Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs
Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs shines a light on what is not seen. As a black woman, she understands her experience as a sexual violence survivor is both different from others and far too common. Using a combination of storytelling, research data, and spoken word poetry, she highlights the unique challenges facing survivors of color that are passively overlooked, or actively ignored.
TOPICS
- Authenticity
- Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
- Mental Health
- Personal Growth
- Sexual Violence Prevention
- Women’s Empowerment
KEYNOTES
Getting to know
Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs
Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs is a writer and filmmaker from NJ who started breaking ground as @shewillspeak on Instagram. In 2018, Cheyenne released her own poetry book, “The Tragic Type of Beautiful,” and curated three poetry anthologies that gathered hundreds of international submissions.
Cheyenne leads with an empathetic approach that she connects to research and literature. As a survivor of Sexual Assault, Cheyenne has been open with both her story and healing journey. With the purpose to spark change and remind others of their importance within the world.
Cheyenne has been featured on numerous platforms such as MeTOO, Girl Boss, Army of Survivors, Read Poetry, Black Love Page, and End Rape On Campus. In 2019, she founded the She Will Speak Series, created to work towards gender equity through activism and art. Additionally, Cheyenne gives back by providing educational scholarships for individuals looking to do social justice work within their community. Cheyenne was regarded as a social scholar by the GoTu and awarded the annual Crucial Point Award for her Transformational Educational Services.
She is a proud Board of Director Member for We Are HER and SafeBAE. Currently, Cheyenne resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and is continuing her work tackling the issues of racism, sexual violence, and trauma through her art and activism.
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
To help you promote your event with Cheyenne, CAMPUSPEAK has created promotional templates you can use. In this folder, you will find resources for social media, a promotional poster for printing, and press photos you can use for your event.
Link to Promotional Materials.
LOGISTICAL MATERIALS
Below you will find logistical resources for the day of your event with Cheyenne.
In-Person Event AV Needs (PDF)
Speaking Introduction (PDF)
If we really want to have this conversation let’s have it. I think many women in particular have had sex to survive and yet we get blamed.
“You asked for it”
“You shouldn’t have done it”
“You made him mad”
As if choosing between being unalived or having sex with someone you don’t want is a choice anyone should have to make.
Let me know when y’all ready to do better.
[I don’t think we talk enough about how many women have had sex against everything in them saying “NO” because they feared for their life.]
![If we really want to have this conversation let’s have it. I think many women in particular have had sex to survive and yet we get blamed.
“You asked for it”
“You shouldn’t have done it”
“You made him mad”
As if choosing between being unalived or having sex with someone you don’t want is a choice anyone should have to make.
Let me know when y’all ready to do better.
[I don’t think we talk enough about how many women have had sex against everything in them saying “NO” because they feared for their life.]](https://campuspeak.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
The violence you see women endure for saying “NO” is also why many say “YES” it’s not because of wanting drama or wanting to accept toxicity or etc but for many it’s fight or flight.
The real topic is how women have to balance and decide on which trauma to deal with.
💭
[Someone can be open or expressive about their sexual encounters and that doesn’t mean you’re OWED their body.
Disclosure does not equal consent.
Clothing does not equal consent.
Music does not equal consent.
Your feeling of entitlement does not equal consent.]
At the @wearehernetwork retreat I had the opportunity to co-host a breakout session centering “Church Trauma and How to Heal While Finding God”
This breakout was not planned but I’m happy we had the conversation and to admit and be unashamed to say the church hurts. Religious constructs are continuously weaponized and hurt real people!
I mean have you seen the laws being made in the Lords name?
Especially being Black and living down south you’d think I’m a criminal when I tell people I don’t believe in religious constructs. You can believe in God but call out that some of y’all that “do the Lords work” need to sit because you’re judgmental as hell. Shaming people into submission of belief isn’t what I believe God wanted.
I don’t think God put me here to hide who I am and never know my true self. I personally thank God for allowing me this mind to be able to discern the stuff that just don’t make sense. Because leaving this earth without truly knowing me well…that just don’t make sense.
[I think the real sin is being so afraid of yourself because of the judgment from others. That you never know the true extent of you love, passion, joy, and creativity.
-Gods Favorite Ex-church Girl🫶🏽]
The @fearless.fund is under attack.
The Fearless Fund saw a significant gap in funding for women-owned businesses, particularly for women of color. The Fund created an opportunity for women of color-led businesses to seek pre-seed, seed level or series A financing. women of color are the unrecognized economic powerhouses that can build successful businesses, create jobs, generate revenue, and strengthen communities across the globe.
