Woman In Street Harassment Video: 'I Do Not Feel Safe Right Now'
The now-viral YouTube video "10 hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman" has attracted more than 27 million views, sparked conversations about street harassment, inspired a parody and provoked controversy about depictions of race — all in less than the span of a week.
Another consequence: Actress Shoshana B. Roberts, the woman at the center of the video, has received violent threats.
"I do not feel safe right now," she tells NPR's Arun Rath.
"I'm alerting the police as to which jurisdiction I'm in, so my local precinct knows," says Roberts. "So hopefully it can be prevented if somebody does attempt something."
But Roberts says she doesn't regret participating in the project, a PSA for the nonprofit anti-street-harassment organization Hollaback! because it has raised the issue with a wide audience.
Initially, Roberts says she found out about the project from an ad on Craigslist posted by the video's director, Rob Bliss, looking for an actress for the project. Roberts says she frequently encounters street harassment and catcalls, and she has personally experienced sexual assault. She was fed up, Roberts says, and the ad struck a chord.
"I saw these key words — 'raising awareness,' 'street harassment,' 'we have to do something about it' — and I felt the need to step in," she says.
"And I was like, 'I can keep my composure. I can do this,' " she says. "I have acting training. I have martial arts experience since I was 9. Should I go for the kneecaps or the sternum if anybody tries anything beyond? Because it escalates so quickly."
Roberts says the video's depiction of street harassment is largely true to her everyday experience. It is a constant, she says, regardless of how she dresses or how she reacts to the men she encounters.
On the day they shot the video in Manhattan, she says, "I was walking around Midtown and Harlem and South Ferry and Washington Square Park. ... And these are places I walk typically."
Several critics have noted that the video conspicuously features many more African-American and Latino men than white men.
Hollaback! posted a response to this line of criticism, and the director addressed the issue in an interview. Roberts, like Bliss, says it was an unintentional result of the editing process.
"That was two minutes of footage," she says. "And I guess a video doesn't go viral unless it's short, depending on people's attention span. But we had hours and hours of footage that day. ... We're gonna use the best footage we have to illustrate the fact that this is happening."
Roberts says that, in her experience, street harassment cuts across all demographics.
"I'm getting these reactions from white, black, Latino, Asian, Indian [men]," she says.
In addition to the threats she's received since the video went online, Roberts says she also heard from many women who have shared their own, very similar experiences.
"My story is not unique," says Roberts. "But I'm willing to share it if it's gonna help people understand that this doesn't have to be the way it is. At least, where I live, I should have the right to feel safe.
"People don't put up with harassment at work, at school, at home. And we shouldn't have to put up with it in the streets. I have a right to feel safe."
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Transcript
ARUN RATH, HOST:
It's less than two minutes long, but a video titled "10 Hours Of Walking In New York City As A Woman" has been viewed more than 27 million times.
(SOUNDBITE OF VIDEO, "10 HOURS OF WALKING IN NEW YORK CITY AS A WOMAN")
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Damn.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Hey, beautiful.
RATH: The hidden camera video shows a woman walking through New York as men make more than 100 unwanted, sometimes sexual, comments to her. The video is a PSA for the anti-street harassment nonprofit Hollaback!
Earlier this week, I spoke with a young woman at the center of the video, actress to Shoshana B. Roberts. Roberts says she deals with street harassment every day. So when she saw a Craigslist ad looking for a woman to take part in the video, she jumped at the chance.
SHOSHANA B. ROBERTS: I was so fed up. I saw these key words - raising awareness, street harassment. We have to do something about it. And I felt the need to step in, and - I can do this. I have acting training. I have martial arts experience since I was nine. Should I go for the kneecaps or the sternum if anybody tries anything beyond - 'cause it escalates so quickly. It does.
RATH: Have there been situations in the past where you've had to use your training?
ROBERTS: Fortunately not. But there've been times that I should have. I've had experience of sexual assault in my past, starting in middle school, unfortunately. I have first-hand experience with sexual assault.
RATH: At one point in the video, a man walks silently next to Roberts for more than five minutes. It feels very menacing.
ROBERTS: Yes, I was extremely scared.
RATH: Did you feel in danger?
ROBERTS: I felt on edge. I felt cautious. I felt like it could easily go in that direction. But I was thinking, I'm doing this for a reason. I want to enlighten people. I want to let them know that this is happening to so many women from all types of people. I mean, I am on my - I was walking around Midtown and Harlem and South Ferry and Washington Square Park. And I'm getting these reactions from white, black, Latino, Asian, Indian - I mean, my story is not unique. So many women experience this.
RATH: You mentioned the diversity of the harassers, but I'm sure you've seen there's been some criticism online that this video is mainly showing African-American and Latino men as opposed to white men.
ROBERTS: I mean, that was two minutes of footage. And I guess a video doesn't go viral unless it's short, depending on people's attention span. But we had hours and hours of footage that day. I can say this is my experience from that day and from life that it doesn't matter what color, size, shape you are. I get harassed from everyone no matter what I wear. It doesn't matter what you wear.
RATH: And you know, unfortunately, the Internet being the Internet, there's also been a lot of, you know, negativity and anger and, I understand, threats also directed against you, as well.
ROBERTS: Yeah. I stopped reading - my inbox is so inundated with emails. I haven't been able to see a fraction of them. I do not feel safe right now. I mean, I didn't feel safe before. But clearly, I guess, people are aware of the way I look and who I am now. I'm alerting the police as to which jurisdiction I'm in so that my local precinct knows - and prior to something happening. So hopefully it can be prevented if somebody does attempt something.
Nobody's attempted anything, but there have been threats. And luckily I'm not even hearing them or reading them verbatim. But friends and family have informed me 'cause I haven't been reading online.
RATH: Do you have any second thoughts, though, about having done the video? Would you do a video like this again?
ROBERTS: I have not had second thoughts. I don't regret it.
RATH: Shoshana Roberts is an actress based in New York City. She's the subject of the now viral YouTube video "10 Hours Of Walking In New York City As A Woman." Shoshana, thanks very much for talking with us.
ROBERTS: Of course. Thank you for listening. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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