Anti-Racism Efforts in Carlisle: Difference between revisions
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According to Margaret Anderson and Patricia Hill Collins in '''Race, Class, and Gender''', "to ignore the significance of race in a society where racial groups have distinct historical and contemporary experiences is to deny the reality of their group experience" (AHC 82). The Carlisle | According to Margaret Anderson and Patricia Hill Collins in '''Race, Class, and Gender''', "to ignore the significance of race in a society where racial groups have distinct historical and contemporary experiences is to deny the reality of their group experience" (AHC 82). The Carlisle community is made up of many different races and ethnicities, many of whom have experienced prejudice and discrimination. Instead of ignoring their situation, many members of the Carlisle area have joined together to identify the significance of race and combat these issues. | ||
The Carlisle community has come a long way since September 2000, when members of the Ku Klux Klan demonstrated on the Cumberland County Courthouse steps. The [[Unity Celebration and Amani Festival|Unity Celebration]] held at Dickinson College drew about 3,000 people and from there the [[NAACP | local NAACP chapter]] was born. [http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2005/07/16/news/news03.txt Read about it in the Sentinel.] | The Carlisle community has come a long way since September 2000, when members of the Ku Klux Klan demonstrated on the Cumberland County Courthouse steps. The [[Unity Celebration and Amani Festival|Unity Celebration]] held at Dickinson College drew about 3,000 people and from there the [[NAACP | local NAACP chapter]] was born. [http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2005/07/16/news/news03.txt Read about it in the Sentinel.] | ||
Revision as of 17:50, 11 May 2006
Get Involved | Conclusion | Sources
A Brief History of Racism in Carlisle
| Carlisle Indian Industrial School: The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was founded in 1879 by U.S. Army Officer Richard Henry Pratt, with the goal of educating young American Indians about the white culture in America. Many of the students were taken against their will and brought to Carlisle, miles away from anything they new. The students would be forced to change their names and to reject their culture, far away from their homes and families. Read about it in Central PA Magazine, at The Carlisle Indian Industrial School Research Project, or at The Historical Society Web Page. |
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Ku Klux Klan: A Venango County-based branch of the KKK planned a "white rights rally" to be held in Carlisle in September 2000. Read President Durden's Statement about the events. |
| Westboro Baptist Church (Topeka, Kansas): This hate group is "dedicated to preaching the Gospel truth about the soul-damning, nation-destroying notion that 'It is OK to be gay.'" Under the leadership of Pastor Fred Phelps, Westboro threatened to hold a rally in Carlisle in 2005 to protest Carlisle High School's Gay-Straight Alliance. Read about the Westboro Baptist Church at their website. |
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At the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, students often tend to feel a lack of connection with the community. Recently, when students felt that they were victims of racism, they were unaware of the resources available in the community. On February 2, 2005, the law students called a town meeting to discuss the issues at hand.
Brief History of Racism in Central Pennsylvania
Community Response
"The Carlisle community responds when there is an outside threat, but the next big step is being proactive."
--Shalom Staub, Ph.D., Academic Affairs Fellow, Dickinson College
According to Margaret Anderson and Patricia Hill Collins in Race, Class, and Gender, "to ignore the significance of race in a society where racial groups have distinct historical and contemporary experiences is to deny the reality of their group experience" (AHC 82). The Carlisle community is made up of many different races and ethnicities, many of whom have experienced prejudice and discrimination. Instead of ignoring their situation, many members of the Carlisle area have joined together to identify the significance of race and combat these issues.
The Carlisle community has come a long way since September 2000, when members of the Ku Klux Klan demonstrated on the Cumberland County Courthouse steps. The Unity Celebration held at Dickinson College drew about 3,000 people and from there the local NAACP chapter was born. Read about it in the Sentinel.
In December 2004, the community was again faced with the threat of intolerance when a homophobic hate group led by Fred Phelps planned to visit Carlisle to protest the Gay-Straight Alliance at Carlisle Regional High School. Dickinson College hosted a rally much like the Unity Celebration to show its support for the club and for LGBT individuals and their allies in the community. Read about it on the Dickinson College website.
Following Penn State Dickinson School of Law’s Town Meeting on February 2, 2005, YWCA Carlisle created a community event to “Continue the Commitment to Eliminate Racism.”
