“How to Host a RED Rally?”
be bold be brave be red stop the violence
We are asking organizations and individuals to host rallies and speak outs at various monumental sites (i.e. The Lincoln Memorial, Seattle’s Arch, Chicago’s Bean, MLK Memorial, etc.) located in their cities or to host rallies and speak outs at locations that represent the political, economic, and/or social power of their cities such as the local courthouse, the local chamber of commerce, the local police department, and the local city council. Groups can also consider rallying in sites where specific violence against women of color occurred. Hosting a rally dedicated to eradicating violence against women of color at the locations where business is conducted, where laws are made, and where justice is rendered is revolutionary. It demands that laws be written specifically to protect women of color from violence. It demands funding to be made available to women of color organizations who work to end violence against women of color. It demands that justice be served by compelling city leaders to create spaces in the city where women of color are safe.
Use the below agenda for your gathering:
- Host of gathering should welcome participants.
- Participants should decorate the location or rally with red. Participants should where red. Note: please try to use environmentally friendly materials!
- Light a candle. If you’d like you can ask all participants to come with a candle.
- Read Out of Silence, We Come litany at 8 p.m. CST. You can have one person serve as the reader, or, ask the group to read the litany together. Across the country, women will be reading with you. We will not be silent!
- Ask participants to begin to share their stories. Allow at least 30 minutes for participants to share their stories.
- Celebrate this moment of community! Take a picture or video clip and send it to beboldbered@gmail.com so that we can document the silence together.
- Documents prepared for Christian Faith Communities can be accessed here, click here christian-women-take-action.doc
If it is DIFFICULT TO HOST A Red RALLY/GATHERING, PLEASE WEAR RED, GET WITH YOUR FRIENDS and at 8:00 pm CENTRAL READ in Unison the “OUT OF SILENCE LITANY” BECAUSE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE NATION WILL BE DOING THE same thing. Please take Pictures and/or Video and EMAIL us at beboldbered@gmail.com, so that we can upload them on the website. After October 31, 2007, we want to flood the web with pictures and video of Red!!!
Download the litany here, out-of-the-silence-litany.doc
Individuals, organizations, and communities that are committed to acknowledging and resisting the violence visited on women of color every day are encouraged to read this statement aloud on Wednesday October 31, 2007 at 8:00 p.m./Central time. Across the nation, women of color and allies will be reciting the litany at the same time creating one loud voice breaking the silence.
Out of the Silence, We Come: A Litany
Out of the Silence, We Come: A Litany
Out of the silence, we come
In the name of nuestras abuelas,
In honor of our mamas
In the spirit of our petit fils,
In tribute to ourselves
We come crying out
Documenting the torture
We come wailing
Reporting the rape
We come singing
Testifying to the abuse
We come knowing
Knowing that the silence has not protected us from
the racism
the sexism
the homophobia
the physical pain
the emotional shame
the auction block
Once immobilized by silence
We come now, mobilized by collective voice
Dancing in harmonious move-ment to the thick drumbeat of la lucha, the struggle
We come indicting those who claim to love us, but violate us
We come prosecuting those who are paid to protect us, but harass us
We come sentencing those who say they represent us, but render
us invisible
Out of the Silence, we come
Naming ourselves
Telling our stories
Fighting for our lives
Refusing to accept that we were never meant to survive
October 25, 2007 at 11:02 pm
I really love this! It really encourages unity amongst women of all cultures. I really believe that our movement is getting stronger!
Peace & Love:)
January 26, 2008 at 9:04 am
[...] Out of the Silence, We Come: A Litany [...]
April 28, 2008 at 6:28 pm
“We understand that October 31, 2007 is Halloween. For most families it’s a time to be with their children. Even though Halloween is about “fake” and “imagined” terrors, the violence committed against women of color is very “real.” Not only is it a “real” reality on October 31st, but it’s also a “real” terror for the rest of the year.”
April 28, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Hi Fal,
This is Georgia’s Angels, we will participate on April 30th. I don’t know how to send you my pictures from October we have severalplease tell me how to do it. I’m out to a meeting now one of the young women from my Truth in Loving group was attacked by a security guard at a welfare office. When her lover called me and said he told her “you want to be a man I’ll treat you like one.” I am so sick of this mess i don’t know what to do. I understand that none of the women present did or said nothing in her defense. I’m out if i don’t end up in jail i’ll check to see if you left me a message. I have great pictures from our last meeting in Oct. You know i had a cousin Arlene she dead now and she was my mother’s favorite neice, my grandfathers favorite granddaughter and my favorite cousin. Arlene was lesbian and i’ll share her story at another time. I have may family members in the life and i love them dearly, i pray the day will come that people will just let each other live before Jesus comes.
Peace
June 4, 2008 at 5:12 pm
[...] matter where in the world they are, women have worn white, black, pink, red, yellow, orange: head ties, arm bands, costumes, full attire, flowers; they have refused to have [...]