Campus Life

Heard on Campus: Joann Bland at the Forum

"We live in a world that has caused pain for lots of people, either because of the color of their skin or the accent in their voice, or simply because they don't live in the right neighborhood. When is it going to stop? It has to stop with us. I've dedicated my life to making sure that no child has to experience the things I experienced when I was younger. I know I've been damaged -- without a doubt -- but I've come a long, long way, too ... I want the pain to stop right now, not later, not after we go and compromise on how we're going to make it stop. It needs to stop immediately. I've experienced that pain. I know how it feels; I don't want anybody to feel like that. I don't care who you are. Nobody should feel like that."

-- Joann Bland, director of the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, who concluded Penn State's Faculty/Staff Club Forum series for 2005-2006 with "A Walk in History" on Monday, April 17, on the University Park campus. Bland is co-founder and director of the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma, Ala., where she works to promote civil and human rights, and in particular seeks to increase voter awareness. Planning for the 2006-2007 Forum series is currently under way. To learn more, visit http://www.psu.edu/dept/fsc/Penn_State_Forum/Penn_State_Forum.htm online.

Credit: Julie A. Brink / Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated November 18, 2010

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