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Ten Times Chanel Miller Lifted My Heart
I sometimes don’t pay attention to the goings-on in the world, even if they are all over the news. A few months ago, a client told me that she had been reading Know My Name by Chanel Miller, saying “She is truly a luminary.” I wonder who that is, I thought, Googling the name. Oh.. the Stanford sexual assault case. I read her victim impact statement when it was released; it was very powerful. So, she’s written a book now…
Yes, the book was released in 2019, following a 60 Minutes interview in which Miller, previously known only as anonymous victim Emily Doe, revealed her own name, as the title indicates. (This is what happens when I’m not paying attention.) It took me a while to get around to reading it, but finally I did. And yes… Luminary is the right word, absolutely. The book is a gut-wrenching and eye-opening portrayal of fighting for justice in a broken system.
But Miller survives feeling small and shamed; she faces down those who would portray her as worthless, and ultimately emerges as a triumphant voice of redemption for countless other assault victims who walked away from their experiences feeling only silent and voiceless.
