Denim Day, is an event to raise awareness of sexual assault violence, was held on Wednesday, April 30, with keynote speaker and BCC alum Thalia Taylor sharing her own personal story as a sexual violence survivor.

“I became a survivor of statutory rape at the age of 13, and since then, have been on a life journey to become a fierce advocate for justice and make a difference in this world,” said Thalia, who spent her early childhood years as the youngest of nine children in Jamaica and was impregnated by her assailant. “My parents, due to their religious convictions, insisted I have the baby. I was then shunned as the outcast in the family so I came to live with my aunt in the Bronx.”

Eventually, Thalia discovered BCC and became part of the Future Now program, working to get her GED and then move on to obtain an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. From there, she went on to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay. Thalia was on the Dean’s List at both BCC and John Jay and was selected as a “Pre-Law Scholar” by Sidley Austin. After her son graduates from high school, Thailia, who has worked with the homeless serving as a wellness coach/case manager, hopes to begin thinking about going back to law school.

As a single mom who never received child support, Thalia – who was the only one of her siblings to have gone on to college – told attendees to never be afraid to speak up and always make sure your voice is heard. Additional remarks focused on the importance of consent, respect, and support for survivors were delivered by representatives from the NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence and Bronx Health Link.

Denim Day began in 1999 as an international response to a sexual assault conviction overturned by the Italian Supreme Court. The justices wrote that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped her attacker to remove them – so consent was implicit. The protests that followed in both Italy and the United States are now marked by a day of wearing denim to show solidarity with sexual assault survivors.