March 6 Will Be 'White Ribbon Day' in Salem

Mayor Kim Driscoll will declare next Thursday, March 6, ‘White Ribbon Day’ in the city of Salem.

The Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign is a public awareness project led by the Men’s Initiative for Jane Doe Inc. and encourages men to take an active role in ending violence against women. 

Last year was the first time Salem participated in the campaign following the Salem No Place for Hate Committee’s request that Mayor Driscoll proclaim the first Thursday in March ‘White Ribbon Day.’ Through the Mayor’s Office, the Committee made white ribbons available for residents and City Hall staff to wear in support of the cause.

This year, the Salem No Place for Hate Committee plans to expand the City’s participation by teaming up with HAWC (Healing Abuse, Working for Change) to make 1,000 white ribbon pins available for Salem residents to wear on White Ribbon Day next Thursday, March 6th. These ribbons can be picked up free of charge starting next Monday, March 3rd at the Mayor’s Office in Salem City Hall (93 Washington Street) and at HAWC’s office in Shetland Park (27 Congress Street).

Additionally, members of the Salem No Place for Hate Committee and representatives of HAWC will travel to the Massachusetts State House on Thursday to take part in Governor Deval Patrick’s White Ribbon Day Proclamation Event. Following the ceremony, the No Place for Hate Committee and HAWC, joined by State Senator Joan Lovely and State Representative John Keenan, will present leaders of Jane Doe Inc. with the City of Salem’s White Ribbon Day Proclamation on behalf of Mayor Driscoll. 

“Domestic violence and sexual assault are serious issues in our community and I’m honored to support the Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign’s work in urging men to take an active role in ending violence against women,” said Mayor Driscoll. “I’m proud of the work HAWC does on a daily basis to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault on the North Shore. Their collaborative effort with Salem’s No Place for Hate Committee will bring an even greater awareness to these important issues, and both organizations will represent our City well at the State House next Thursday.”

“Part of the No Place for Hate Committee’s mission is to mobilize citizens to challenge bigotry and violence, and to promote a prejudice-free community in Salem,” said No Place for Hate Committee Chair Scott Weisberg. “We feel this campaign aligns perfectly with our Committee’s purpose and are proud to work with HAWC and Mayor Driscoll in promoting White Ribbon Day in the City of Salem.”

“As a man working in the domestic violence movement, and as an ally to survivors in my life, the White Ribbon Day Campaign is personal and inspiring to me,” said HAWC Executive Director Anthony DiPietro. “I am proud of HAWC’s history of supporting the campaign. White Ribbon Day highlights the fact that domestic violence hurts all of us – it’s a community issue. The opportunity for men and boys to be involved in this movement is incredibly powerful.”

“Jane Doe Inc. is excited to have the support of Mayor Kim Driscoll and the City of Salem for our Massachusetts White Ribbon Day  Campaign,” said Campaign Coordinator Craig Norberg-Bohm. “HAWC and the Salem No Place for Hate Committee’s plan to distribute 1,000 white ribbon pins to Salem residents is a fantastic way to raise awareness for our campaign to end violence against women among men. HAWC particularly serves as a vital resource for the victims and prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault on the North Shore, and we are proud to have them and the Salem No Place for Hate Committee as local affiliates of this growing statewide campaign.” 

The Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign was launched by Jane Doe Inc. in 2008 and is connected with an international campaign called “The White RibbonCampaign.” The White Ribbon Campaign was created by a group of Canadian men in 1991 on the second anniversary of one man’s massacre of fourteen women in Montreal. Since then, the campaign has gone global in over 60 countries and continues to grow. The approach is one of celebrating positive masculinity, inviting men and boys to be leaders to help end violence against women, and encouraging men and boys to contribute to a solution in any number of ways. 

More information on the Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign is available at http://whiteribbonday.janedoe.org.