This curation explores writings from various women that experienced domestic violence and sexual assault during Feminism’s Second Wave. More specifically, writings, including numerous poems, from periodicals published in the 1970s are featured in efforts to amplify the voices of women that were abused during this time. For instance, June Jordan’s “Poem About My Rights” exemplifies the struggles that women faced in expressing the abuse they had endured. Specific references are made to poems and excerpts from periodicals, such as Everywoman and Women: A Journal of Liberation, in order to encourage the idea that every reader of this curation knows a victim of abuse. Assorted images are included within the curation, with a specific image of a woman breaking free from chains, which symbolizes the capability of writing to allow for the expression of emotions. This collection of writings and images encapsulates the prolonged desire for women to articulate their emotions regarding abuse, and epitomizes the idea that the controlling hands of men must be dismantled.
-Pat Klugman