|
Pittsburgh's Community Voices
A diverse group of individuals, community members, and leaders of
organizations are part of the museum’s Without
Sanctuary Community Advisory Committee. Established earlier this year to assist the museum in its
presentation of this exhibition and related programming, the committee will explore the issues of the exhibition in a
wider context, and in ways which can make a meaningful contribution to the
dialogue on race relations in Pittsburgh.
Here are some of the committee members' thoughts on the exhibition
and its presentation in Pittsburgh at the museum:
I have seen pictures of lynchings before, but what is profoundly
disturbing about these images is that they are in postcard form, as if they
were entertainment or advertisements that would be sent to friends and
family. What is also so tragic is that these cards were not from the South
alone but from mid-western and other states, and some are recent. Some of
these lynchings happened during the 1930s and even later, during the
lifetime of many of us and our parents. They are a warning of the extremes,
even the depravity that can occur in any society…let us be mindful of our
actions today!
--Esther L. Bush
President and CEO
The Urban League of Pittsburgh
I firmly believe that the arts and arts organizations - both visual
and performing - can and should challenge their audiences. And from these
experiences, hopefully, we learn and grow. Without Sanctuary promises to do just that – challenge its
viewers. These photographs are disturbing, even jarring, but this is an
extremely important exhibit. It reminds us of some of the darkest moments
in our nation’s history and helps us keep current events in perspective.
--Pam Golden, Director of Community
Affairs The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
The most pressing issue facing American cities in general, and
Pittsburgh in particular, is racial division. Recent local and national episodes point out that the reality
underneath the facade of "getting along" is a ticking time bomb
waiting to explode. The answer is
reconciliation. This begins with
facing the truth, owning responsibility, seeking forgiveness, and restoring
friendship. The Without Sanctuary exhibition helps us
to face the truth. And it
hurts. May God cause the process to
lead to restored friendship.
--Saleem
Ghubril, Executive Director
The Pittsburgh Project
Exhibits such as Without Sanctuary afford everyday people the opportunity to
discuss a highly charged topic such as race in a safe and non-threatening
atmosphere. It takes the individual
out of their comfort zone but without blame. It promotes thoughtful and sometimes painful discernment
about how the present and the future are extensions of the past. In sincerely acknowledging the horrors
of past injustices, we are open to the reality of making the practice of
America match the creed of America.
--Betty Pickett,
Executive Director (Western Pennsylvania)
National Conference for Community and Justice
This exhibit forces us to acknowledge the brutal
consequences of hatred and ignorance. We cannot relegate this exhibit to
the mere historical, but look at it and understand it from the contextual perspective of today.
Then, we must ask ourselves and each other “what can we do to end
this?” To that question we must
respond, as individuals and as a community.
--Emily Aubele, Assistant Director,
Residence Life, University of
Pittsburgh
The YWCA
Center for Race Relations is committed to the elimination of racism through
systemic change. Partnering with The Andy Warhol Museum to prepare and
educate the community about racism, as manifested in the images of Without Sanctuary, is a challenging
opportunity. In collaboration with the Warhol, we hope to help adults and
youth unlearn the misinformation and untruths that history so often
reinforces.
--Diane Hernon Chavis, Director
YWCA Center for Race Relations and Anti-Racism
Training.
Hate Crimes in Pennsylvania Today
Public acts of hate are still very much present in Pennylvania's
communities. An increasing number of communities are impacted by hate
crimes, and by organized hate groups and their message on web sites.
Pennsylvania’s statistics reveal that hate crimes are committed most
often by what law enforcement calls the “reactive offender,” most often a
white man who does not have a criminal record and is not a member of an
organized hate group, but who believes his way of life is threatened,
particularly by demographic change. His crime is intended to send a message
that will repel “outsiders” from his neighborhood, workplace or
school. These crimes increasingly
occur in and around the victim’s home.
Every year an increasing proportion of hate crime victims and
perpetrators are young. Nationwide the majority of victims and perpetrators
is between the ages of 11 – 20. In Pennsylvania, from 1993-1998, 62% of
offenders were in this age group, even though that age group made up only
13.5 % of the state’s population.
Hate crimes are most likely to occur, and hate groups are best able
to take hold, in communities where:
·
There is a fear and
hostility about changing demographics
·
There are pockets
of people struggling economically
·
There are major changes
occurring over which people feel they have no control
·
The community is
not attending to the needs of alienated young people
·
Everyday people are
separated based on race, religion, ancestry, economics, sexual orientation
or politics
·
Community leaders
fail to publicly address the negatives of prejudice and the positives of
becoming a more diverse community
·
Everyday people
remain silent in the presence of bigotry
Pennsylvania’s hate crime law is called the Ethnic Intimidation and
Institutional Vandalism Act, and it provides more serious penalties for
certain criminal acts that have been motivated by hate toward the victim’s
race, color, religion or national origin. The Pennsylvania Legislature is
currently being lobbied to add sexual orientation, handicapped disability
and gender to the hate crimes law.
Our state is also considerably impacted by “Bias Incidents,” which
include tension among everyday people sparked by racism, anti-Semitism,
homophobia and other forms of bigotry toward “outsiders.” Groups like the Ku Klux Klan seek out
and feed off of such tensions, and have been steadily increasing all across
the country since the mid 1980s. They regularly hold public rallies,
distribute hate literature and focus recruitment on youth. While those acts
are often protected under the First Amendment, they still cause serious
community tension and can provide people with the rationale to hate and to
harm others.
If you witness or experience a hate crime or bias incident we urge
you to inform both police and the state and city Human Relations
Commissions. Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Pittsburgh Region
(412. 565.2145) and Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations (412. 255.
2600).
--Ann Van Dyke
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
Without
Sanctuary
Call now to reserve your copy of Without
Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America,. This collection of almost 100 photographs records the
lynching of 4,742 blacks between 1882 and 1968 and is a testament to the
camera’s ability to make us remember what we often choose to forget. The book is $60 and can be reserved by
calling The Warhol Store at 412.237.8303 or by ordering online at http://www.warholstore.org/.
|
