Today is Orange Day!
Wrong orange!
No, not the national day to eat oranges.
The 25th day of every month has been designated by the UN and their UNiTe campaign as Orange Day, a day to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls. On every 25th, people all around the world rally around women. And often, that involves music.
So today, August 25th, we are joining the effort by offering a free sneak-peak listen to a song that tells one woman’s story of fighting back, courtesy of singer/songwriter, educator, and activist Elizabeth Erin Kemler. Elizabeth is an intrepid storyteller, equally passionate about effecting social change as she is about crafting engaging songs. On her recently released album, The Weight of Mortal Skin, she traverses the rocky terrain of the human heart through a luscious blend of country, folk, and roots—telling stories of anguish and aching, revelation and deliverance, with unwavering emotional intensity.
Elizabeth tells us about her song, Lorna:
Lorna was inspired by the documentary Sin by Silence, which shares the story of a group of women in California who have been imprisoned for killing their abusers. I was stunned to learn that an estimated 93% of incarcerated women in CA (67% in NY) are there for that very reason. In every one of these cases you could see that this was an absolute last resort for these women--and the result was life in prison. Unlike these women however, Lorna gets a second chance.
Listen to Lorna here.
And then, if you're moved, you could take an action. The UN has these suggestions:
Organize an Orange Charity 5K Run, a Zumba-thon or a charity soccer game. Partner with your local sports club and request pledges based on distance and time! (maybe a little late for this – but next month!)
Volunteer your skills! Reach out to a local organization in your community that addresses the issue of violence against women and girls affected by crisis, or check out online opportunities offered by many organizations, such as the International Red Cross or catchafire.org, to support their work in the field.
Help us raise awareness about the specific needs of women and girls in humanitarian crises. Share our sample social media messages and write or tweet your country’s leader and ask them to commit to humanitarian action that includes women and girls!
I suggest you share this blog post and this song! And keep women facing these huge challenges in your heart...
LORNA
Lorna stepped into the light
Ten years to the day since the bars came down
Sweet breath, the air so clean
It was the finest day she’d ever seen
He’d been a smooth talking boy, came in the August swell
She longed to own what he had to sell
Saw those eyes so filled with pain
And swore he’d never spend a lonely day again…still she pleads
Save me from this burning need to lick your wounds boy while you watch me bleed
Someone save me, please..
He laid down the law tried to set her straight
She never knew love could be so filled with hate
His words like bullets, his fists grew mean
She fired that gun at her chance for freedom, still she pleads…
Save me from this burning need to lick your wounds boy while you watch me bleed
C’mon save me from this burning need to lick your wounds boy while you watch me bleed
I know what it looks like from the outside
But you gotta figure something went wrong, long before that day
You don’t know what I was handed, don’t know where I’ve been
And you don’t know what it’s been like living in this skin
She walks with purpose now she never had
Sees straight through to both the good and bad
Her bags are heavy but her heart is light
Cause she’s finally learned how to treat herself right, no more pleas to..
Save me from this burning need, to lick your wounds boy while you watch me bleed
No more saving from this burning need to lick your wounds boy while you watch me bleed
Lorna stepped into the light…took a deep breath of freedom