‘Project Clothesline’ provides solidarity, a little peace

Recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October the New Mexico State University Department of Criminal Justice is hosted “Project Clothesline.” More than 100 t-shirts with personal messages written by survivors strung in layers across the Aggie Lounge on the first floor of the Corbett Center provide an overwhelming reminder and ambiance of sadness on Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Anyone who cared to could pick up a t-shirt, color coded with different meanings, write a message about experience and feelings to be added to the line. For example, white indicates someone who died because of violence, yellow indicates a survivor of physical assault or domestic violence and so on. T-shirts of all colors hung quietly in the hall while some from the previous year were on display, swaying in the breeze outside Corbett Center.

“The event serves to create a sense of solidarity and a safe environment for students to raise their voices,” Ahram Cho, criminal justice professor and organizer of the event told an NMSU reporter.

 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 break the silence that often surrounds their experience. 

 “Victims are willing to stand together to support each other and the rest of us have to join and stand beside them.”
 
For more information about the “Clothesline Project,” visit theclotheslineproject.org/ . Resources for survivors are available at https://ohp.nmsu.edu/ or call 575-646-2813.