Join The Long Red Line event at ECC Feb. 14; art exhibit opening set for Jan. 30
Elgin Community College will host "The Long Red Line," a community effort to support One Billion Rising, a global movement to end rape, violence and oppression against women, on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
The annual event will be 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Building B Jobe Lounge.
The accompanying art exhibit opening and reception will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. starting in the Building C Library Gallery. Both events will take place at 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. Admission is free and open to the public.
Now in its sixth year, "The Long Red Line" is a visual demonstration of solidarity where community members are invited to bring a red scarf or piece of fabric that will be held together by participants - forming one long red line.
People have been creating scarlet scarves for "The Long Red Line" since fall 2013.
Vicki Rae Harder-Thorne, committee chair, event speaker and survivor, brought the idea to the Elgin committee with the notion that scarves tend to represent self-restriction and silence but when held together can symbolize freedom and community members' connection to one another.
The color red was chosen because of its association with blood, vitality, passion, courage, sexuality and aggression.
"I've personally found that publicly sharing my story of survival has been powerful in breaking the chain of shame and guilt; helping recover dignity, courage and value as a human, and giving hope to others who may still suffer in silence," Harder-Thorne said.
Approximately 350 people attended last year's event.
In addition to the forming of the long red line, this year's event will feature guest speakers: Maureen Manning, director of client services at the Community Crisis Center in Elgin; Vicki Rae Harder-Thorne, survivor, vocal advocate, founding member and current chair of Elgin's One Billion Rising event; Elgin Police Chief Jeff Swoboda; Elisa Lara, community outreach nurse coordinator at the Visiting Nurse Association of Elgin; Shla George, current ECC student, a published poet and performer; Traci O'Neal Ellis, executive director of human resources at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, Elgin Area School District U-46 board member and 2018 recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from the City of Elgin Human Relations Commission; Katie Shaw Thompson, pastor of the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren; and Denise Tracy, Elgin Police Department chaplain.
"The annual Long Red Line event is an important day for ECC and the Elgin community," said Megan Highland, ECC Student Life coordinator and Long Red Line committee member. "It serves as a safe place for students, employees and community members to feel comfortable sharing their story and empowered to light a pathway to healing for themselves and others."
To further raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual assault, a juried art exhibit is being curated this year. ECC students, alumni and residents were invited to submit their original work that aligned with the current theme: "Rise. Resist. Revolt."
Nineteen pieces of chosen artwork will be displayed in the Renner Library Hallway Gallery in Building C from Jan. 24 to Feb. 28. Awards will be given during the art exhibit opening and reception on Jan. 30.
The reception is an opportunity for guests to view the accepted artwork, meet the artists and hear from Lisa Siders Kenney, a Washington-based multimedia artist whose 13-year-old daughter Esme was assaulted and killed in March 2009.
Siders' talk, "Art: The Sacred Power of Healing" will showcase two quilts; one that she made to celebrate her daughter's birth and the other to memorialize Esme's death. Both quilts will be on display as part of ECC's art exhibit.
"The Long Red Line" committee envisioned the art exhibit as an opportunity to give a voice to survivors who may struggle to speak of their truth using words. "Art can empower women to heal through the visual representation of sharing their stories and expressing their pain," said Harder-Thorne. "Many people find that it's easier to connect with art than the spoken word, which helps support healing and strengthens our connection with one another."
"The Long Red Line" is sponsored by the ECC Student Life Office, the Community Crisis Center, Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice, Coalition of Elgin Religious Leaders, Elgin YWCA, Ecker Center for Mental Health, American Association of University Women, and the Open Door Health Center of Illinois.
For more information about the event, contact Megan Highland, ECC Student Life Coordinator, at (847) 214-7659 or mhighland@elgin.edu.