For college student survivors of sexual violence, holding harm-doers accountable and finding other sources of support are difficult and confusing processes. Many survivors wind up navigating them alone and unaware of their rights. Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Act are two federal laws that require schools to protect survivors of sexual violence, as well and provide them with support and resources to heal. However, these laws are difficult to understand and universities don’t always follow them. This means many survivors—and especially survivors of who are people of color and/or LGTBQ—don’t seek help, which can cause life-long psychological and emotional damage.
To help student survivors and their allies understand their rights on campus, CUP teamed up with Black Women’s Blueprint and designers Flora Chan and Abby Chen to create It’s Not Just Personal. Created for and with students of color and LGBTQ students, the brightly illustrated guide is designed to fill a gap in engaging and culturally relevant information for student survivors and their allies. Clear text and illustrations break down how Title IX and the Clery Act work, from the rights survivors have when it comes to reporting sexual violence, to information on how to file a complaint if a school is breaking the law. The guide folds out into a colorful poster that shows a variety of actions students can take to hold their colleges accountable to the needs of survivors.