blog home | blog archives

It is better to speak... :: 27 October 2007

this comes from Document the Silence
--------------------

"When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak." —Audre Lorde

October 31, 2007, Be Bold, Be Red, Stop the violence against women of color.

Simple Ways to Participate on October 31,2007

If it is DIFFICULT to HOST or to attend a Red RALLY/GATHERING,PLEASE WEAR RED, GET WITH YOUR FRIENDS and at 8:00 pm CENTRAL READ in Unison the "OUT OF SILENCE LITANY" BECAUSE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE NATION WILL BE DOING THE same thing. Please take Pictures and/or Video and EMAIL us at beboldbered[AT]gmail.com, so that we can upload them on the website.

After October 31, 2007, we want to flood the web with pictures and video of Red!!!

• Wear RED


• Read "Out of Silence" Litany at 8:00 pm/central time


• Take Pictures and/or video and email them to beboldbered[AT]gmail.com (After October 31, 2007, we want to "flood" the web with pictures and video of RED)
  For more information about wearing Red and local events in your area, please visit Document the Silence

Clip here to view the short movie clip, How to Keep a Social Movement Alive.

If you have questions, please email us at beboldbered[AT]gmail.com.

"be bold be brave be red stop the violence"

Recent events in the United States have moved us to action. Violence against women is sadly, not a new phenomenon in our country or in the world, however, in the last year women of color have experienced brutal forms of violence, torture, rape and injustice which have gone unnoticed, received little to no media coverage, or a limited community response. We are responding to:

• The brutal and inhumane rape, torture, and kidnapping of Megan Williams in Logan, West Virginia who was held by six assailants for a month.


• Rape survivors in the Dunbar Housing Projects in West Palm Beach, Florida one of whom was forced to perform sexual acts on her own child.


• A 13 year old native American girl was beaten by two white women and has since been harassed by several men yelling "white power" outside of her home.


• Seven black lesbian girls attempted to stop an attacker and were latter charged with aggravated assault and are facing up to 11 year prison sentences.

In a Litany of Survival, Audre Lorde writes, "When we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak remembering we were never meant to survive." These words shape our collective organizing to break the silence surrounding women of color's stories of violence. We are asking for community groups, grass-root organizations, college campus students and groups, communities of faith, online communities, and individuals to join us in speaking out against violence against women of color. If we speak "together" we cannot be invisible.

Be Bold Be Red Stop the Violence Against Women of Color

by leslie