Know My Name | Chanel Miller

The story is simple. A woman is sexually assaulted on the campus of Stanford in 2015. She is found unconscious by a dumpster with pine needles stuck in her hair and no underwear after the attacker is run off by the witnesses. How is it that she is the one being asked why? How is it that her life has been forever changed, yet his shouldn’t? 

Cut to Chanel waking up on a gurney with police officers looking at her. She can't remember how she got here or why. She is told there is reason to believe she was sexually assaulted. When she goes to the restroom, she discovers that she does not have underwear on anymore. They send her to a campus rape crisis center and gather the evidence from her body for a rape kit. 

Chanel learns from the media what happened in the attack against her. She presses charges against her rapist and begins the very disheartening and exhausting process of trial. It is painful for Chanel in many ways and she becomes known as "Emily Doe" to the media and the court. She is asked, "what did you eat that day?", "what were you wearing?", "why were you at a frat party?", "how much did you have to drink?". 

All of this makes Chanel wonder how she can be the person who is interrogated when she was the one assaulted. A little fire is lit in her and she decides to fight.  

A Chelsea Pick. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars. An inspiring story from an extremely strong and brave woman whose victim letter is widely known in the effort to end sexual violence. Beautifully written and unbelievably powerful. 

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