Today is International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. It marks the anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Óscar Romero on March 24, 1980 who fought for the rights of Salvadoreans whose rights were violently repressed by the government of El Salvador.
Today, we still find ourselves fighting for the rights of vulnerable populations and people who speak truth to power, both here in the United States and across the world, including in El Salvador.
That is why today, the University of Washington Center for Human Rights launched a new project telling the story of Efraín Arevalo Ibarra, an educator, union leader, and father who fought for human rights in El Salvador until his disappearance in 1977.
It is a powerful story from our recent past, and one that agonizingly remains relevant today. The release of this story was delayed by the Center’s work to document conditions at the Northwest Detention Center, ICE deportation flights in Washington State, and Washington State’s information sharing with federal immigration enforcement.
This project brought together artists, writers, researchers, and the family of Efraín to tell his story and the search for truth about what happened to him. It was an absolute joy and honor to help produce this story for the web, helping tell the story of Efraín, his family, and the countless people searching for truth and justice.
The final result—an example of “scrolly-telling” like the New York Times’ famous Snow Fall article—brings together beautiful illustrations, audio clips, documents received through FOIA requests, family photos, and animations to draw readers into the story.
Screenshots don’t do it justice, so I just encourage you to check it out and learn the truth of what happened to him and how his family who carries his memory on.
