by Thea Voutiritsas
Stop by the Violence Prevention & Response office (Haag Hall 108B) by April 21st to donate denim to be used as a canvas for artwork! You may also donate denim at the Oak Street Residence Hall and the Hospital Hill Residence hall. On Denim Day USA, April 26th, participants will be able to make art with the donated denim to raise awareness about rape culture and sexual assault.
Denim Day is a rape prevention education campaign. We are asking our UMKC community to wear denim on April 26th to make a social statement against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault. The campaign was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court. In 1992, a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it.
This event is cosponsored by UMKC Violence Prevention & Response, UMKC Women’s Center, and UMKC Residential Life.