T-shirts waving in the breeze next week should break the shroud of silence surrounding violence against women and the ice for talk of hope and change for women of the campus community and abroad.

“Some of the shirts are so poignant and moving,” said Patricia Grady, director of the Women’s Resource Center. “Others are so inspirational.”

The Clothesline Project, which hangs out the dirty laundry regarding abuse, will run Monday through April 25 in honor of violence against women awareness month.

Associate Students Inc. will host T-shirt embellishing in the Library Quad for survivors of sexual assault to express their emotions.

The project, which began in 1990 in Cape Cod, Mass., is nationally recognized with women’s resource groups and universities, adding to T-shirt collections yearly.

The event is not only an educational tool for those in the dark, but it is also a healing process for those who have experienced the pain and trauma.

The T-shirts allow women to use words and art to decorate however they please. Their voice is intended to speak to everyone on campus.

“They talk about their feelings and journey from whatever type of assault they have survived,” Grady said.

Sacramento State’s involvement with the event goes back to 1999. The Women’s Resource Center hosted the event in past years, but has now passed the torch to ASI.

“The purpose is to provoke thoughts and get the word out that (violence against women) happens and we do need to do something,” said Ashley Skaggs, coordinator of the event.

The shirts are color coded to represent the many ways women are abused. Survivors are encouraged to come and write their feelings, thoughts and claims about violence.

Chloe Daley can be reached at [email protected].