Some of you may already know that April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. There have been so many devastating cases of sexual assault in the news
lately. Sexual Assault isn't something that happens somewhere else to someone else. This is an issue that is in our own communities, in our very own backyards. This April in Spartanburg, SC,
SAFE Homes – Rape Crisis Coalition has teamed up with the
Children’s Advocacy Center, and the
Hope Center for Children to coordinate a
large scale effort to raise awareness and benefit local agencies providing
services to victims of sexual violence every day.
The
Rock the Denim Campaign is a community fundraising and
awareness effort that adopts the spirit of Denim Day. In 1999 an Italian Supreme Court overturned
the conviction of a 45 year old driving instructor for the rape of his 18 year
old student. The reason cited was the girl’s clothing. It was determined that
because she wore blue jeans the instructor could not have removed them without
assistance, therefore she must have consented. People everywhere were
outraged and within hours prominent women within the legal community were walking the
courthouse in blue jeans to protest the decision. Since that time
Denim Day in LA and the USA was born. Peace Over Violence, the agency behind Denim Day, centers this campaign around the fact that a
woman’s choice of clothing is no excuse for rape.
On April 20
th, 2013, we are presenting the
Rock the Denim Concert Event in
Barnet Park. This will be an evening of live music, children’s activities
and denim displays from the community. The live musical act will be
JJ Dae, One Love,
The Wheresville Project,
Sound Medicine,
The Consumers and Greenfield Excursion. We will also have children's activities from 3:00pm - 7:00pm as well as food and drink vendors inside the park.
We plan for this to be a time to celebrate our community and come together to take a stand against sexual violence.
We are reaching out to the community to
be involved in the Rock the Denim Campaign. We are looking for businesses, civic groups, and individuals to sponsor, participate in Denim Day, host Denim Decorating Parties or volunteer with this campaign. If you are interested in more information on how you can become involved with this campaign please
e-mail us and put Rock the Denim in the subject line.
Find us on
facebook and
twitter!
Will you join us in taking a stand against
sexual violence?
