The Clothesline Project

The Clothesline Project is a program that addresses the issues of women who have been affected by violence. This violence includes sexual abuse, assault, rape, incest, and domestic violence. It gives women a chance to reach out to one another and express what they have gone through in an artistic moving way.  This program started in the summer of 1990 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts by a group of women who were willing to break the silence of any women who have ever been involved in any from of personal violence. 

The idea of the shirts on a clothesline came from the AIDS quilt which contains a piece of individuals who have ever suffered or died from AIDS. The clothesline idea is driven from the idea that women would primarily being hanging the laundry out on the clotheslines while conversing with their neighbors about their thoughts and feelings.  Therefore the clothesline project is supported by the idea of what females do and allows its creativity to be used as an expression of hurt. 

Rachel Carey-Harper came up with the idea of the clothesline when she was inspired by the AIDS quilt. In October of 1990 the first original Clothesline Project took place in Hyannis, Massachusetts as a part of the "Take Back the Night" march and rally. It started off small and then by the end of the day there was a line of women waiting to take their turn to create a shirt for themselves or someone else that has gone through an at of violence in their lives. From this little booth on the center green of town, the word spread about this program. Interest from the Ryka Rose Foundation and Carol Cone's advertising agency helped to take this idea and helped to make it a nationally known program.Now there is an estimated 500 projects taking place nationally and internationally. That makes for 50,000-60,000 shirts. 

The shirt are color coordinated to determine which kind of violence or sexual assault the victim had been a part of. White represents women who died because of violence, yellow or beige represents battered or assaulted women; red, pink, and orange are for survivors of rape and sexual assault; blue and green represent survivors of incest and sexual abuse; purple or lavender represents women attacked because of their sexual orientation; and black is for women attacked for political reasons. (The Clothesline Project)

Since this program is so nationally and internationally spread most of the participant stories are successful. This is an overwhelming and empowering experience that has had positive outcomes. From Massachusetts, Greenfield Community College Human Services Club sponsored the Clothesline Project for a successful outcome in April 2010. This club offers so much support for those victims and for those who are looking for extra help. Utah Valley University is also another school that had a successful outcome of displaying and participating in the Clothesline Project. This took place in April 2011 and was estimated to have a display of 700 shirts. 

In Homans, Promoting Community Change, he expresses "Many professions in health and human services voice a similar call. To provide for the welfare of both the individual and the society, social welfare institutions act to prevent social problems; treat or resolve social problems; educate ourselves, our clients, our policymakers, and our communities about rights, responsibilities, problems and possibilities; explore how to use what we have to create what we want; enhance the quality of people's lives; and enforce measures of social control to preserve social stability." (Homan, p.76). This gives a great overview of how The Clothesline Project is a form of social welfare awareness. This program enforces the knowledge and encourages the rights and responsibilities of victims and to those who can help decrease such violence. It helps to make more people aware of what is going on and that sexual abuse and violence happens more frequently than most expect it. 

Homan, M. (2011). Promoting Community Change; Making It Happen In The Real World.          Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.