Description
First Performance: SSSAAA version, October 2022 by the San Francisco Girls Chorus, conducted by Valerie Sainte-Agathe
This work was written in the wake of the ongoing #MeToo revelations, during which countless brave women and girls have come forward to tell their stories of sexual harassment and assault. It’s important to remember that for every person who tells their story, there are many, many others who feel they cannot, for all the reasons one can imagine. Never mind putting career at risk, all too often, victims are branded hysterics or liars – and this can feel as damaging as the original trauma. Research tells us that validation is essential to the healing process. There is nothing more powerful than knowing one’s story has been heard. This is why the lyrics of the piece repeat, over and over: I see you, I hear you, I believe you
The conclusion of this piece should feel celebratory: in coming together to validate and express compassion for #MeToo survivors, we will grow kinder and stronger together.
