In the beginning, there was fun! Freaknik, a spring break party and young Black cultural gathering held in Atlanta, Georgia, was started in ...
In the beginning, there was fun!
Initially, the event was meant to provide a break from academic studies for the students, but it soon became a huge annual event that drew thousands of partygoers from all over the country.
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| Image by Jemiah Fields: Women of AKA (NOT at Freaknik) |
The first Freaknik was held in 1983 at a park in Atlanta, and it attracted around 2000 students. Students from HBCUs such as Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta University, who were looking for an event that would allow them to socialize and party, were the primary attendees.
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The event was a chance for young African Americans to come together and party in their own way, without interference from a mainstream society with a long history of strife, injustice, and violence against young Black Americans.
By the end of the 80s, the event had grown in popularity, attracting tens of thousands of attendees. It became a week-long celebration and took on a life of its own, with different promoters hosting events every day. The event was an opportunity for young African Americans to party, socialize, and network with one another.
While the event was initially embraced by the local community, that would not last. Increased traffic and an increase in the population of young people seeking to make their spring break incredibly memorable led to tense relations with residents. For the city of Atlanta, the event filled with partying young people making impulsive choices was becoming a public concern.
Freaknik Festival has a long history associated with music, party, and cultural celebrations. However, it’s not all fun and games. This annual event, which usually takes place in various locations across the United States, has been associated with sexual assaults and harassment.
And then the fun was done.....
While the festival's purpose was initially to celebrate Black culture, it became a breeding ground for sexual predators. Reports of sexual assault and harassment at the event started emerging in the 90s. It became so widespread that the authorities had to shut down the festival in 1996.
Over the years many women have come forward with stories of being groped, harassed, raped, and assaulted at the event. It should be noted that the festival organizers condemned the inappropriate behavior.
It's essential to recognize that this issue is not unique to Freaknik Festival. Sexual assault and harassment are a problem that plagues social gatherings and events of all kinds. However, it becomes more concerning when it happens in the context of an event that's meant to celebrate a culture and a community.
Additionally, sexual assault and harassment disproportionately affect women of color. For many of these women, speaking out against such incidents might be challenging, given the existing social and cultural dynamics. Other women report speaking but not being believed or heard,. Women also reported being openly and intentionally ignored.
Freaknik Festival is a reminder that we need to work together to create safe spaces for everyone, including women of color. We must take steps to ensure that people feel secure and respected, even in party settings.
We can acknowledge the challenge of doing all of this at the same time, while recognizing the necessity of coming together and getting it done.
Memory Lane is On Fire
Listen, for many people Freaknik Festival holds significant cultural and historical significance. They still enjoy the memories of the music, the friends, and the connections.
But for others, a group mostly comprised of women, it was a time the memory is a scar. For women like Toni D Rivera, now a Human Trafficking expert, Freaknik reminds them of a time when they felt pain like they never knew before. Toni D. Rivera was a teen when she met the much older (around 28 years old) *Chris at Freaknik.
Her free-spirited dancing had his complete attention. He seduced her and told her he would help her with her dream to become a dancer in the music industry.
*Chris had no intention of helping Toni. When he gained her trust and love, he forced her into dancing and performing sex for strangers. The money she made went into his pockets. Chris knew all along that everything that he did for Toni was ultimately for his own ill-gotten gain. Thankfully, Toni escaped the grip of his bondage.
She now runs an organization that helps other prostituted and trafficked women and girls. For the women like Toni who were targeted, preyed upon, manipulated, and/or assaulted, Freaknik is a reminder of pain, disappointment, sadness, and misplaced shame and guilt.
It is a reminder that after their time at Freaknik, their lives were never the same again.
Survivor Spotlight: Toni D. Rivera, Human Trafficking Expert | WE Survive Abus
We must listen to women and girls with concerns about their safety.
Our concerns are valid, legitimate, and based on fact and history both.
In any space, any event, school, organization, corporation, or relationship where women's voices are not respected to speak on their own fears, concerns, and safety, ...a woman or child's safety is at risk.
If we want safer festivals we have to change our ideas and practices around sexual violence. Only then can we work towards creating an environment in which everyone can enjoy these events safely and without fear.
Sexual Assaults at American Festivals: The 2000 Puerto Rican Parade | WE Survive Abuse
Sexual Violence at American Festivals: Woodstock 99 | WE Survive Abuse
Only Freely Given Consent, is Consent (video short) | WE Survive Abuse
Are You Sure That You Are Listening to Women and Girls? (audio & blog post) | WE Survive Abuse
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