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.