While we were about halfway through V-Day USC’s One Billion Rising video project, in which we asked various USC and Columbia people to share why they’re rising against violence against women, our filmmaker OK Keyes asked me when I was doing my video. I shook my head.
“No, I’m just coordinating this,” I said. “No video needed.”
Keyes said I should. I asked her when she was going to do one. She said, “No, I’m the filmmaker.”
I shrugged. “I’ll do one if you do one.”
And so the challenge was born.
Why am I rising? Because I can imagine a world without sexual or domestic violence. And I’m ready to make it happen.
Join us in making [a new] story—a story of life, not death, of healing, not hurting, of limitless possibilities, and not endless limitations, of people and communities joining together, not being torn apart. We are standing up. We are raising our voices. We are one billion rising.
—
Alexis Stratton 
Good for you for raising our consciousness in this important social justice issue. We should be ashamed for our silence.
Thanks, Sheila! I think the silence is a large part of the problem of SV/DV. I hope as more people speak out for themselves and others, we can continue to take steps to de-stigmatize those who have survived such violence and prevent such violence in the future.