There was a time when slavery was defended, justified, and woven into the fabric of society — until brave voices stood up and said, “This is wrong.” Change did not begin with comfort; it began with confrontation. In the same way, rape has too often been minimized, hidden, excused, or blamed on the very people it harmed. But progress starts when someone refuses to normalize injustice. When one voice breaks the silence, it makes space for another. And another. Cultural change does not happen because harm quietly disappears — it happens because courage refuses to stay quiet. Just as someone had to recognize slavery was wrong for it to end, someone must continually declare that rape is wrong — without excuses, without silence, without shame — so that accountability, justice, and healing can take root.
