Survivors Of Sexual Violence are Given a Voice at Last
National Monument Dedicated
by Chelsea Young, Unspoken Voices
The first ever national monument dedicated to survivors of sexual violence was on display on the National Mall in Washington D.C., from May 31 to June 2 of 2019. The display is made of large hand-made quilt pieces that hold personal messages about sexual assault and violence stitched into the red fabric spelling out “No Estas Solux, You Are Not Alone”. The organization responsible for the 3,000 stories on the Mall is the FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, based in Baltimore. FORCE found their brave volunteers in 49 States and 33 cities in Mexico, where they collected these quilt pieces for over six years. This project is much more than a blanket, as FORCE has worked hard to change how America responds to rape for years, and “are creating a new culture where survivors are publicly supported, rather than publicly shamed” (FORCE page).
Although this is the only time that the quilt will be together in its entirety, the quilt pieces can be found in a variety of outdoor displays. Sections of the quilt are often displayed in other public spaces around the United States, such as near the FORCE “Art Actions” at Standing Rock. The impactful words of survivors are making waves, even in smaller sections, and we can only hope that FORCE can continue to break down the walls of stigma with every project they have planned.
FORCE Home Page:
http://www.upsettingrapeculture.com/
The Monument Quilt Information:
https://themonumentquilt.org/about/