Clothesline Project speaks for the silent

Victims, friends and perpetrators made T-shirts with awareness messages.

By Megan Donohue

Published Oct. 6, 2009

The Clothesline Project, an exhibit of T-shirts made by victims of sexual violence, perpetrators and their relations and friends, was displayed Monday in Lowry Mall. The exhibit was meant to draw awareness to the issue of relationship violence.

The Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center, the Student Health Center and The Shelter worked together to bring the Clothesline Project to MU.

RSVP Center Coordinator Sharon Giles said the project is meant to increase awareness of relationship violence and its effects.

"Women in a relationship, her children, her sisters, her brothers, it doesn't just affect that one person," Giles said. "So the shirts are created and designed, some of them even by batterers who are trying to make amends. A lot of them are children just expressing what they went through in an abusive home and then women expressing what they've gone through."

Administration Assistant at MU Jackie Thomas stopped by the exhibit and said she was moved by the messages.

"It definitely brings attention to it," Thomas said. "It has a powerful message when you look at it."

Part of what makes the exhibit so touching is how it puts relationship violence on a personal level everyone can identify with, RSVP volunteer and student Katlyn Keller said.

"They are all hand-made, so even reading some of them, they are really personal and I get sad," Keller said. "I think definitely when people walk by and read some of the messages they see that this affects peoples' real lives."

The individuality represented in each shirt also made the project more identifiable, Thomas said.

"It's more personal," Thomas said. "Somebody took time to make the shirt based on how they feel, so I would think it would be very effective."

The display's location also played a big role in its effectiveness.

"It's in the center of campus and you can't walk by without noticing it," Keller said. "It's not inconspicuous by any means, and it definitely draws attention to the cause."

The project is not only important in spreading awareness of the issue, but also in providing closure and healing for those affected by it, Giles said.

"I think a lot of survivors want folks to know what happened, and what it looks like, and what it really feels like," Giles said. "So many miss and are unclear of what domestic violence really is."

One of the shirts reads, "I miss my mama," and has a picture of a coffin on it.

"The one that says I miss my mom with a coffin, unfortunately 1,300 women, I think, die annually at the hands of their partner or former intimate partner," Giles said. "That one is pretty explicit."

Other shirts said things, such as, "They couldn't hear my screams of silence," "I felt bad 'cause you did me wrong," "I'm sorry I hurt you, I ruined my trust, I've caused a lot of pain and sorrow, I want your forgiveness" and "I had something took from me that can't be replaced, I hate, It's a memory I can't run from."

The "I miss my mama" shirt seemed to be particularly effective though, Keller said.

"It's so sad. I don't know how you can read that and not have the issue affect you in some way," Keller said.