Consentopia by Herisa Takhit - HTML preview

Photo by Reese Foster, 2017, San Diego, California

“When did you realize it was rape?

Most rape and sexual assault survivors experience confusion as far as WHAT rape actually is. People have been calling me a liar for YEARS about my own sexual assaults saying that “the story keeps changing”

.

Here’s the truth: when I started activism in 2014, I only counted a few sexual assaults:

1. Being molested when I was twelve
2. Being raped by the same person at the age thirteen 3. And getting raped on my 17th birthday.

I didn’t know much about rape, sexual assault, or consent in 2014. Feminism introduced consent to me.

The more I studied consent, the more I realized that most of my sexual experiences were not consensual. I would read a survival story and be like, “damn that happened to me, too. That’s rape?”

Lack of education, fear, traumatic amnesia are all reasons why people JUST DONT KNOW if they have been raped are not.

THATS OKAY! It’s not your fault no one educated you and it’s definitely not your fault you were raped.

I now count about twelve rapes, but, my heart knows there have been more than just those. I have not yet confronted them bc I have suppressed so much trauma in my subconscious mind...I know it will arise when I am healed enough to confront that pain.

So, has my story changed? Absolutely. The number of rapes grew with my awareness, unfortunately. And get ready for more, because when I’m ready I will be sharing the details in my memoir when it is published.

Love, strength and healing to all the survivors out there.”

-Originally published on Instagram January 6, 2018

Photo by PeteShawn, 2018, Atlanta, GA

“‘Women want to show off their bodies AND still be respected?!!’ FUCK YEAH, that’s exactly what we want!”

-Originally posted on Instagram December 25, 2016

About the Author

Herisa Takhit (formerly known as Amber the

Activist) is an activist, traditional AfroIndigenous Medicine Practitioner, artist, entrepreneur, and humanitarian. Born in Akron, Ohio, she has been on the move ever since leaving Ohio at the age of seventeen to live independently.

In 2011, Herisa graduated Suma Cum Laude from the University of Paris (La Sorbonne), where she obtained a degree in French as a Second Language. Later that year, Herisa relocated to New York City where she began her career in social justice with Marriage Equality USA and the Human Rights Campaign. For two years she worked as the boots-on-the-ground to successfully legalize same-sex marriage in Delaware, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.

In 2014, Herisa was sexually assaulted and the

NYPD responded poorly, one officer even said, "Are you sure he meant 'no'? Maybe he thought you meant 'yes'."

In response, Herisa founded #StopRapeEducate, focusing her efforts on educating the public about sexual violence through chalk art. Six months later, Herisa took her feminist chalk art messages from Washington Square park all the way to London, Spain, and South Africa for the first annual #StopRapeEducate World Tour.

Two days before Herisa was supposed to leave South Africa for Australia, she was raped by a South African man. In an act of bravery, minutes after the incident, she documented the aftermath of the assault and posted the details along with a teary-eyed selfie on Instagram to her 20,000 followers at the time.

One month later, Herisa was contacted by Marie Claire and her interview with them went viral. Herisa was bullied, harassed, threatened, blamed, and shamed by millions of people around the world, after experiencing the most violent attack of her life. Refusing to cave to the patriarchy in any type of way, Herisa continued her career as an activist and it was after this catalytic moment that she shifted her focus to the one and only solution to ending sexual assault once and for all: consent culture!

Creating Consent Culture was born in January 2016 and is aimed at normalizing consent, communication, and supporting survivors while teaching safe boundaries, respect, and holistic healing for survivors of sexual trauma.

Today, CCC has support of millions worldwide!

In early 2018, Herisa became a Certified Kemetic Reiki Practitioner, a gigantic step in her spiritual journey. She now lives in Atlanta where she works as a Rape and Trauma Specialist for survivors offering remote and in-person healing sessions to survivors around the world.

In April 2018, Herisa received a Kemetic name from her Ancestors.

"Herisa Takhit", means "serving the Divine brings me joy and success." Herisa is now committed to doing just that and sees advocacy for survivors as a way of serving the Divine.

Follow her social media pages to continue the Consentopia conversation: @herisatakhit & @creatingconsentculture