Students “Carry that weight” to end sexual violence
On Wednesday, October 29, students started to gather in front of Low Memorial Library on the campus of Columbia University in carrying around mattresses and pillows. It was a part of movement “Carry that weight” on National Day of Action to support survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Survivors, elected officials, and allies shared their stories and called on Columbia University and all schools to support survivors and adopt meaningful reform.
“Carry that weight” movement was inspired by the activism and art of Emma Sulkowicz, who is a senior at Columbia University. She reported a male student for raping her to the college administration in April 2013. After a protracted, demeaning, and grossly mishandled process which concluded in the university finding the male student she reported for rape “not responsible,” Emma began a performance art piece titled “Mattress Performance: Carry That Weight.” The project entails that she is carrying a standard issue dorm mattress with her everywhere that she goes on campus as a symbol of the weight she carries as a rape survivor. She will continue to carry the mattress for as long as she and her rapist both attend Columbia. She chose a dorm mattress to carry because her dorm room on campus was the site of her assault.
Her performance piece has served as the inspiration for similar actions at universities across the country and for the Day of Action. As well as Columbia, there were “Carry that weight” movements in other universities such as Brown, Rutgers and New York University. According to Carrying the Weight Together, more than 130 campuses in more than 30 states and over 5 countries took part in the Day of Action.
One of the most serious problems about sexual and domestic violence is that survivors too often struggle with feelings of isolation, invisibility, and stigmatization. In other words, “that weight” is too heavy for them to overcome and endure alone. And the people who participated in “Carry that weight” tried to take a load off their mind. This should not end here.
If you would like to support survivors and carry the weight together, then join the “Carry that weight” movement and take the pledge on this site (http://www.carryingtheweighttogether.com/).