The Clothesline Project, hanging out America's dirty laundry, is a program that started in Cape Cod, MA to raise awareness and combat violence against women. It started in 1990, by women who had experienced some type of personal violence. Having women write their thoughts & stories on T-shirts, is an "in-your-face" approach raising awareness about violence against women.*
The above project, one of 500 nationally, is hanging in front of Jackson Library at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It seems fitting to have the project at an institution of higher education that was historically a women's college. The messages range from one that said something along the lines of "my mother was raped when she was 14 and she has never spoken up, because she still blames herself." Another, written to her attacker starts out, "you took my innocense...." And another: "My name is Annie Connors & I was abused by a man I loved for years. Scars, nightmares, and memories will no longer be my captor." As students go back to college or begin their freshman year, they need to understand the seriousness of violating others. They need to understand that if they have had terrible things happen to them already, there are many helpful resouces and support groups on campus. One cannot walk past this "airing of the laundry" without taking note. Here's to decreasing the need for shirts by preventing bad situtions from happening in the first place.
*read the history of the movement, here.
I hate violence in any form so this is an important project.
Posted by: Stefan Jansson | Friday, August 29, 2014 at 06:04 AM
what a wonderful project
Posted by: Tbreese823 | Friday, August 29, 2014 at 08:13 AM
Never heard of this project. Great idea. WILL it ever cease.
Posted by: Birdman | Friday, August 29, 2014 at 08:42 AM
A noble and worthwhile cause. I'm glad UNCG has joined in to promote awareness of such abuse.
Posted by: Jane T. Mitchell | Friday, August 29, 2014 at 10:31 AM
That has its own great power, and you can't help but be drawn to the shirts and their words. A very good cause.
Posted by: William Kendall | Friday, August 29, 2014 at 11:41 AM