Flanked by police officers in the City Hall Rotunda, Roshanda Jackson admitted to “standing here terrified” as she spoke Tuesday during the kickoff of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Jacksonville.

Jackson is executive assistant to City Council member Reggie Gaffney Jr. and past chair of the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women. She told a packed audience that she is a resilient woman who survived her kidnap, rape and torture when she was 23.

Pointing to the theme of this year’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month — Building Connected Communities — Jackson referred to the community she has had since that attack. She admitted it took years to tell her story, and she urged every victim of sexual assault to “keep fighting” and not be defined by their past.

“I want to say to every person who has experienced sexual assault, no matter what anyone says, even if that someone is your own thoughts, it is not your fault,” Jackson said, calling her convicted attacker a “pathetic piece of trash.”

“You can and will see and experience a brighter, better future for yourself, and your community will be there to help you there,” Jackson said. “But you’ve got to keep fighting. And to the loved ones who lost someone to sexual assault, I want to personally say that I am sorry and I know what it feels like. No one wants to be part of this awareness, but we are here; we are family; we are a community fighting, living, overcoming and facing giants our loved ones couldn’t.”

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According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, which operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE), one of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. About 3% of American men (1 in 33) have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. And from 2009 to 2013, Child Protective Services agencies substantiated or found strong evidence to indicate that 63,000 children a year were victims of sexual abuse, the network reports.

April has been nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month since 2001. Its goal is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities on how to prevent it.

Teresa Miles, executive director of the Women’s Center of Jacksonville, joined dozens of others from Jacksonville government, the State Attorney’s Office, Duval County Public Schools and service agencies at Tuesday’s event, held annually to support survivors and take a stand against sexual violence.

The center is the certified rape recovery program for victims from Duval, Baker and Nassau counties. It helps victims of sexual violence through counseling and other services including a rape crisis hotline.

Miles spoke about this year’s theme.

“Connected communities are built on trust, respect and empathy. They are places where everyone feels valued,” Miles said. “But building connected communities is not just about preventing sexual violence. It’s about creating a culture of consent and respect. It’s about teaching our children from a very young age about healthy relationships and boundaries. It’s about challenging harmful stereotypes and beliefs that perpetuate violence.”

Chief Assistant State Attorney Adair Newman said her office filed 180 felony cases last year. She also touched upon the connected community theme.

“We have built a connected community that serves and supports survivors of sexual violence,” Newman said. “Those convicted are rapists, child predators and others who take advantage of the most vulnerable in our community. But through the hard work of law enforcement and prosecutors, they are unable to offend again, creating a safer community for all.”

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters stood with officers from the department’s Special Assault Unit, which he said investigates sexually motivated crimes with “victim-centered techniques.” Survivor-centered training also is given to all patrol officers, Waters said.

“Officers who are educated on survivor trauma not only put together better investigations, but they provide a stronger foundation for a survivor’s journey through the criminal justice system,” Waters said. “Holding perpetrators of sexual violence accountable is critically important to ending sexual violence. But as advocates, our officers will always prioritize the physical and emotional needs of the survivors.”

Mayor Donna Deegan presented a proclamation to Miles declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, saying that “all of us together, we can bring an end to widespread sexual violence.”

Events this month

The Women’s Center of Jacksonville’s Rape Recovery Team has partnered with several organizations to plan events throughout the month. They include:

• Women’s Center Trivia Night at Hoptinger: 7:30 p.m. April 10 at Hoptinger, 333 N. 1st St., Jacksonville Beach.

• Drag Queen Bingo: 7 p.m. April 18 at Disco With Brewing, 464073 Florida 200 in Yulee. The Women’s Center benefit is $15 per person.

• Thrive annual breakfast: 8 a.m. April 24 at the Main Library Conference Center, 303 N. Laura St. Tickets are $75.

• Denim Day on April 24. The international campaign aims to end victim blaming and spread awareness of how to stop sexual assault. The Women’s Center asks community members to wear denim that day and post a photo with hashtag #denimday, tagging the center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. People also are asked to donate here to the center.

• Surviving to Thriving: An art display at BAB’s LAB in the CoRK Arts District North at 603 King St.

The Women’s Center has a 24-hour rape crisis hotline at (904) 721-7273. More information can be found on the center’s website at thewcj.org.