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Historical Note

In 1978 a group of women from Boston area community organizations gathered to organize demonstrations opposing acts of intimidation and violence against women. The group modeled itself after an international protest movement known as “Reclaim the Night,” which began in Belgium in 1976 when women attending the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women walked through the streets carrying candles to protest the continuation of violence against women. Protesters in San Francisco held the first stateside Take Back the Night rally in 1978 following an anti-pornography conference, and cities across the United States followed suit soon after. The first Boston “Women Unite, Take Back the Night” demonstration occurred on the evening of August 26, 1978 and drew 3,000 supporters. Subsequent marches were held annually. In the 1980s and 1990s the event expanded to include panel discussions, film screening and workshops. The focus of Take Back the Night widened to include gay and lesbian rights, gender equality, sexuality in culture, and date rape education. In the 1990s colleges and universities began hosting campus Take Back the Night events; these rallies and marches continue nationally and internationally to this day.