Sponsored by UBS

Please join us for the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault's annual benefit! This live virtual event will take place on Thursday, April 22, at 12:00pm-12:45pm.

"Justice Embodied"

Oppression happens to and in our bodies and our bodies keep record of the violence we experience. The bodies we live in also impact whether we are likely to experience sexual violence and how we are treated when we do.

BIPOC bodies are uniquely targeted for sexual violence, exploitation, and trafficking. As we press toward justice for victims/survivors, we affirm that oppression and violence cannot be separated from its connection to and impact on our embodied selves.

What to Expect

• Hosted by Minneapolis-based spoken word artist and activist Shá Cage

• Featuring Sarah Deer, a citizen of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma and a legal scholar, university professor, and activist for Indigenous women

• Awards ceremony honoring individuals or groups for remarkable advocacy and bold truth-telling

• A celebration of MNCASA and allies' work to pass sexual assault kit reform in Minnesota

Can't attend? You can still support the event with a gift here!

What Your Ticket Purchase Supports

All proceeds go toward MNCASA's mission to prevent and end sexual violence through:

• Victim and Survivor Support by helping partner programs and medical personnel, law enforcement, and legal and social service providers deliver state of the art victim advocacy and support
• Prevention Support by developing the capacity of partner programs and others to design and implement effective community-level sexual violence prevention strategies
• Policy Reform through public policy education and advocacy
• Systems Change by developing capacity in medical, criminal justice, social service, and judicial systems to incorporate a coordinated and victim-centered approach into their responses

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor: UBS

Gold Sponsor: Briol and Benson, PLLC

Bronze Sponsors: Larkin Hoffman Attorneys , Carlson Companies

Copper Sponsors: United Strategies | Kennedy & Graven | Carlson

About the Speaker

Sarah Deer is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma and a University Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas. A lawyer by training but an advocate in practice, Deer’s scholarship focuses on the intersection of federal Indian law and victims' rights, using indigenous feminist principles as a framework. Her 2015 book, The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America is the culmination of over 25 years of working with survivors and has received several awards, including the Best First Book award from the Native American Indigenous Studies Association.

Deer's work to end violence against Native women has received national awards from the American Bar Association and the Department of Justice. She has testified before Congress on four occasions regarding violence against Native women and was appointed by Attorney General Eric Holder to chair a federal advisory committee on sexual violence in Indian country. Deer was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2014. In 2019, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Deer is also the Chief Justice for the Prairie Island Indian Community Court of Appeals.