The Clothesline Project is an event that serves to bring awareness to interpersonal violence. This past week marked the 20th anniversary of the Clothesline Project at GC. Last week, students noticed the t-shirts hung up on front campus.
“At first, I had no idea what the t-shirts hanging up on campus were,” said Sydney Owens, freshman nursing major. “When I read what they had on them, I understood what it was. I think it’s a clever way to get people’s attention on campus because it’s showing that it happens more commonly than we think, and it happens to people around us.”
The display was up Oct. 24 to 26 on front campus. Since 2003, the Women’s Center at GC has held the Clothesline Project every October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness month.
The project features shirts hung on a clothesline, each designed by or in honor of people who have suffered from domestic abuse. Each color t-shirt represents a different form of violence. The display serves to increase awareness and spark conversation about the threat of domestic violence.
The Clothesline Project was created by members of the Cape Cod Women’s Agenda in 1990. Visual artist Rachel Carey-Harper decided to use shirts to draw attention to domestic violence.
“The purpose of the project is to increase awareness of the impact of violence and abuse, to honor a survivor’s strength to continue, and to provide another avenue for them to courageously break the silence that often surrounds their experience,” said Jennifer Graham, Associate Dean of Students for Student Inclusion and Belonging at GC. “There are 974 shirts that have been made over the last 20 years, all by members of our campus community.”
The Clothesline Project allows members of the Milledgeville community to see that domestic violence affects those around them. It also exists to show survivors that they are not alone in their experiences.
“I think the clothesline project is a great way to bring awareness and visibility to the issue of domestic violence,” said Eryn Viscarra, Senior Lecturer of Sociology at GC. “In one of my classes, we just spoke about how we can become distracted by everyday life and things like social media and ignore real world problems. The Clothesline Project reminds the GC community that there are social problems that need to be addressed, and hopefully, it will inspire people to act to improve these issues.”
Materials to make the shirts are provided during t-shirt-making sessions. However, blank or fully made shirts can also be donated to the Women’s Center in Blackbridge Hall. Students, faculty and anyone else at GC can partake in the creation of these shirts throughout the year.
The Clothesline Project is one of many events put on by the Women’s Center to bring awareness to situations that some may be apprehensive to talk about. The Women’s Center invites all members of the GC community to participate in the project.
