WARNING: I have been made aware that this site does not make it clear that donations are paid to Change.org NOT DAAA or the students we are supporting. Please be mindful of this if your reason for donating is to fund OUR efforts. As of now, we are able to operate with a zero-cost organization model. But, when we develop a need for financial assistance, we will create a GoFundMe and alert everyone via our updates here and on our social media accounts. My sincerest apologies to anyone who has donated. Please contact us at DAAAAlum@gmail.com if we can help get your money back. 

I'm Shanya Taylor, graduate of Duke Ellington's class of 2017. As an Black woman, and DC native, I am absolutely livid to hear about what has and continues to go on at my alma mater. As a family friend to several current Duke students, I am only even further concerned and infuriated. As an alumna, I am extremely disappointed, but not surprised with how the school's administration continues to fail students year after year... they earned this reputation before my attendance and have upheld it after my graduation. The problem however is, a beautiful legacy of talent supersedes the realities of leadership within the school. At this point, both alumnae and current students have had enough of what goes on at Duke behind closed doors.

In my teen years, I was well aware of the stories and even witnessed interactions that confirm a history of this behavior. Both on its campuses and amongst individuals part of the mystical "Ellington family." My adolescence and lack of faith in administration at the time led me to become vigilant but ultimately, I remained silent. So sadly, even these allegations (a term I am using very lightly here) do not come as much of a surprise. People have tried to speak out against faulty administration and the presence of sexual assault numerous times without success. Every attempt to confide in an administrator is only used as a subject for an auditorium or black box theater assembly. This was the go-to solution for student concerns during my attendance as well. These empty gestures have further traumatized students and ostracized them for speaking out.

The lack of action taken by faculty to support victims is upsetting, in addition to the victim-blaming that runs rampant in the institution. We all owe it to each of these students to hear them out and take a stand. I have an even greater responsibility as an alumna that is a Black woman in the arts and DC native. While committing sexual assault and being a silent bystander are heinous enough on their own, the details of accounts from victims and others affected are repulsively offensive to say the least.

A student shared that one of her peers was committed to a mental institution as if she was psychologically delusional after alleging what happened to her. A relative of another victim shared that their family brought legal officials to the school. Even after being told it was the school's responsibility to discipline the accused, nothing was done. The student was then bullied because of her peers' belief that the allegations were false. Many others have been physically/verbally and cyber bullied because of counter-accusations. Expectedly, the bullying has also gone without repercussion. This is evident of the culture that has become part of Duke Ellington. It silences and shames victims while enabling their rapists, abusers, and bystanding peers who defend sexual assault.

Today, I witnessed students chastise those who've courageously decided to speak up via the internet. I assume those students are naive to the right they have over their own bodies, space, and privacy. In this, I want them to learn how serious rape and sexual assault is, as well as what it means to be silent or accessories to these crimes. There is much work to be done here and many voices to hear in the process.

My goal is to ensure that this doesn't become another failed attempt at receiving justice; I have already begun organizing with my fellow alumnae. Our action plans are being written to determine exactly what we're after. We are also defining what 'justice' both means and looks like for students and alumnae who have decided to share their stories. This petition was the first step in collectively breaking the silence. It will later help us have this investigated so that we may achieve a solution that rids Duke Ellington of every single perpetrator and catalyst of sexual abuse and assault. Thank you for listening, keep your ears open, and please help us spread this initiative.

For transparency: The principal emailed the student body this evening in response to an outpour of allegations and demands made via social media today. At one point it reads, "Social media posts often contain erroneous and incomplete information, causing unnecessary confusion and consternation within our community. Contrary to what you might read or hear, rest assured that we fulfill our obligation whenever we learn of allegations." The patronizing tone and the disingenuous claims made in the email confirm that a solution is not achievable through the administration of Duke Ellington.