In Solidarity, We Resist is an art/activist project designed to help survivors of sexual violence reclaim space and tell their stories on a university campus. Students can submit their stories of sexual violence via confidential online submissions. Once submitted, either volunteers or the survivors themselves (depending on each survivor’s request) will read the stories out loud on campus in a public outdoor space.

After the speak out is completed, a quilt is created from the stories collected. The quilt is made from the stories collected and sewn together as physical evidence of the project. The symbolic nature of the quilt encompasses our survival being an integral part of each other’s survival and thus bound together. While each of our stories are different and individual, we have a shared experience and share in the reclaiming of space. Only the stories that we have been given permission to use become part of the quilt.

If you are interested in bringing this project to you campus, let us know! We have designed a helpful Starter Kit for you. Email Charmaine Renee at InSolidarityWeResist@gmail.com.

Volunteers are essential for this project to be successful. We suggest that in addition to a Faculty Adviser and Student Leader position, you also have two core volunteers that help with marketing and event coordinating.

When bringing this project to your campus, we ask that you keep in mind our core values:

Reclaim Public Space to Validate Survivors’ Stories: Survivors of sexual violence have experienced a history of being silenced and ignored and this project works to actively resists and challenge this history.

Empower Survivors: Ultimately, the reason for reclaiming space is to empower survivors and give them a sense of control over their own experiences.

Educate Students about Consent and Sexual Assault:  Through the sharing of survivors’ experiences and distributing resources about consent, those who come in contact with the event will gain a greater understanding of consent and sexual assault.

Gender Inclusion and Intersectional Feminism: This project demands validation, space, and empowerment for all survivors. We reject a singular narrative. The rape culture that permeates our society has affected all genders. It is important to prioritize the marginalized, ask for pronouns, use thoughtful language like “all genders,” and never make assumptions regarding identity. In documents created for this project, it is necessary to use statistics that are inclusive and to bring attention to marginalized identities including (dis)abled, racial, and transgender identities.