The problem of sexual violence on college campuses is not news to anybody, least of all the organizers and participants of Longwood University’s annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event.
According to the Association of American Universities, over 11 percent of students in higher education experience some form of sexual violence. That is where Walk a Mile in Her Shoes comes in. It is an international campaign to raise awareness of sexual assault everywhere, not just in institutions of higher learning.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes features men walking in bright red high heels for one mile, as a way of fostering a wider conversation among men about their role in putting a stop to gendered violence. It was created in 2001 by Frank Baird at California States University, and was brought to Longwood in 2014 by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Longwood’s 2018 Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event took place on Wednesday, March 28. It covered the path from Brock Commons, to the Chichester Science Center, back around the parking lot south of the CSTAC building, and back to Brock Commons, all in red high heels. After the walk itself, the participants gathered inside the Lankford Student Union to listen to speeches from Longwood alumnus Dr. Anita Schlank, the forensic director of the Virginia Center for Behavior Rehabilitation, as well as Prince Edward County's Commonwealth Attorney Megan Clark.
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life was there to support the walk. Also in attendance was Madeline’s House, a sexual and domestic violence nonprofit in Farmville. Elizabeth Chassey, the domestic violence and sexual assault program director at Madeline's House, said she has been coming to Longwood’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event for the past three years. Also in attendance were representatives of the White Ribbon Campaign, an organization for encouraging men to become more involved in the conversation on domestic violence.
“We provide them with shelter, we also provide them with anything that they need or goals that we have,” Chassey said, speaking on the purpose of Madeline’s House. “We try to help them meet them so they can move forward with their lives after the violence.”
Chassey is grateful to be able to work with Longwood on a wider range of issues than just sexual assault. She and the rest of the Madeline’s House nonprofit also work with Sasha Johnson, the Education and Prevention Coordinator in Longwood’s Office of Student Conduct and Integrity.
A key visual aspect of the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is the shirts donated from students. They are part of the Clothesline Project, which involves T shirts and other tops from students who have written slogans and phrases on them. Longwood started to do this in 2012.
“So the Clothesline Project started in the 90's in a small town, and it has grown to be an international program,” said Johnson. “We started with maybe five or 10 shirts that JMU (James Madison University) donated to us to get us started. Madeline's House gave us about five shirts from their local community, and then all the rest of the shirts are from Longwood students.”
