Thursday's in Black is an international event.  It began as a grassroots
response to rape and violence against women in Argentina in early 1970's.
During that time in Argentina, women were being raped, murdered, and
disappearing in alarming numbers.  In, response local feminist organizers
begin organizing "Thursday's in Black" to raise awareness about the
violence that women faced, and to put pressure on governmental officials
to do more to stop the violence.

Since those beginnings, Thursday's in Black has been taken up by
communities in Bosnia, Israel, the Sudan, New Zealand and throughout
Europe.  It has more recently begun happening in the United States, mostly
on college campuses.  Indiana University students initiated the campaign
on this campus for the first time in April 2004.

Thursday's in Black is always locally organized.  There is no
international, national, or even state-wide effort to create or build on
Thursday's in Black.  In this way local communities create their own
Thursday's in Black in a way that makes the most sense for them and which
addresses the specific issues faced by their own community.

At IU, RAISE (Raising Awareness of Interactions in Sexual Encounters) is
the student organization at the forefront of sexual assault awareness and
prevention initiatives on campus.  In addition to training volunteers as
peer presenters for the "He Said, She Said" interactive workshop, RAISE
also has a men's program called "No Excuse" and looks for campus education
and organizing opportunities around these issues.  We believe that the
solution to rape and violence against women lies within the culture of
campus and the performance of masculinity.

RAISE works in partnership with Middleway House (the local women's shelter
and rape crisis line) and other community-based groups.  Domestic Violence
Awareness Month (October) and Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April) are
two key campaigns within this community-wide education and organizing
effort.   Thursday's in Black is but one of the efforts that we organize
during April.

RAISE and Middleway House invite you to participate in Thursday's in Black
in ways that make the most sense for you.  We have developed this
organizing packet to assist you in raising awareness about the issues, but
there are plenty of other things you can do.  You can also contact us to
find out about the other events and programs happening during April or
October.  You can invite one of our peer educators to come speak to your
group, club, floor, house or class about the issues and/or about how you
can be part of the solution.  You can become a volunteer in RAISE
yourself.  You can organize a vigil in your neighborhood in honor of the
victims of sexual assault or domestic violence.  You can organize an
ongoing discussion group about the issues and explore how your community
is affected (RAISE volunteers can also assist you in organizing this
effort or providing speakers or facilitators).

Sexual Assault and domestic violence has an impact on all parts of our
campus and community and every person can be part of the solution.  Demand
an end to Rape and Violence!!!  Thank-you for taking a part and we look
forward to working with you.

For More information, Contact:
RAISE
Office of Women's Affairs
Memorial Hall East
RAISE@indiana.edu

On Thursday, March 19th the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project is holding a Pack-A-Thon at its space next to Boxcar Books and Community Center at 310 S Washington Street, near the corner of Third and Washington Streets, across from Third Street Park. The event will start at 2pm on Thursday afternoon and go a full 12 hours until 2am that night.

The Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project currently has a backlog of book requests from prisoners that spans at least three months. With the help of Pack-A-Thon volunteers, we hope to significantly reduce that backlog!

Volunteers at the Pack-A-Thon will be reading letters sent from prisoners, filling requests for books from our collection of books donated by members of the Bloomington community, and packaging those books so that they are ready to be mailed. No prior experience is necessary, and training will be provided to new volunteers on the hour, every hour.

While we hope to get a lot of work done, this will also be a fun and festive event, so bring music, snacks and beverages to share, as well as everyone you know! Additionally, book donations and donations of packing supplies such as envelopes large enough to hold 3 books, large sheets of paper that could be used to wrap packages of books, or packing tape will be very useful.

For more information, contact the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project at midwestpagestoprisoners@yahoo.com, pagestoprisoners.org, or 812.339.8710.

For those unable to attend this special event, Pages meets several times every week to help send books to the imprisoned. The regularly scheduled meeting times are Mondays (during the school year) from 7-9pm , Thursdays from 7-11pm, and Sundays from 2-5pm.

The Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project is an all volunteer effort that strives to provide free reading material to prisoners in the United States. By providing free reading materials upon request, we hope to aid in the rehabilitation process and stimulate critical thinking behind bars. Our volunteers are concerned citizens and activists interested in rehabilitation, rather than punishment.

The project exists to alleviate pain, boredom, and attrition and to provide a direct opportunity for self-education. Additionally, we exist because prison libraries sometimes fail in this respect, and are understocked, or are only able to be patronized during specific and limited hours. Finally, The Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project exists to inform others about the condition of the prison system in Indiana and throughout the nation and the effects of incarceration on our communities. Through the letters and books that we send and receive, we hope to build connections between those who are within the criminal justice system, and their communities at large.

Cheap homecooked vegan breakfast.  It usually consists of toast, tofu scrambler, home fries, tempeh bacon, and coffee.

What: Free, mostly vegan Community Dinner
When: Friday April 13th (your lucky night!) dinner starts at 6 pm
Where: Boxcar Books and Community Center (310 S. Washington)
Why: Slop is a take off of Brooklyn’s Grub which is a take off of the Spanish Civil War when in both cases a bunch of freaks, punks, homos, and anarchists got to together to serve free, but delicious food for the greater community and eachother. So invite all your friends, families, young kids, and old kids to Boxcar on Friday and let’s put it all out on the table.

A reading with Maurice Manning, Ann DeVilbiss, and Erin Kelley.

Food, Drinks, and Art! Paintings and Drawings by Boxcar’s Own Jessie LaJoie, featuring a children’s story about a rascally mouse and his trustworthy friend, a bird!