Salvation Army follows up #thedress tweet with another powerful image

Just when you thought you couldn’t handle another mention of the dress, The Salvation Army in South Africa repurposes it for a good cause.

Earlier this morning they tweeted out the following:

Why is it so hard to see black and blue? One in 6 women are victims of abuse.#StopAbuseAgainstWomenpic.twitter.com/FgDdKdsMMb

— TheSalvationArmySA (@SASalvationArmy) March 6, 2015

Got your attention? Good, that’s the point. While I initially found it distasteful to use a meme to spread awareness about domestic violence, I’m now actually convinced it was a pretty smart idea. After all, you can’t spread awareness if no one’s listening. What better way to make people listen than to use this month’s most viral story.

Now people aren’t just listening, they’re talking. The original tweet currently has over 6400 shares — and that’s just the original tweet, not all the people who’ve shared it on their own on social media as well as the old-fashioned way, aloud.

Salvation Army followed up that tweet with this one:

Salvation Army

Why is it so hard to see black&blue?#TheDress#StopAbuseAgainstWomen#TheDressIsBlueAndBlack#TheDressIsWhiteAndGoldpic.twitter.com/CJGvXne3Hw

— TheSalvationArmySA (@SASalvationArmy) March 6, 2015

What should you take away from all this? That violence against women is not just real, but really underreported. One in six! While we all can’t swoop in and save someone, we can all be more aware. It’s as easy as paying attention to the people around us.

As someone who walked around New York City last year with a black eye (from a random assault) and barely got questioned about it, I know firsthand how easy it for people to walk by and not say a word. If you open your eyes, like really open your eyes, you’ll see people who need help. And if you take the time to educate yourself about the issue, you’ll actually be in a place where you can help.

More on violence

Confronting a friend when you suspect domestic violence — read this first
Meredith Vieira reveals #whyshestayed
Yes, domestic violence can happen to anyone — even lesbians