College ‘Clothesline Project' raises awareness of interpersonal violence

Newton - The Clothelsline Project, held each year in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, took place at Sussex County Community College on Tuesday, April 4. The event was sponsored by the Sexual Trauma Resource Center of Domestic Abuse Services, Inc., and the Women’s Center of the college. The project is a visual protest that bears witness to the issue of interpersonal violence within the community. During the display, a clothesline is hung with shirts. Each shirt is decorated to represent an individual’s experience, either by the survivor, or by someone who cares about them. Doing the laundry has always been considered women’s work, and in the days of close-knit neighborhoods, women often exchanged information over backyard fences while hanging their clothes out to dry. The concept of the Clothesline Project is simple -- let each person tell their own story, in their own unique way, and hang it out for all to see. Each shirt is decorated to represent a particular type of intimate violence, whether domestic abuse, sexual assault, or childhood victimization. Members of the psychology club at the college were on hand Tuesday to provide T-shirts and material for those who wished to make a visual statement. Tuesday’s program included a showing of the documentary, Searching for Angela Shelton. The filmmaker, Angela Shelton, journeys across the United States meeting other Angela Sheltons in an effort to survey women in America. She discovers that 24 of the 40 Angela Sheltons had been raped, beaten or molested ...25 if she includes herself. The filmmaker’s survey of women becomes a journey of self-discovery. The various Angela Sheltons complete the journey by teaching the filmmaker about forgiveness, faith, and the power of the human spirit. The program included a panel discussion following the film, among Angela Sheltons from Sussex County. Throughout April, sexual assault programs across the state will intensify their efforts to promote public awareness of sexual assault issues. For information, call the Sexual Trauma Resource Center at 973-300-5609, or the Women’s Center of Sussex County Community College at 973-300-2173.