One Dress, One Vision, Five Days

Junior League of Knoxville Seeks to Help End Domestic Violence

The Junior League of Knoxville (JLK) will hold its eighth annual Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI), an awareness and fundraising campaign surrounding the issue of domestic violence. LBDI is a week-long endeavor from October 21st – 25th, 2024, during which time participants wear one black dress for five consecutive days, illustrating the impact of limited resources, time, and opportunities on many victims of domestic violence.  The campaign sparks conversations about domestic violence prevention, spreads awareness, and raises funds to support partnering organizations that directly assist victims of such crimes. The LBDI campaign originated in London, UK, and since its inception, has been adopted across over 80 different Junior Leagues in North America.

Little Black Dress Initiative fundraising event schedule:

• Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 6:00PM: Little Black Dress Initiative Kick Off at Rothschild’s, 8807 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37923
• Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6:00PM:  Sip, Shop, and Spa-lax at Sanctuary Day Spa and Boutique, 9700 Kingston Pike #19, Knoxville, TN 37922
• Sunday, Oct. 20 from 1:45 – 2:45 PM: CYCLEBAR Spin Class, 5444 Homberg Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919
• Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 8:00PM: Tasting Tour at the Oak Room, 109 W. Anderson Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917
• Monday, Oct 21- Friday, Oct. 25: Little Black Dress Initiative Week 
• Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 6:30 PM: Witches Ride for Awareness, Sevier Avenue
• Wednesday, Oct 30 from 6:00-9:00 PM: Pint Night, Hi-Wire Brewing Company, 2020 Barber Street, Knoxville, TN 37920 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, a fitting time for this week-long campaign. Wearing one single outfit for an entire week will highlight the effects that domestic violence can play on a person’s quality of life. If a victim decides to leave her/his abusive partner, oftentimes she/he will be forced to flee at a moment’s notice, with no resources or support, with only the clothes on her/his back.

In the United States, roughly 32 people per minute experience physical violence inflicted by their intimate partner. That amounts to 16 million victims of domestic violence per year. One in two women and every two in five men experience severe intimate partner physical violence. As of 2017, Tennessee was ranked 4th in the country for the rate at which men kill women in domestic-related homicides. The statistics for Knox Country are staggering as well, with over 2,000 orders of protection filed in 2018.  Also in 2017, 70% of the almost 20,000 calls made to 911 were related to domestic violence.

The funds raised in the LBDI campaign enable the JLK to deliver on its mission of promoting voluntary service, developing the potential of women and improving the community. The Junior League of Knoxville’s nonprofit partners on the issue of domestic violence include: the McNabb Center, the Knoxville Family Justice Center, Joy D. Baker Center, Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, and YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley.

Throughout the “Little Black Dress Week” from Oct. 21-25, participants harness the power of social media to increase awareness and raise funds by sharing domestic violence statistics and posting “selfies” while wearing the LBDI button on their black dress.

This year we have created t-shirts for our members and participants to wear throughout the month to promote awareness.  Proceeds from our shirt sales go directly to the LBDI fundraising initiative.

Support the Little Black Dress Initiative by donating to: https://knoxville.jl.org/support-us/ Follow the campaign on JLK’s Facebook (@jlknoxville), X (@JLofKnoxville), and Instagram (@JLofKnoxville) as well as using the hashtags #JLKnox #JuniorLeague #LittleBlackDressInitiative #EndDomesticViolence