Aishah Simmons

Award Winning Filmmaker

Film Showing: “No! The Rape Documentary”

Aishah Simmons PosterWednesday, October 15, 2008
Stern Center, Great Room – 7:00 p.m.

This groundbreaking documentary explores the international reality of rape and other forms of sexual assault through the first person testimonies, scholarship, spirituality, activism and cultural work of African Americans.

Topical Background

Every two minutes another person is subjected to sexual assault. In total, 17.7 million American women have been victims of rape or attempted rape. Through the ground-breaking work of Aishah Shahidah Simmons, more people than ever are becoming educated about these tragic facts.

No! The Rape Documentary is a film that explores the issue of rape on an international scale. Specifically, the film works to bring the prevalence of sexual violence in the African-American community to the forefront. Survivors, scholars and viewers alike have praised the film. Further, as a testament to the power and reach of the documentary, it has been seen in countries from Nepal to Brazil, Rwanda, and Hungary, crossing boundaries both physically and linguistically.

The issue of sexual abuse is especially pertinent in a college community, where college age women are 4 times more likely to be assaulted than women outside the 18 to 22 age group. On both a global and local scale, the film challenges readers to examine the values we subscribe to. No! The Rape Documentary is a work of great importance and a vital tool in the effort to end sexual violence.

About the Speaker
Aishah Shahidah Simmons is an award-winning African-American feminist lesbian who produces documentaries for television and film. In addition she is an author, international lecturer, and activist based in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1992, she founded AfroLez® Productions, an AfroLez®femcentric multimedia arts company committed to using the moving image (film), and the written and spoken word to address those issues which have a negative impact on marginalized and disenfranchised people. Through this production company, Simmons has produced Silence…Broken and In My Father’s House.

As a survivor of rape herself, Ms. Simmons works tirelessly to bring attention to those topics most often avoided, such as homophobia, gender, rape and race discrimination. Her passion and tenacity has garnered numerous awards, including the 2007 International Federation of Black Prides Award.