The American Alliance for Equal Rights, which is founded by Edward Blum, erroneously claims in its complaint that Fearless Fund’s initiatives, aimed at addressing systemic racial biases, violate Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. This move threatens to impede the vital work of Fearless Fund and similar institutions and organizations whose primary mission is to provide underrepresented communities with an economic engine to build, sustain and scale their businesses.
Basically saying this organization is being “unconstitutional and biased” for not going on merit for helping specifically WOC. It’s the audacity!
✨Link in bio to sign the petition!
Let’s help the fearless fund because they have helped so many.
🌱 🔒
I was gonna wait until the 1 year mark to talk about my locs…but look at me. Why would I look this good and wait to talk about it.
🔒@fee_locs 🫶🏽
💭💭 💭
Tweet: [The vilifying of commonly used Black idioms & AAVE is dangerous & upsetting. Platforms use our language for financial gain but shame us when they don’t understand. The same fear folks have when groups of Black people assemble is the same fear when our language is out of reach.]
🌱
I’ve found myself flipping through the pages of my own words…you have to remind yourself how far you’ve gone.
That’s why your circle is shallow. 🐸☕️
But seriously. So many of us have a skewed view on relationships and were told to only be around people you benefit from.
That’s a disappointing view of relationships and frankly taking them from such a transactional lens is sad.
If you want to build genuine relationships it’s time to be a genuine person.
[When you release the need to build relationships based off aesthetics and titles. You may actually have deeper connections. #shewillspeak]
KEYNOTES
Twice as Hard: The Conversation We Need to be Having
When Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs was growing up, she was warned about the system of added obstacles that would stand in her way just because of her appearance. As she got older, she learned the stereotypes imposed on her as a Black neurodiverse woman, created a harsh reality preventing access to the resources necessary to address her sexual assault. Cheyenne now exposes the social structures that told her that she “was not a real victim.”
In this keynote address, Cheyenne authentically combines global and national statistics about the abuses to Black bodies, woven through her own story through, shared with original spoken word poetry. She powerfully exposes the unique realities of a woman of color as a survivor of sexual violence. Cheyenne unpacks uncomfortable realities of the internal dialogues about marginalized communities that fuel the underlying systemic conditions of sexual assault and abuse. Finally, students will explore their own everyday narratives and personal choices so that they can find tangible strategies for positive change.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending the program, students will learn:
- Learn how the intersections of systematic oppression and racism impact who is seen as “deserving” of resources in sexual violence prevention,
- Unpack individual biases within a framework for self-reflection in our day-to-day lives
- Learn how to advocate for increased access to resources for survivors of marginalized communities, and
- Understand the need for a transgenerational trauma-informed approach to sexual violence prevention
Decoding the phrase “Just Be Nice”
“Just be nice. They didn’t mean anything by mispronouncing your name that way.” “Just be nice. That joke wasn’t really offensive.” “Just be nice. You don’t need to report it this time.” How can you speak up as a leader when you’re told to bite your tongue? You know in your gut it isn’t right and needs to be called out but are told to “Just be nice.”
In this keynote, Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs will take us through the journey of understanding how “niceness” is utilized as a form of silencing. Participants will leave this keynote understanding how privilege, gaslighting, and tone policing impact us all. She shares accessible actions to take in a workplace, classroom, even friend group to redirect conversations. Cheyenne teaches how speaking up as a better ally is really “Being nice.”
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending the program, students will learn:
- To adopt “inclusion” instead of “competence”,
- To identify your own privilege, power, and authority,
- To understand how niceness, gaslighting, and tone policing are part of the system of oppression, and
- To create action items to be an ally to someone holding their ground.
Building The Bridge to Maintaining Boundaries
We have all done it. We have all felt that no one understood us, and our mind sinking. Even when we have tried to say the affirmation, set the standards, and journal it just never worked. The boundaries and standards we create for ourselves and other just seem not to hold! What we do not realize is the lack of boundaries in our lives leads to burnout, resentment, and harm. This isn’t not limited to intimate partnerships but impacts all relationships from employment, family, friends, even with medical professionals. All the connections and relationships we build over our lives need trust and respect.
In this keynote, Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs will give us the framework to create the boundaries to set us up for success and strengthen our relationships. Participants will understand what is needed to feel good within our relationships and how to hold other accountable when we do not. This keynote is not the end all to creating safer relationships, BUT it is the needed nudge we all need to prioritize ourselves and what we need from our spaces.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending this program, students will learn:
- To look at the “power and control wheel” to bridge together its connection to the red flags we have seen across all relationships,
- The six forms of power and seven types of boundaries,
- To empower participants to hold others accountable when they do not feel respected, and
- To encourage participants to set the standards for their joy and how to find it during the chaos.
