Sexual Violence Activist Chanel Miller Shares Her Story at Morning Assembly

By JILLIAN CHENG and LILY RAMPE

      On Friday, April 12, writer and artist Chanel Miller spoke at the Academy’s Assembly Hall, providing insight on her experience with sexual assault and the American court system, describing how she faced her pain, and introducing the themes of her acclaimed book “Know My Name: A Memoir.”

      Miller was once anonymously known as “Emily Doe” for a sexual assault case against swimmer Brock Allen Turner, who assaulted her on Stanford University’s campus in 2015. Four years later, she decided to go public with her identity, and she used writing and art as a platform to share wisdom in healing from traumatic experiences.

      The assembly opened with a video outlining her 2020 exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, CA, titled “I was, I am, I will be.” The piece, which was printed across a wall in the museum, involves figures depicting each phrase: one clutching itself in a fetal position, one sitting cross-legged, and one rising from the floor. The piece represents how she processed and healed from her trauma. In the video, Miller explains, “Art requires imagination. And imagination is the key to empathy.”

      After the video finished and the projector flickered off, coheads of Exonians Against Sexual Assault (EASA) Gigi Lannon, Nupur Malhorta, and Stacy Chen took the stage. Following them was Miller herself. The coheads introduced Miller to thea sea of students, detailing her impactful story and memoir.

      Miller then read a passage from her book through which she had decided to reveal her anonymous identity, and described the following consequences. She expressed her frustration with interviews, which seemed like “interrogations” and described the hostility of the courtroom. “For so long, I worried that to be known meant to be undone,” she read. “The more they see you, the more they can use against you.” However, she concluded, “My purpose will always be greater than my fear.” As told in her book, Miller now unabashedly shares her story to the public and advocates for sexual assault awareness.

      Following her reading, Miller began answering questions presented by the EASA coheads. When asked why she wanted to write the book, she explained that being among the many professionals in her trial, she “felt the least qualified to testify in [her] own case.” She believed that writing the book gave her power to speak her own truth. “If you are ever in a situation where you’re surrounded by people who are older, more professional, and more established, even if you feel like ‘I don’t know how my voice will ever emerge on top,’ it doesn’t have to. You have every right to still provide a counterweight.”

      In the process of writing the memoir, Miller felt more in control. “When I was in court, it was this really oppressive environment. I felt like I was two inches tall. But as soon as I started describing it, I found that I really enjoyed it because I went from being this figurine that was trapped in this courthouse to being the writer that built the courthouse from the ground up.” The memoir shed light on not only what had happened to Miller, but the emotions within her. “I got to give nuance and texture to my grief and turn ordinary, ‘bad’ feelings into something rich.”

      To close out the assembly, Miller left some words of wisdom. “You may think that this sexual assault has nothing to do with you, but I promise you there are people in your life who are…trying to gauge who they can trust. The more you educate yourself and go to things like this, the more you’re signaling to people that you’re ready to receive a story like this.”

      Reflecting on the assembly, Chen said, “I might be biased, but I was extremely proud of the assembly we put together. It’s always an honor to hear from our visiting speakers – but getting to actively converse and learn from them is something else. It’s funny, her book ‘Know My Name’ was one of the first ways I became involved in this work, and it feels like a full circle moment to interview her at the end of my career here at Exeter. It’s wild because I heard her voice in the audiobook, so when I spoke to her in person, it was like speaking to someone I already knew.”

      Upper Katherine Lopez added, “ I think she was a very engaged speaker; she knew what message she wanted to get across. In the end I didn’t see her as a victim but as a force. She exposed her anonymous identity, despite the possibility of being shamed or facing unwanted pity, and she used her story to demonstrate how she regained power in her life.”

      Lannon agreed with both Chen and Lopez by stating: “I thought the assembly was very inspiring. I liked her responses, but I wish that we had gotten to hear more. I thought the passage she selected to read said a lot about the book and the type of story she is trying to tell. She spoke about strength and about how each time she told her story she was less affected by the undertow and now she stands only ankle deep. I also thought she was funny and an engaging speaker.”

      Some students took away a strong reaction and feelings towards the assembly. Lannon said, “I took away how strong she was. Having read her book, it is even more incredible to have met her and spoken to her face to face. I think a lot of the students were less versed in her story and didn’t realize how insane it was that she came to speak to us. She has made an incredible impact in the world of sexual violence and assault and I think a message I took away was how much farther there is to go, but knowing that one person can make such a big impact.”

      Despite the important message Miller was trying to convey, Lopez noted the unseriousness reaction from the student body, saying, “At the end of the assembly, after Miller finished talking about one of the most traumatic experiences of her life, Dean Weatherspoon decided to sing about mud. The whole student body laughed and we seemingly lost time to ask questions or reflect on what the speaker had just poured her soul into.”

      Lopez continued, “And during the assembly I saw many people on their phone playing the Wordle, doing their homework, et cetera. This makes me angry because we’re already so out of touch, being the privileged community that we are and when serious topics like this come up no one seems to really learn anything about it. It’s hard to sit in class with people and talk about these serious subjects during Harkness and then watch them not care at all outside of class. We need to get better at actually teaching our students how to care about these topics, not just throwing different stories at them waiting for one to stick.”

      Chen spoke on what she hopes students take away from Miller.  “I hope everyone leaves feeling a little more compassionate and inspired to advocate for each other,” she said. “There’s so much going on in the world, and Chanel Miller is one of those people that truly brings some light to those who feel very in the dark. So, I hope people leave with a sense of love for those in their community and especially for themselves.”