“The History of Document the Silence’s Website”

In October 2007 people all over the United States gathered physically and in spirit to speak out against violence against women of color. The violence that lead us to action was:

Organizing on October 2007

• The brutal and inhumane rape, torture, and kidnapping of Megan Williams in Logan, West Virginia who was held by six assailants for a month.
• Rape survivors in the Dunbar Housing Projects in West Palm Beach, Florida one of whom was forced to perform sexual acts on her own child.
• A 13 year old native American girl was beaten by two white women and has since been harassed by several men yelling “white power” outside of her home
• Seven black lesbian girls attempted to stop an attacker and were latter charged with aggravated assault and are facing up to 11 year prison sentences

The title of the campaign was Be Bold Be Red Be Brave: Ending Violence against Women of Color. Some of us wore red all day and explained that we were reclaiming and reframing our bodies as a challenge to the widespread acceptance of violence against women of color. Some of us wrote powerful essays about why we were wearing red and posted them on the internet. Some of us gathered with bold and like-minded folks and took pictures, shared poetry and expressed solidarity.

Then on the first anniversary of the Be Bold Be Red Campaign, October 30, 2008, we once again invited people to make bold stances against the violence enacted on women and girls of color in our society visible. In D.C., Chicago, Durham, Atlanta and Detroit women of color gathered to renew their commitment to creating a world free from racialized and gendered violence through the use of Cyberquilting which uses video conferencing technologies to connect all of these gatherings in real time. To learn more about Cyberquilting, which is a woman of color led project to stitch movements together using new web technologies and old traditions of love and nurturing, visit http://www.cyberquilt.wordpress.com.

And now we are launching a new cyber campaign entitled, “Where is Aniysah?”

Be Bold Be Red Goes Viral Loco Visual

Beloved Survivors, Warriors, Allies, Activists, Organizers, Artists, Healers, Visionaries, Sisters and Friends,

In October 2007 people all over the United States gathered physically and in spirit to speak out against violence against women of color. Some of us wore red all day and explained that we were reclaiming and reframing our bodies as a challenge to the widespread acceptance of violence against women of color. Some of us wrote powerful essays about why we were wearing red and posted them on the internet. Some of us gathered with bold and like-minded folks and took pictures, shared poetry and expressed solidarity.

Women of Color Wearing Red

This year, on the first anniversary of the Be Bold Be Red Campaign, we invite you to make your bold stance against the violence enacted on women and girls of color in our society visible. In D.C., Chicago, Durham, Atlanta and Detroit women of color will be gathering to renew our commitment to creating a world free from racialized and gendered violence, and this time, we’ll be using a new technology called CyberQuilting to connect all of these gatherings in real time. To learn more about CyberQuilting, which is a women of color led project to stitch movements together using new web technologies and old traditions of love and nurturing, visit www.cyberquilt.wordpress.com.

This letter is an invitation for you and yours to participate in a gathering in your city on Thursday, October 30th that will be webcast to similar gatherings in other cities. We are calling on you because we recognize and appreciate the work that you and the organizations you work with are doing everyday to make this a more loving and less violent world for women and girls in oppressed communities. Please join us on October 30th so that other warriors in this struggle can be strengthened and affirmed by the energy of our collective ferocity! Also we will upload the video of the video conference on this website on October 31, 2008 so that everyone can see what happened during video conference.

If you are not located in D.C., Chicago, Durham, Atlanta and Detroit for the webcast, you can still participate by wearing Red on October 30, 2008 and send us your pictures to beboldbered@gmail.com

Also we are asking once again that people wear Red on October 30, 2008 and send us your pictures to beboldbered@gmail.com

As we receive them we will upload your pictures under “Red Pictures Today.”

Also, as well as to share your stories of Red on this website under “Why are you wearing Red on October 30, 2008.”

So, are you ready?!

“How do You Keep A Social Movement Alive: Why We Can’t Wait”

In Defense of Ourselves: Be Bold Be Brave Wear Red on April 30, 2008

We understand that April is Sexual Assault Awareness’ Month. In conjunction with the wearing red to end sexual assault, we will also wear red to represent the many types of violence that women of color endure and how these various types of violence are interconnected.

Please check out the video below and feel free to post it to your

blogs and email it out!

Vodpod videos no longer available. from www.jumpcut.com posted with vodpod

1. Wear Red (i.e. ribbons, clothing, clown noses, etc.);

2. Read “Out of Silence” Litany at 8:00 pm/central time;

3. Take Pictures and/or video and email them to beboldbered@gmail.com

(After April 30, 2007, we want to “flood” the web with pictures and video of RED)