Towson University to host Monument Quilt on CLA lawn

The Towson University Center for Student Diversity will partner with “FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture” to showcase The Monument Quilt on TU’s campus.

The Monument Quilt returns to  the CLA lawn starting at noon on Thursday, March 30 until 4 p.m. Friday, March 31.

The Monument Quilt is a growing collection of over 2,000 stories from survivors of rape and abuse that is written, painted and stitched on red fabric. It is also an uplifting way to help change how the public the perceives sexual violence.

“The quilt is a public healing space by and for survivors of sexual violence,” said Mahnoor Ahmed, associate director of student diversity and development at Towson University. “It helps us create a shared community space by bearing witness to hundreds of survival stories. It helps us uplift the issues that impact us all.”

The Quilt also aims to disrupt and challenge public perceptions of sexual violence, i.e. where it happens and who it impacts. 

Get more information about The Monument Quilt

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women are sexually assaulted while in college. While campus sexual assault has made headlines in recent years, many survivors still feel isolated and alone in their experience.

Through displaying the Monument Quilt, students and advocates can come together to show support for survivors on TU’s campus. The university cares deeply about this issue, which is one of the main reasons the quilt is being displayed on campus.

“The mission of the monument quilt is to create a new culture where survivors are publicly supported, rather than publicly shamed,” Ahmed said. “One of the guiding beliefs of the Quilt is that ‘resisting and changing the public understanding of who is experiencing sexual violence and how it is happening is one step towards ending rape.’ 

“By hosting the quilt on our campus, we hope to share with our students/faculty/staff that we are a community that cares about this issue, not because it pertains to a specific population but because it is a social justice issue for all.”

Back in November, Towson University partnered with “It’s On Us,” a national campaign aimed at changing the culture surrounding campus sexual assault. 

Through continued educational initiatives including programming around consent, healthy relationships and bystander intervention, TU continues to be committed to ending sexual violence on its campus and creating a community that supports victims and survivors. 

Learn more about Towson University joining the “It’s On Us” campaign