By Devin Bonner
Delaware State University welcomed students, faculty, and community members on April 17 for its fifth Annual Sexual Assault Prevention Conference, a daylong event centered on “Your Voice, Your Safety: Empowering Students Against Dating & Domestic Violence.”
Held in the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center Parlors, the conference focused on raising awareness around sexual assault, dating violence, and domestic violence while providing students with tools and resources to better understand trauma, recognize unhealthy patterns, and support themselves and others.
Hip-hop pioneer and cultural historian Roxanne Shanté delivered a keynote that blended storytelling with reflections on relationships, self-worth, and the importance of looking beyond appearances.
“Behind the scenes is really what’s most important,” Shanté said. “You don’t want to survive life. You want to live it.”
Drawing from her experiences, Shanté encouraged attendees to be mindful of the relationships they enter and to understand the role self-esteem plays in their decisions.
“Your number one fan should always be you,” she said.
Tamara Thomas, a therapist and owner and CEO of Transpire Wellness, followed with a session focused on the long-term effects of trauma and the process of healing.
“I share from personal knowledge, and I’m inviting you into an experience today,” Thomas said.
Thomas explained that unresolved trauma can shape behaviors, thought patterns, and relationships over time.
“Until you deal with it, it’s not going anywhere,” she said.
She also encouraged attendees to rethink silence around personal experiences and to seek connection and support.
“Sometimes sharing our story is the only way that people will understand and learn to trust,” she said.
Motivational speaker and educator Dr. Reginald Moore also addressed attendees, focusing on the importance of healthy relationships and the role of community, communication, and commitment.
“Healthy relationships do not survive on feelings alone,” Moore said. “They are strengthened by community, guided by communication, and sustained by commitment.”
Moore emphasized that isolation can often allow harmful situations to go unnoticed.
“A lot of abuse happens in isolation,” he said.
He also encouraged students to build and maintain strong support systems.
“No one has been built to be an island to themselves,” Moore said.
In addition to speaker sessions, the conference connected students with campus and community resources, including representatives from the University’s Master of Social Work program and local wellness organizations.
Now in its fifth year, the Sexual Assault Prevention Conference continues to provide a space for education, dialogue, and awareness, reinforcing Delaware State University’s commitment to student safety and well-being.
