Tara Rivers from Beaumont in Perry County is a survivor of child molestation, as well as rape from her time serving in the military.
“For me, Denim Day is important because I am a survivor and I like to advocate and help others find their new normal, as I call it,” she said.
Rivers, who spoke at the event and shared an emotional poem about her journey, says she disagreed with the premise of the Italian case.
“What you wear does not cause rape or sexual abuse,” she said. “The power that a perpetrator or offender possesses is what causes the abuse or the rape”
Javonda Stanton of Jackson survived rape 16 years ago, and was wearing ripped jeans to commemorate the event. She says she also feels deeply about the origins of the day.
“I was told that because I complied and removed my clothing for my rapist that I was complicit,” she said. “Well, what does one do when you have a gun to your head?”
Stanton says she also chose to wear a t-shirt featuring a photo of the man who was convicted of raping her in order to feel more empowered.
“Being able to wear my rapist on my shirt was empowering to me, because every time I got a chance to look at it, every time someone came to me and said, who was that on your shirt, I was able to share my story,” she said. “Why? It's important that we have the discussion, that survivors don't always look like what people assume.”
Desmeon Thomas from Jackson says he wanted to attend the event to provide support for survivors of sexual violence. Thomas uses a wheelchair as a result of gun violence committed against him.
“I just feel like individuals that go through that type of sexual assault shouldn't be stigmatized in any kind of way,” he said. “They should get the love, get the support that they need. I think it's unfair for a person as a victim to get pointed the finger at saying that there's something that they might have done wrong.”
Thomas says he believes that men should play a bigger role in preventing sexual violence.
“Us as men have to grow up and become more mature and understand that women need our support,” he said. “Whether it's a woman or a man that's a victim of sexual assault, they need our support. They need to know that they're not alone, and they got somebody that they can talk to about what's going on.”
Keisha Coleman is the executive director of the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery for the city of Jackson.
“In 2025, women's rights are being challenged in Mississippi,” she said. “So we have to be steadfast in our work to protect ourselves, protect our rights, and protect the generation that's coming behind us.”
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), there are at least 463,634 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States.
