The Clothesline Project: WRAC Raises Awareness About Sexual Violence
A clothesline holding multiple shirts above the Transportation and Parking Services Office for the Clothesline Project. Photo by Spencer Keis
Right now, if you were to walk inside the Kirby Bus Hub you will find a clothesline hanging above the Transportation and Parking Services Office with multiple colored shirts hung from it. These shirts have phrases such as “Break the silence”, “It is never your fault” and “Love shouldn’t hurt” written on them. The source of these shirts is the Clothesline Project being put on by the Women’s Resource and Action Center.
“Hanging these clothes and designing these have a lot of meaning, it kind of puts the face to the statistic in a lot of ways,” said WRAC intern Bailey Vesely. “With the different colors meaning different kinds of victims and different kinds of survivors, and being able to speak those stories in a more artistic way is one way you could kind of think of it as.”
The Clothesline Project has existed since the 1990s as a way to raise awareness for sexual violence against women. Shirts are decorated in honor of victims of sexual assault, with many of the phrases on them representing the stories and experiences of these victims. Each shirt color also has a different meaning: red shirts representing survivors of rape and/or sexual assault, white shirts representing women who died of domestic violence and black shirts representing women who were attacked for political reasons.
“I would say it’s a really good and meaningful event, to learn more about it you can always come to the WRAC office,” Vesely said. “This has been something a lot of people kind of carry on since the 1990s. It’s something that you can definitely look up on your own, but definitely get involved when you can, because it is unique.”
On April 15, the Women’s Resource and Action Center held a workshop in the Lakeview Room to decorate shirts for the Clothesline Project, and to spread awareness about the project. WRAC provided blank shirts of the multiple colors used in the project, paint, and other materials to use to decorate the shirts. Vesely hosted the workshop.
The supplies used for decorating shirts at the Clothesline Project workshop in the Lakeview Room. Photo by Spencer Keis
“I started my time with WRAC, the Women’s Resource and Action Center, last fall,” Vesely said. “Every year we’ve done it fall and spring, so this is one of my first times hosting it. But this is a familiar event that we have had so I’m becoming more familiar with it as time goes on.”
“So I find it to be really empowering, and for the people who do come, it’s a nice resource and a way to spread awareness for people,” Vesley continued. “I cherish the kind of value it brings for people.”
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Other events WRAC is putting on the rest of the month include a presentation on medical options following sexual assault on April 26, and tabling on April 30 for Denim Day, when people wear jeans to show their support for survivors of sexual violence.
Outside of the events in April, the Women’s Resource and Action Center holds many different meetings and many different events each semester in order to provide resources and empower those on campus and in the community. During their office hours, WRAC provides information about local resources and programs, as well as items such as menstrual products and protection.
“We are a resource for all on campus, and we create events and host things like the clothesline project to promote and spread awareness about sexual assault and other things on our agenda,” Vesely said.
WRAC’s office is located in Kirby Student Center 266, which is in the back of the Multicultural Center. You can find more information about the Women’s Resource and Action Center and their events @umdwrac on Instagram.