TIC In Our Communities: An Ode to FORCE
Earlier this year the National Mall was surrounded by what from far away looked like a bunch of quilts. As locals and tourists came to the popular D.C. tourist attraction, many weren’t initially aware of what the different cloths represented, or who had places them around the lawn. As they got closer many saw that the quilts contained stories- stories of grief, healing, and strength from survivors of sexual violence and intimate partner abuse.
FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture is an art activism organization based in Baltimore City. Survivors of assault and abuse, and those that support survivors, have collaborated with FORCE for years to create cloth quilt pieces that are then sewn together to create larger quilt pieces. These pieces have been used in social justice demonstrations on college campuses, in stadiums, and during protests such as those around the Dakota Pipeline. They also created social media campaigns, like a faux Victoria’s Secret campaign that centered around consent. Many of the FORCE-led demonstrations were done in support of survivors who had been wrongfully imprisoned for defending themselves against their abusers. Their platform also features numerous resources for those presently experiencing violence and struggling with the impact of traumatic experiences. My involvement with FORCE started a couple years ago while in undergraduate. I helped with organizing studio supplies, sewed quilt pieces from various workshops together, and helped with fundraising events. While in the studio I also created my own piece, surrounding the lack of justice for women of color who experienced sexual violence. Finding a way to process traumatic experiences can take many forms. FORCE gave survivors a space to take their pain and channel it into making art. The process of creating a piece and sewing pieces from others together often felt therapeutic, and provided survivors a way to grieve, heal, and amplify their voices against acts of violence.
FORCE’s final demonstration took place from May 31st-June 2nd at the Washington Monument, where the quilt pieces were arranged to spell out “You Are Not Alone” and “No Estas Solx” in huge letters across the lawn. This demonstration, known by many as the Monument Quilt, was composed of over 3,000 stories and statements of affirmation from various survivors sewn together on bright red fabric-which can be viewed here. As people walked through the lawn observing the pieces, various artists performed, discussions were held on policy reform, and local activists presented on what they were doing to end rape culture in their communities. One of the weekend’s highlights was the keynote speaker Marissa Alexander, a woman whom was wrongfully imprisoned for defending herself against her former partner. Her experiences led her to create the Marissa Alexander Justice Project, which aims to dismantle systemic forms of oppression and provide resources to members of marginalized communities. While walking through the lawn, I was able to see older and newer pieces, some of which I had helped sew together. I also connected with others I knew from volunteering at the studio, and we marveled at how much of a positive impact FORCE had made in our lives and the lives of others.
FORCE in its inception aimed to create a space for survivors to tell their own narratives, while also advocating for systemic change to end acts of violence. The work done through FORCE showed the impact that providing a platform to those that are constantly silenced can have. For us as a society to eradicate rape culture and forms of oppression that allow rape culture to sustain it is essential to support organizations like this, and to provide support to survivors by advocating for justice and change. FORCE provided a platform for people to come and see that they are not now, nor will they ever be alone in the fight to end sexual and domestic violence.
