Persistence: The Key to Community Advocacy

By Tanaya Kollipara

Photo Graphic by Kyleen Vo

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I rolled out my back, as my fingers clacked away at the keyboard. Despite being the tenth infographic I had created within one week, I found myself leaning towards my computer, determined and energized.

It is time to stop normalizing inappropriate behavior and start holding accountability against sexual assaulters. The first step to this is starting with our community.

The email template was ready. Our list of policy changes were ready. Our new, comprehensive sexual assault and consent curriculum was ready.

We were ready.

Although the initial meeting was filled with promises and enthusiasm, the Lammersville Unified School District was failing to work towards the changes our school district— and community—needed. Numerous womxn, men, and young folks came forward with their experiences of sexual assault and harassment earlier in the year; almost none received justice. I couldn’t stand by and

watch the blatant normalization of sexual assault & harassment in my community. Thus, I decided to mobilize my peers, organize my community members, and work towards a better Mountain House— a Mountain House that educated its students, protected its survivors, and held its perpetrators accountable.

Over the course of the next several weeks, we created awareness on the prevalence of sexual assault in secondary and middle schools, created a safe space for survivors to share their stories, and began working with district officials for the creation of trauma-informed and victim-minded policies. Although we had a rocky start, due to our determination to see positive change in our community, we were able to push through until the district started listening.

As my district begins the process to adopt these policies, I feel hopeful of the change that is to come.

Each conversation I have, each connection I make, shows me the value of what I am fighting for. As students and survivors alike reach out to me, I am reminded of who these policy changes and instructional amendments are for.

It is important to remember: change does not happen overnight— it takes time. When you’re advocating and fighting for something to change, you must be patient and remain determined, even when it seems like you’re hitting dead-ends. Keep reaching out to community members, keep creating awareness, keep sending emails. Eventually, your persistence will pay off, leading to measurable and real change.

Community work is hard, but it will always be worth it.