This year’s Walk for Change was more than just a walk – it was a living, breathing display of community, resilience, and action. Among the powerful visuals at the event was the BARCC Clothesline Project (CLP), a moving tribute featuring 200 hand-decorated shirts created by survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones. Each shirt told a story – of pain, of strength, of survival – and collectively, they formed a tapestry of truth.
What Is The Clothesline Project?
Originally launched in 1990 on Cape Cod, the Clothesline Project began as way to make the invisible visible: to bring awareness to the epidemic of violence against women by offering survivors a means to express their experience through art. Over the decades, the project has grown into a national movement, with communities across the country hosting their own local installations.
BARCC’s version of the Clothesline’s Project includes shirts made by people, loved ones of survivors, and community allies. Some messages are bold, others are quiet – all are powerful.
Why It Matters
The Clothesline Project has four goals:
- To bear witness to survivors.
- To support healing for survivors and those close to them.
- To raise awareness about prevalence and impact of sexual violence.
- To inspire action and foster meaningful dialogue for change.
At the Walk for Chage, we saw firsthand how the project accomplishes these goals. People paused, reflected, cried and stood together in silent recognition of the voices represented on those lines.
Start Your Own Project
Feeling inspired? You can start your own Clothesline Project in your school, organization, or community. Whether you’re part of a student group, a local nonprofit, or a workplace team, this project is a powerful way to raise awareness and create space for healing and dialogue.
Keep the Conversation Going
The Clothesline Project is more than a display – it’s a conversation starter, a healing tool, and a visual call for change. Whether you saw it at the Walk for Change or are encountering it for the first time, we encourage you to reflect, share, and take action.
To learn more, or start a Clothesline Project in your own community contact us at engagements@barcc.org
Together, we can continue to raise voices, support healing, and stand against sexual violence – one shirt, one story, one community at a time.
