Obama Makes Public Service Announcement During Grammys, Speaks Out Against Sexual Violence With 'It's On Us' Campaign [PHOTO]

This past Sunday, President Obama made a public service announcement during the 2015 Grammy Awards that urged everyone watching at home to do their best to stop sexual violence.

According to the Huffington Post, Obama stated of rape, "It's not okay - and it has to stop. It's on us - all of us - to create a culture where violence isn't tolerated, where survivors are supported, and where all our young people - men and women - can go as far as their talents and their dreams will take them."

The message is part of the White House's "It's On Us" campaign, which seeks to engage college students and all members of campus communities in preventing sexual assault in the first place. According to a White House fact sheet for the campaign, "The campaign reflects the belief that sexual assault isn't just an issue involving a crime committed by a perpetrator against a victim, but one in which the rest of us also have a role to play."

According to the Washington Post, the campaign has gained the support of major college sports leagues and prominent celebrities, such as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love and actors Jon Hamm and Kerry Washington.

Vice President Joe Biden has also spoken for the campaign, stating, "It's on all of us to change the culture that asks the wrong questions, and our culture still asks the wrong questions. It is never the right question for a woman to ask, 'What did I do?' Never. Get this straight: never is it appropriate for a woman to ask, 'What did I do?' The question is, 'Why was that done to me, and will someone do something about it?'"

Studies state that one in five women will be sexually assaulted while in college, many of them during their first year by someone they know. President Obama adds, "As far as we've come, the fact is that from sports leagues to pop culture to politics, our society still does not sufficiently value women. And this is a personal priority, not - not just as a president, obviously, not just as a husband and a father of two extraordinary girls, but as an American who believes that our nation's success depends on how we value and defend the rights of women and girls."

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Obama
sexual violence
Grammy Awards 2015
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