Fusing Art and History at ArtFusion

Blogger's Note: Once again, we present information provided by John Armato, information czar of the Pottstown School District.

ArtFusion 19464, formerly The Gallery School of Pottstown, helped to bring history alive for over 500 Pottstown School District fourth graders and middle school students by hosting field trips to the gallery’s exhibit “Threads of a Story: Continued.” 

The exhibit features work of artist Charlotta Janssen. Her body of work was inspired by the Freedom Riders and Bus Boycotters of the 50’s and 60’s. 

Threads evolved as a way to visually thank participants of the civil rights movement for their work and dedication that made the moment possible. The artist’s goals to transport the viewer back to this moment in time to create a living history and bring awareness to a collective conscientiousness where segregation seemed normal and fighting it was a daunting task. 

Erika Hornburg-Cooper, Executive Director of ArtFusion, explained, “We are proud to be able to display this beautiful expression of art which helps to explain a very significant time in the history of our country. Sharing this with students allows us to play an active role in developing a conscientiousness and awareness of citizenship.”

The field trip began with an age-appropriate historical talk on the civil rights movement. (For example, younger students had read to them a story about Ruby Bridges and discussed how the struggle for civil rights affected children who were close to the same age they are now, and older students were introduced to Strange Fruit, written by Abel Meerople and sung by Billie Holiday.) A student secretary took notes, keeping track of the issues and questions they discuss.

This interactive discussion provided a backdrop for the artwork the students came to see. 

Part of the talk included the students boarding an imaginary bus for a virtual Freedom Ride to the south. A facilitator engaged the students in conversation about the people portrayed in the artwork, both the famous like Rosa Parks and also the everyday heroes who are not so well known.

After the gallery and historical talks were finished, students were split into two groups. 

One group watched a video of the artist as she paints and then participated in an art project themselves. The second group remained on the gallery and worked on a scavenger hunt. 

The purpose of the scavenger hunt was to get the students to take a close look at the artwork and learn more about the people represented in the portraits.

Before students left they were encouraged to talk to their friends and family and ask about memories and stories they may have about the time. 

Lincoln Elementary Principal Treena Ferguson noted, “Our students had an opportunity today to see living history and develop an understanding for the sacrifices that many people made in order for the people of our country to share equally in our freedoms.” 

After taking the tour School Board member Mary-Beth Bacalloao wrote; “The content you provided to the Rupert students during the field trip I attended was compelling and really held the kids' interest. Ruby's story, the scavenger hunt and your very animated "trip" on the Freedom Riders virtual bus was right on the kids' level and I could tell they were engaged from the minute I joined the trip. 

Rupert teacher Allen Ferster said, “ I can't remember a field trip having that much of an impact on an entire class. When we returned to the building, all the students wanted to talk about was either the art, or the civil rights movement and the Freedom Riders. I can safely say that thanks to your hospitality, both my class and I received more information in a two hour period than we could have ever learned from clips, articles, and the reading textbook. Once again thank you for allowing us to come visit and see such a wonderful display.”

A Reminder of What Progress Looks Like

AP Photo

John Lewis reminds us that he was beaten to over-turn
unjust laws like those that asked blacks to pay poll taxes
or pass tests in order to vote. Then he raised the question,
are voter ID laws all that  different?

Civil rights icon and Georgia Congressman John Lewis spoke to the Democratic National Convention Thursday, prior to the president.

He talked about how this country  has progressed from his brutal experiences as a Freedom Rider, to having a black man as president.

Then, in a depressing development, he highlighted our Commonwealth as a place where that progress is being rolled back with Voter ID laws.

He even cited the unusually frank comments made by Mike Turzai, PA House Majority Leader, who said the passage of the law would allow Mitt Romney to win Pennsylvania.

It was not Pennsylvania's proudest day.

Below is the text of his speech as it was prepared for delivery:

I first came to this city in 1961, the year Barack Obama was born. I was one of the 13 original "Freedom Riders." We were on a bus ride from Washington to New Orleans trying to test a recent Supreme Court ruling that banned racial discrimination on buses crossing state lines and in the stations that served them. Here in Charlotte, a young African-American rider got off the bus and tried to get a shoe shine in a so-called white waiting room. He was arrested and taken to jail.

John Lewis as a Freedom Rider put his life on the
line for an equal chance to vote. Can we really
turn our back on that legacy?

On that same day, we continued on to Rock Hill, South Carolina, about 25 miles. From here, when my seatmate, Albert Bigelow, and I tried to enter a white waiting room, we were met by an angry mob that beat us and left us lying in a pool of blood. Some police officers came up and asked us whether we wanted to press charges. We said, "No, we come in peace, love and nonviolence." We said our struggle was not against individuals, but against unjust laws and customs. Our goal was true freedom for every American.

This is what John Lewis and other Freedom Riders faced
when they tried to ensure equal ballot access for all.

Since then, America has made a lot of progress. We are a different society than we were in 1961. And in 2008, we showed the world the true promise of America when we elected President Barack Obama. A few years ago, a man from Rock Hill, inspired by President Obama's election, decided to come forward. He came to my office in Washington and said, "I am one of the people who beat you. I want to apologize. Will you forgive me?" I said, "I accept your apology." He started crying. He gave me a hug. I hugged him back, and we both started crying. This man and I don't want to go back; we want to move forward.

Brothers and sisters, do you want to go back? Or do you want to keep America moving forward? My dear friends, your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union. Not too long ago, people stood in unmovable lines. They had to pass a so-called literacy test, pay a poll tax. On one occasion, a man was asked to count the number of bubbles in a bar of soap. On another occasion, one was asked to count the jelly beans in a jar—all to keep them from casting their ballots.

Mike Turzai told the truth when he said PA's voter ID
law was passed so Mitt Romney would win the state.

Today it is unbelievable that there are Republican officials still trying to stop some people from voting. They are changing the rules, cutting polling hours and imposing requirements intended to suppress the vote. The Republican leader in the Pennsylvania House even bragged that his state's new voter ID law is "gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state." That's not right. That's not fair. That's not just.

And similar efforts have been made in Texas, Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia and South Carolina. I've seen this before. I've lived this before. Too many people struggled, suffered and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.

And we have come too far together to ever turn back. So we must not be silent. We must stand up, speak up and speak out. We must march to the polls like never before. We must come together and exercise our sacred right. And together, on November 6, we will re-elect the man who will lead America forward: President Barack Obama.