Women’s Center 25 Then vs. Now: The Clothesline Project

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 08:15:33 -0400
25th-anniversary, programs, wc25-then-vs-now

The Women’s Center at UMBC turns 25 this year! We’re excited to share our important milestone with UMBC’s 50th Anniversary and will be celebrating throughout the year with the rest of campus! We were inspired by Special Collections archival project Archives Gold: 50 Objects for UMBC’s 50th and decided to do our own digging into the Women’s Center archives. Over the course of the year, we’ll be sharing 25 “Then vs Now” archives to celebrate the origin and evolution of the Women’s Center at UMBC.

This week we’re featuring the history of The Clothesline Project at UMBC.

The Clothesline project is still fresh in our minds with April, which is Sexual Assualt Awareness Month, not being in the too distant past. The Women’s Center had a calendar full of events, including a full-day display of The Clothesline Project

Assistant Director Megan Tagle Adams at this year’s Clothesline Project.

So what has the Clothesline Project looked like in past years?

The Clothesline Project in 2013

The Clothesline Project during V-day in 2001.

Editorial in the Retriever Weekly, fall of 2000

Click to view slideshow.
The Clothesline Project at UMBC gives voices to the experiences of survivors, victims, family, and friends who have been affected by violence. Through the years, The Women’s Center has provided materials for those who identify as survivors to decorate t-shirts that are then added to the project display. This is a national campaign created to address the stories of survivors and the violence that exists all around us, metaphorically ‘airing dirty laundry’. The clothesline is also a historical means through which women discussed domestic violence with other women, signaling the need for help with specific codes on the laundry lines. Traditionally there are specific colors indicating different kinds of survivor’s stories, but The Women’s Center has given space for survivors to use any colors available to add to the project.

What are the memories you have of the Women’s Center over the years that are meaningful to you? What does the Women’s Center mean to you today? Share your memories and pictures with us in the comment section below!

Stay up-to-date with our 25th anniversary on social media using #UMBCWC25. Share your Women’s Center experiences and memories with the UMBC community using #UMBCWC25 AND #UMBC50!