ABSTRACT
Tayler J. Mathews’s essay describes her quest for justice after experiencing prolonged sexual harassment early in her graduate studies. Unable to find support from faculty, staff, or administrators, who minimized her experiences, Tayler’s research into sexual harassment and Title IX policies empowered her to seek legal counsel from a non-profit organization. An inspiration to other victims, Tayler had the courage to file a complaint with her institution; later, she filed a complaint with the US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights against her institution for failing to investigate her case and protect her from further harassment. Tayler’s decision to hold her institution accountable has resulted in unstable academic funding, lost research opportunities, retaliation from professors, and ostracism from other graduate students. But, still, she persists in her fight against gender discrimination and sexual violence through her research and activism. She shares her story so other Black students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) know they do not have to choose between their humanity and the reputation of their school or community. In prioritizing herself, she has learned to “speak loudly, speak firmly, and to speak with conviction.”
