes that the hotline is only serving as a resource for white, middle class women.

SAST is a part of the Oberlin College structure and is therefore susceptible and an active participant in the system of institutionalized racism. Within this institution, there is no such thing as “unintentional” racism; those who have the structural power are responsible and need to be held accountable to that power. It is the responsibility of SAST to combat these institutional structures.

As far as the relationship of SAST and the hotline, hotline counselors had stopped attending SAST meetings and only one former counselor was present when the unanimous decision was made, in an open meeting, to shut down the hotline. The absence of key members of the hotline at SAST meetings during discussions to create an anti-racist framework for the hotline itself is indicative of the racism in the organization as a whole. The claim of hostility toward white members of the group only serves as another example of the lack of understanding of the ways in which power, defensiveness and oppression work. The real violence and hostility is being directed at the women of color who are unable to access SAST and the women of color who have and continue to work within the organization. Any and all claims of racism should be taken seriously. By shutting down the hotline, SAST is taking the initial step toward living up to its mission statement.
–Rachel Hess
College senior
–Christina Pienta
College senior
–Rachel Klauber
College senior