Episode 1: Know My Name

For our first ever episode of Insomniac Librarians, we’re talking about Chanel Miller’s book Know My Name for Sexual Assault Awareness Month!

We were super excited to discuss this book, which is one of our all-time favorites, as well as link its themes to rape culture and the carceral system.

The above link contains links to various places to get a copy of the book, though we also recommend Thriftbooks or checking out your local library.

Click here for the transcript.

Check out our Instagram posts concerning this episode: 1 2

Some sources and related resources for the stats and subjects covered in the episode:

• 2.3 million people are imprisoned in the U.S.

• Many big cities give nearly 25 times more funding to policing than housing

• Rape and sexual assault stats in the carceral system:

  • (at least) 40 percent of police officers are known domestic abusers,

  • 60 percent of prison rapes are committed by guards and staff,

  • 90 percent of incarcerated women are survivors,

  • 65 and 85 percent of sexual assaults are unreported

  • Hundreds of thousands of rape kits sit untested across the country, while just five out of 1,000 rapists will ever be imprisoned.

• White supremacy and the anti rape movement

  • Women, Race & Class by Angela Davis

  • More about carceral feminism and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

    • VAWA allocates two-thirds of funding to law enforcement and just one-third to victim services

    • In the 1970s, women from all walks of life began organizing to raise consciousness about conditions they faced in reporting and seeking justice and resources for sexual violence

    • The Feminist and the Sex Offender by Judith Levine and Erica R. Miners

    • Victims at risk of facing criminalization and other threats, for self-defense from their abuser

      • Cyntoia Brown served 15 years of a life sentence for killing her abuser when she was 16

    • VAWA also requires arrests in reported domestic violence cases, including even dual arrests if there is ambiguity in who is the victim and who is the abuser

      • According to experts on abuse, this is a highly common dynamic in abusive relationships (both partners hurt each other), especially outside of heteronormative contexts

    • VAWA ALSO prohibits victims from dropping charges, and its tough-on-crime mandate borne of the 1990s has led to district attorneys in some jurisdictions subpoenaing and even jailing victims to coerce testimony against their abusers

• Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power, and Consent on Campus by Vanessa Grigoriadis