In this Spotlight article, Courage Board Member and Education Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Ross Cheit interviews Sofia Boracci, a researcher at Brown University. Boracci’s project focuses on the Child Sexual Abuse Survivor/Activist Archives, and here she describes how it relates to institutional courage.

Cheit: One of the wonderful things about teaching at Brown University is that I encounter, and occasionally support, some of the most interesting undergraduates. A remarkable example is Sofia Boracci, who became a research assistant on the website that I keep about recovered memories. Sofia had an academic interest in archives, and her work on my website resulted in a project that became part of her senior thesis. Can you explain that development?

Boracci: My project, the Child Sexual Abuse Survivor/Activist Archives, grew out of the recovered memory archive as a way of documenting histories of past activism that were at risk of becoming lost to time. As we researched 1990s newsletters about and by survivors of sexual violence to include on the website, we realized that it was difficult to find such newsletters, or any survivor-related materials from that time. While publications in journals can still be found in libraries or in online databases, even the most historically significant survivor-lead publications and evidence of activism from that time period are not easily accessible.

Cheit: What is the goal of this archive and how does your project relate to institutional courage?

Boracci: This archive aims to provide historical documentation of activist and professional work that sought to address the phenomenon and culture of sexual violence during the 1990s. I hope that the materials preserved in this archive will serve as a resource for research and education about historical activism to address sexual violence, allowing for individuals and institutions to seek truth and guidance from the past. This archive documents examples of ‘early courage’, key moments where people sought to hold their institutions accountable and educate their communities, often despite great personal struggle and risk. Many of these stories of early courage, though perhaps not well known, have had lasting impacts on institutional policy and culture that we still benefit from today. I hope that this archive will not only honor these legacies but allow them to become a source of empowerment.

Cheit: What do you think is an example of “early courage” documented by your archive?

Boracci: The work of David Calof, through his publication Treating Abuse Today, is one example of early courage that we are documenting in our archive. From 1991-1997, under Calof’s editorship, Treating Abuse Today published articles aimed at professionals treating trauma and abuse survivors. Despite threatening backlash and defamation from anti-therapy picketers and advocates, Calof continued his publication, advancing professional discourse and education around the treatment of trauma. Calof’s courage and tenacity in his work allowed for the betterment of the institution of therapy at large and serves as an example of how individuals can work to foster a culture of accountability, equity, and informed practice today.

Exceptional stories of early courage show that, while institutional courage was and is still too rare, it is possible. With continued research and education, we can work towards a future where these stories are more common than ever before.