Eight HBCUs Host Ending Violence Against Women Events to Promote Denim Day
On April 27, 2011 over 3,500 students at eight (8) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) — Clark Atlanta University, Coppin State University, Howard University, Lemoyne-Owen College, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University and Prairie View A&M University—will participate in the 3rd Denim Day at HBCUs. The HBCU movement for Denim Day is organized by Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW): The HBCU Project, an initiative funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health and The Wright Group.
The Wright Group and EVAW are sponsors of Denim Day in USA 2011. Denim Day is a project of Peace Over Violence—a non-profit, feminist, multicultural, volunteer organization dedicated to building healthy relationships, families and communities free from sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence. Denim Day was launched in 1999, in protest of an Italian High Court ruling that overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing "tight" jeans.
"Today there is a movement of African American students who visibly stand united as one HBCU campus for Denim Day, recognizing their role as champions for survivors in eliminating shame, stigma and blame-- one fellow student at a time," said Amelia Cobb, Director of Ending Violence Against Women.
In April 2010, over 2,000 students on six HBCU campuses participated in Denim Day at HBCUs and signed the No Violence Against Women (NO VAW) Pledge which included celebrity e-card messaging from Howard University alumnae, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Malaak Compton-Rock; and radio personality, Olivia Fox.
This week 3,500 students have signed-up to join the movement this year by wearing jeans and a Denim Day at HBCUs T-Shirt as a visible sign to support ending sexual violence on college campuses.
For more information on ways to sign the NO VAW Pledge as public support for ending sexual violence against women on HBCU campuses nationwide, visit www.hbcuendingviolence.com.
