Sexual assault doesn’t necessarily end once the vile act has been completed, but continues to follow the victim throughout their lives. It’s an invisible burden that has been placed upon their shoulders and is powerful enough to silence the victim. In doing so, further emotional complications may occur prompting feelings of guilt, shame, fear, and anxiety; leading them to remain mute instead of regaining their power and possibly helping themselves and others to regain their voice. Audre Lorde, the self-entitled black, lesbian, feminist, poet, had this to say about silence:
“I was going to die, if not sooner than later, whether or not I had ever spoken myself. My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you.”
– Audre Lorde.
Grace Brown created Project Unbreakable to cultivate a platform for the voices of victims, both men and women, to be heard. Since October 2011 Brown has photographed over 200 participants and receiving over a thousand submissions, placing her Tumblr on Time magazine’s top 30 Tumblr blogs to follow. The genius behind Brown’s project is found in the simple tools we often ignore to get our messages across. Geared with a marker and card board, these individuals are not only sharing their story, but most importantly actively participating in this project. For further information please visit: Project Unbreakable.