Our Story

Violence against women and girls is pervasive in our culture.  We see it portrayed at home, on the streets and in the media, including in our music.  For many, the messages heard every day are so normal that the issue is oftentimes ignored or not discussed, yet many who are intimately affected by it are unaware of the quality services available in Chicago. 

There has recently been much debate regarding one band in particular, Odd Future, whose lyrics are extremely violent toward women (as well as other groups of people).  While we don't agree with this, it is their art, and we'd like to offer a counterpoint and continue to help people that are being affected by the violence they describe. 

(This project is being spearheaded by Between Friends in collaboration with the domestic violence and sexual assault community in Chicago.  Between Friends is a nonprofit agency dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and building a community free of abuse.  The video above was created by teens participating in a Between Friends' youth leadership program.) 

The Impact

We would like raise awareness about the prevalence of violence against women in Chicago this summer and were asking you to help us out!  Pitchfork music festival gathers about 54,000 people to Union Park during the hot summer weekend of July 15-17, 2011.  Our hope is to design and print 5,000 hand fans with a powerful message about violence against women and resources listed on them.  The result will be a sea of fans cooling down concertgoers while, hopefully, getting them discussing the issue and knowing where to turn for help. 

What We Need & What You Get

We need $1500 for the cost of printing the fans by June 30th.  If we get more money, we'll print more fans!  If we get less money, we'll get less fans:(  If you attend the festival, we'll let you know the optimal time to grab a fan.

Other Ways You Can Help