What is the Clothesline Project?
The Clothesline Project is a visual display of stories that often go ignored. Each shirt is made by a survivor or someone who has loved or who has lost a loved one to sexual violence. The color of each shirt represents a different type of abuse.
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.
History of the Clothesline Project
The first Clothesline Project originated in Hyannis, Massachusetts, in 1990 when a member of the Cape Cod's Women's Defense Agenda learned that during the same time 58,000 soldiers were killed in the Vietnam War, 51,000 U.S. women were killed by the men who claimed to love them. The first display was during the "Take Back the Night."
How you can participate in the Clothesline Project
The Clothesline project is a series of in-person events as well as online initiatives that allow staff, faculty and undergraduates to participate.
Your Story Matters #BobcatSurvivor Campaign
The Bobcat Survivor Campaign is an online initiative CARE started in 2023, it focuses on providing a virtual and anonymous space for survivors to share their story they would like displayed on a shirt. CARE staff will then create t-shirts for the Clothesline Project on behalf of these anonymous voices to ensure that their stories are shared respectfully and according to their wishes and consent. These t-shirts will be exhibited at different locations on campus during the month of April.
Making a Shirt In-Person
You can join the CARE office during any of your scheduled workshops. Shirts and markers will be provided.
Shirt Color and Meaning
