Out of all of the shirts for sale in stores at Destiny USA, you’ll never see any with these sayings... ”The pain will never stop," and “I chose to survive.” Those are just a sampling of the more than 300 shirts spread across the Vera House Clothesline Project at the mall to raise awareness about sexual abuse. All of them are made by survivors and will be on display until May 6th. Prevention and Education Director Loren Cunningham says sexual abuse causes a ripple effect of emotions in families and beyond.
“To display that many shirts in one place, there aren’t a lot of locations that can host that. To be able to show the scope of what we’re dealing with and the numbers of t-shirts, I think really creates an incredible visual and emotional impact for people that go to see the display.”
It’s set-up in the Canyon area of the mall. An official ceremony with a familiar Central New York voice and musician, Joanne Shenandoah was held earlier this week. Shenandoah wanted to bring more attention to the initiative after spending a year working as a Co-Chair of the Children Exposed to Violence campaign at the request of Attorney General Eric Holder.
“I found out that if children are actually even listening to violence... like, for example, in the next room; it actually lowers their I.Q. So, it has a very intense affect on children, of course, on children. And when we hear violence or watch it or see it, constantly... either whether it’s on the news or whether it’s on TV or whether it’s our parents or people who are not getting along.”
The shirts blend colors, almost as though you can personally connect with a wide range of emotions the survivors are trying to paint. Vera House’s Cunningham says it also provides us with deeper context; that sexual abuse is not confined to any specific age group.
“And so, you’ll see there are t-shirts made from that were obviously very young when they experienced child sexual abuse. There are t-shirts made by young people, teenagers, by males, by females.”
President Obama issued a press release in observance of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Here is an excerpt:
“Thanks to the work of advocates, community leaders, public servants, and courageous survivors who shared their stories, our Nation has come an incredibly long way. But from schools to military bases and throughout all communities in America, we must do more to end the crime of sexual assault. My Administration has made this a priority since day one, beginning with the establishment of the first-ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. And we will keep fighting as long as it takes.”
To read President Obama’s full statement click here.
The annual Clothesline Project which has roots to Hyannis, Massachusetts where it began in 1990 and has spread to more than 300 across the country. It's also a part of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and will be on display through May 6th at Destiny USA in Syracuse in the mall’s Canyon section. A sign language interpreter will be on hand on Friday, May 2nd. To reach the Vera House website, click here. If you know of suspected child abuse, you can visit the McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy website here.
