HALT THE ASSAULT ~ RIBBON AT THE MIC

SPOKEN WORD EVENT FEATURING MEN AT THE MIC 

SET TO ADDRESS #METOO EPIDEMIC AT RIVERSIDE ARTSWALK 

Riverside - Women Wonder Writers (WWW) announces its second annual HALT THE ASSAULT, a spoken word event by the community for our girls, will take place April 4, 2019 from 7-8:30 p.m. during Riverside Artswalk in partnership with Daughters Lives Matter, Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, and Inlandia Institute. 

As part of its campaign during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, WWW is committed to securing 1,000 RIBBONS AT THE MIC.  Each ribbon is just $10/pledge.  A sea of teal colored ribbons representing each donor's $10 pledge will line the podium as spoken word artists take the stage bringing awareness to sexual assault against young women.  All proceeds benefit The Write of Your L!fe, a literary arts curriculum designed to build resiliency in youth faced with trauma.

WWW Co-founder Executive Director Debra Máres stated, "Halt the Assault is a community event designed to give men an opportunity to express and empower our girls in light of the Me Too epidemic.  It's important for us to promote restorative justice and resiliency in our communities and we recognize men are part of the solution.  They have sisters, girlfriends, mothers, grandmothers, wives, daughters, aunts, friends and coworkers that they deeply care about. Men are equally horrified about the abuses against girls and women coming to light, but were also unaware of the extent to which disparities still exist. These issues, including equality, justice and safety, impact all of us as a society; we're all in this together.  We're grateful to partner with leaders in the literary arts and social movements to make this event happen."  

Inlandia Institute is a nonprofit literary agency recognizing, supporting and expanding literary activity in all of its forms in the Inland Empire by publishing books and sponsoring programs that deepen people's awareness, understanding, and appreciation of this unique, complex and creatively vibrant region.

Daughters Lives Matter is a social movement across the nation advocating the importance of building "healthy" father/daughter relationships in order to provide for girls' and women's education attainment, victimization prevention and poverty avoidance.

Founded in 1973, the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, a non-profit organization, has been a visible presence and resource for the victims of sexual assault and their families during a particularly traumatic time in their lives.  Over the years, the Center’s service areas, program staff, and volunteer base have expanded to better meet the needs of the communities we serve throughout Western Riverside County.  The services of the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center are provided free of charge. 

Founded in 2011 by three women working in the criminal justice system, Women Wonder Writers (WWW), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, builds resiliency in youth, schools and communities through its cultural arts events and programs, including The Write of Your L!fe, a proven curriculum to help girls ages 14-17 safely express, overcome and grow. 

Halt the Assault will take place on Thursday, April 4, 2019  from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. during Inlandia's Literature on the Lawn Event in front of the Riverside Public Library, located at 3581 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, California 92501. Attendance is free and open to the public.  For more information, to become a sponsor, or participate as a spoken word poet, or enter the poetry and art contest, visit https://womenwonderwriters.com/spoken-word-event-contest