Tro’Juan Henderson may not ring a bell immediately, but this Texan has a story to tell.
Dripped in drawl, long locs and a chivalrous attitude, the young artist and advocate has been having quite a time lately. A little over a week ago, Henderson was instantly thrust into a household name as his video describing an interesting encounter became viral.
Lady request Lyft and attempts to put her friend who is intoxicated/unconscious in my vehicle by herself. #SexualAssaultAwareness. #Safety pic.twitter.com/vzOqdalZpX
— Tro'juan Henderson (@Trojuan_) April 13, 2017
The story is simple. One night while Henderson was working as a Lyft driver, he received a ride request for a young woman who was severely intoxicated. As her friends handed responsibility over to Henderson to get the woman both to and inside of her home, he hesitated. Something didn’t feel right about the situation in front of him. He offered to lower their rate, asking the friends to ride with her to make things more comfortable. They denied, so he denied. Then, the video dropped.
Henderson is well-versed in sexual and domestic assault awareness. His knowledge played a big part in the events that took place that night. He could’ve easily been persuaded by the cash, but purpose and safety for all parties involved took priority. As selfless as his actions were, Henderson still won’t let you call him a hero. He believes he has more work to do.
“I never knew it was going to go viral.” He says that frequently during our exchange. Admittedly, the situation rubbed him the wrong way. So, he fought against silence with change. Tro’Juan has a story that goes further than a week’s worth of headlines. He also has a prominent mission.
Here are a few things I took from our enlightening exchange:
He's Not New to This, He's True to This
Henderson has been exposed to a lot in his life. Those experiences ultimately molded him into the man he’s become today. From family to friends, his experiences with rape culture have been tools that he’s used to learn and educate. His work at various organizations catered to this topic only enhance his advocacy.
Gender, Perception and Rape Culture
“Whenever you hear about a heavy rape case, you rarely hear these people say ‘I didn’t do it’. Even the smartest criminals I know deny crimes. In our country, we’re saying ‘I know it happened, but what did she do to make it happen?’” Henderson doesn’t hold his tongue when discussing the relationship gender roles play within rape culture. He finds that it’s easy to play the blame game, but accountability has to be at the forefront. He also believes that rape culture is a huge reason why so many voices and narratives are continuously silenced. “You don't have to be a rapist to play into rape culture.” Amen.
What Ran Through His Mind That Night
Social media has been up in arms about Henderson’s actions. He's said himself that he's received so many opinions on his video and the choice he made to refuse the ride. He chooses his words carefully in telling the story of the event. “If I would have shared the race of the women, the feedback would have been totally different,” Henderson says in our conversation. For the sake of preserving his narrative, I also won't disclose. “I notice a lot of people assume ‘oh, he's just protecting himself.’ Believe or not, the first thing that came to mind was ‘wow, this woman is out of it.’ I’m concerned she'll wake up and panic. Even if she recognizes where she is, she'll wonder who this guy is taking her home.” For Henderson, he saw outside of himself, assuming the utmost responsibility for her safety. That was admirable.
Feedback He's Received
“I knew I was gonna catch a lot of flack.” Henderson understood that taking a stance so boldly would garner attention. I’m not too sure he knew the magnitude of said attention. Nonetheless, he understands where his privilege begins and responsibility takes root. “Unfortunately, there are gonna be a lot of men and women who haven't taken the voice of those women seriously. ‘Why didn't you listen to us when we said that? Why does another man have to say this?’ The sad reality is they're right. I can't even knock that.” He gets the frustration, but wants people to put that aside to join him in education and awareness. Even he believes there's more he can take away from this situation.
His Legacy
It seems lofty to talk about the legacy Henderson wants to leave, but when instances like this seem to follow the 15-minute formula, Henderson and I both want this to start some hard conversations about how we view assault, awareness and activism when it comes to sexual violence. “Be an example. Be aware. Be empathetic.”
You can find Tro’Juan Henderson on
