NBA Great's Son to Discuss Sexual Assault at Women’s Center Event on Oct. 4
September 27, 2018
Zeke Thomas
By Noell Saunders
Zeke Thomas, son of NBA great Isiah Thomas, will serve as a guest speaker for a discussion about breaking the silence on sexual assault.
The two-part event will be hosted by Old Dominion University's Women's Center on Oct. 4. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Hampton/Newport News Room at Webb Center, Thomas will discuss his road to recovery from two sexual assaults. From 8 to 10 p.m., he will DJ a dance party in the North Café that will feature his coping-mechanism music. Tickets for the dance party, which are free with a valid student ID, are available at the Webb Center info desk.
Thomas has appeared on Good Morning America and was featured in a nationwide public service announcement on sexual violence prevention and in support of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. "Being gay, being African-American," he told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America last year when discussing being a sexual-assault victim, "is definitely something that I never imagined would happen to me."
Same-sex intimate interpersonal violence is not reported at the levels of heterosexual cases. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in six men are sexually assaulted and only one in 10 of those victims report their assaults.
The Women's Center offers programs and services designed to promote gender equity and address the challenges and opportunities female students encounter in the pursuit of higher education. Recognizing the role that women and men play in promoting a safe environment free of gender bias, Center programs are designed to educate and inspire students to achieve their personal, academic and professional potential.
For more information, visit the Women's Center web site (http://www.odu.edu/womenscenter) or contact ODUmanofquality@gmail.com.
