Former State Sen. Lauren Book has turned the sexual abuse she endured as a child into a lifelong mission to advocate for survivors.
She founded the group Lauren’s Kids to educate children and adults about preventing sexual abuse. This week, she kicked off her 11th annual walk across Florida, starting in the Florida Keys.
“This is all about awareness,” Book told CBS News Miami during a stop in the Keys. “We want people sharing their stories. This is the Raising Our Voices Tour, and we’re going to have a special recording studio with us [on the bus] so people can share their stories. They can do so online or come out and share in person.”
“We want those voices to be elevated, because in doing so, we know people will pay attention to this issue,” she continued. “We don’t want survivors to feel invisible. We want them to be heard. We want them to be seen.”
Book said this year’s walk comes amid renewed attention on the Epstein files, which she says is prompting more survivors to come forward.
“There are elements and forces out there every single day that seek to silence the voices of survivors,” she said. “And we want to stop that from happening.”
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