Remember black on Thursdays
Black is the color that we wear
Black, the color that speaks our anger
Silence is the language that we speak
Silence, a language that voices our anguish
–Campus Women’s Alliance flyer
Every Thursday wear black.
Wear black for your sister, your mother, your girlfriend, your
best friend and yourself.
Wear black on Thursdays and join people around the world and
stand against violence and rape.
Wear black in hope of change in the world; in hope of making the
world a better place for families, children and us.
Campus Activities Center has provided funding for CSU’s Campus
Women’s Alliance and its participation in Thursdays in Black.
Campus Women’s Alliance encourages participation by wearing black
clothing and buttons reading: “Thursdays in Black: Demanding a
world without rape and violence.”
According to a press release by the Campus Women’s Alliance, the
organization has distributed over 500 buttons and is in the process
of purchasing more.
This type of silent protest is what we need more of. By wearing
black and “Thursdays in Black” buttons, individuals are able to
band together with others across the globe to protest a universal
wrong-violence against women.
Violence and rape are not just an American problem-it spans the
globe as does AIDS, cancer and hunger. Some of the international
protests are listed on the Campus Women’s Alliance flyer for
Thursdays in Black:
Every Thursday, women march in silence in the Plaza de Mayo,
Argentina, holding placards of loved ones who are missing,
demanding justice…
For over 20 years, South African women wearing black sashes have
regularly held vigils outside parliament to oppose the violence of
apartheid…
Every Thursday people in Australia wear ribbons and badges as
recognition of the rape and violence suffered by Aboriginal women
for over 200 years…
It is time we, as a campus and country, join this movement in
greater strength. It is time we put a stop to violence and rape,
with the first step: banding with the rest of the world in a visual
protest.
Every year in April campus and community members participate in
Take Back the Night March, in protest of violence against women,
but this is only one night a year. Violence against women takes
place every day and every night throughout the year. In fact,
according to the National Organization for Women more women have
been murdered by their intimate partners than the number of
soldiers killed in Vietnam. It seems with this mind-numbing rate,
one night a year isn’t enough protest. Maybe one day a week isn’t
either, but it’s sure a lot closer.
We must stand together; men, women, children, students and
professors, and speak out against violence and rape. We must do
this every day, and wear black on Thursdays. Maybe once we band
together with the rest of the world, we will be able to work
together and end the violence and rape taking place daily across
the globe.
So, on Thursday this week, and throughout the year, remember to
wear black. Wear it for your sister, your daughter, your best
friend, your girlfriend and yourself. Wear it to band with the rest
of the world and end violence and rape.
For more information about Thursdays in Black, a button or
information about the Campus Women’s Alliance visit them online at
http://lamar.colostate.edu/~csucwa.
J.J. Babb is a senior studying journalism and design. She will
be wearing black on Thursday.
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