Portia Williams

PDT Staff Writer

The Women’s Center of Shawnee State University will host a local “One Billion Rising” event, Thursday, Feb. 14 at noon in the University Center.

The school will be joining with activists around the world for the event.

One Billion Rising is a project created by an organization called V-Day, which is global movement to end violence against women and girls.

It is through V-Day campaigns consisting of workshops, films and documentaries to raise awareness and funding to change social attitudes and mindsets that pertain to violence against women.

Ann Linden, Director of the Women’s Center at Shawnee State University said this is SSU’s seventh time participating in a V-Day campaign.

“Shawnee State has been working with V-Day for the last seven years to raise funds for our local domestic violence task force. This year V-Day added what they are calling, the One Billion Rising campaign to bring awareness to the fact that one billion women on the planet will be raped or beaten in their lifetime,” Linden said.

According to the website, One Billion Rising is a global strike, an invitation to dance, a call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends.

The website also defines One Billion Rising as an act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers, and a refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a give.

There are now 200 countries signed up to participate in this world-wide event, along with world leaders, celebrities, organizations, and activists who are ready to Strike, dance and rise to prove that everyone is ready to say enough and end violence against women.

The dance for the One Billion Rising campaign was choregraphed by Debbie Allen, and can be viewed at youtube.com.

The video can be used to learn the dance with friends, family, and co-workers so viewers can join with SSU Thursday. To practice the dance with others, SSU has one last dance rehearsal scheduled.

The remaining practice for the dance will convene Wednesday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m. in the UC Ballroom on the SSU campus.

The SSU Cheerleaders and Dance Team performed the dance at half-time during the Men’s basketball game against Wilberforce University on Saturday, Feb. 9.

“I think this is incredibly important work. I have witnessed violence against women and against girls. I’ve heard, story after story about violence against women. Every story I hear is so personal, and so unique, and yet share many similar characteristics,” Linden said.

Linden said beholding the violence is what motivates her to do anything possible to help to end the cycle of violence and that she is looking forward to partnering with others members of the community to raise awareness.

For more information on the SSU event, contact Ann Linden in the Women’s Center, 740-351-3738. To learn more about One Billion Rising and V-Day, visit www.onebillionrising.org.

Portia Williams may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 286 or portiawilliams@civitasmedia.com.