Chanel Miller

Chanel Miller Speaker Biography

Chanel Miller stunned the world with a letter. Her victim impact statement, posted on BuzzFeed instantly went viral, viewed by eleven million people within four days. It's been translated globally, read on the floor of Congress, inspired changes in California law, and led to the recall of the judge in her case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault.

Her assailant, Brock Turner was sentenced to just six months in county jail after sexually assaulting her on the Stanford University campus. Now Chanel Miller reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. In many ways, it was the perfect case to prove. There were eyewitnesses, the assailant ran away, and physical evidence was immediately secured. But it was Miller who struggled with isolation and shame during the aftermath, as the trial revealed the oppression that many victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story shines a light on a culture biased to protect perpetrators and it indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable.

Known only as Emily Doe, Miller decided to release her name in her book, Know My Name: a memoir, available now. Though difficult to read at some points, Miller hopes that the book will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenge our beliefs about what is acceptable, and speak truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. She discusses her experience of the assault, the trial, and how she has coped since. She speaks of the good of those who helped her immediately after her attack, specifically the two young graduate students from Sweden who swung into action, chasing and pinning down Turner and who continue to support her. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic and will introduce readers to an extraordinary writer—one whose words changed our world—even when she had no name.

Miller has appeared on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" and "Oprah's Super Soul Sunday". She has been featured in The Washington Post, Elle, and Teen Vogue. She received a special honor at the "Glamour Women of the Year Awards" and is on TIME magazine's "2019 Time 100 Next List". Miller received her Bachelor of Arts in Literature from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.