Domestic Violence Roundtable's Purple Lights Campaign

Why are those buildings purple? Purple, it is said, is the color of courage, survival, honor, and hope. It is also the color recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which takes place each October. During this month, domestic violence service providers use the color purple to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence and the 3 to 4 women and girls who are murdered each day in our country within intimate relationships.

Some people in witness and protest wear purple clothing, attach a purple pin, or tie a purple ribbon around a tree. For the past several years, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable, in collaboration with the Lauren Dunne-Astley Memorial Fund, and First Parish in Wayland, have chosen to light the towns of Sudbury and Wayland in purple. They have lit numerous faith and public buildings in Sudbury and Wayland and have posted banners and signs in all three communities. Some of you may have seen them.

These are beautiful and dramatic displays that both honor those lost to domestic violence and bring awareness to the community that domestic violence has no borders. We want to do that again this year, bigger, brighter, and more powerful than ever.

We invite local businesses to join in by adding their own purple lights. Homeowners may also take part by installing purple bulbs in their door and porch lights and their lamp posts. An effective 4.5 watt Feit purple LED Electric bulb is available inexpensively and locally at Ace Hardware in Wayland and Aubuchon Hardware in Sudbury. Let’s light up our towns and stand with survivors of domestic violence and their families!