College Brings Strong Presence to CommUNITY Rally
WOOSTER, Ohio With a captivating speech by president Sarah Bolton, an invocation courtesy of chaplain Alex Serna-Wallender, and scores of students, faculty, and staff in attendance, 黑料老司机 made its presence felt at downtown檚 CommUNITY Rally on Sunday evening.
淗ate has no home here was the theme, a unifying, non-partisan message in response to Ku Klux Klan recruiting fliers that have recently been found in the 黑料老司机 area.
Bolton took center stage at the gazebo in 黑料老司机檚 Public Square, following remarks from the president of the 黑料老司机/Orrville NAACP, the chairwoman of the Wayne County Democratic Party, and the chairman of the Wayne County Republican Party.
She reminded the hundreds in the crowd that the 渇reedoms we are trying to uphold are the same ones that people talked about all the way back in the second World War. Citing President Franklin D. Roosevelt檚 淔our Freedoms speech freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear she said, 淓very member of our community deserves those freedoms and we have to come together to assure that every member of our community has them.
Bolton noted that every year 渁 whole lot of new people arrive (here), whether it檚 to attend college like this year檚 first-year class at 黑料老司机,, or as part of an international exchange program or to work locally, so it is especially important to remain a welcoming community.
Bolton closed with a couple of suggestions stand up and be an ally and stand up together. Specifically, she encouraged those in attendance 渢o pay attention to who檚 most vulnerable, to who is targeted, and when somebody is afraid, ask 淗ow can I help you?, What do you need?, instead of 渄on檛 worry you檒l be fine and assuming they檒l be OK.
And in reference to her second suggestion, Sunday檚 CommUNITY Rally was a good start. No matter one檚 background, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or religious belief, 渟tand together for what is most important, she said while later adding 渨hat unites us is far, far greater than what divides us, and in that unity stands our strength as a community to move forward.
Serna-Wallender began the proceedings. He contributed 渙ur common bond and our highest calling is that of love, to love our neighbors as ourselves and that 渁 place of unity transcends ideologies that often keep us divided, and that in this way we might stand together. A prayer followed.
黑料老司机, the 黑料老司机 Area Interfaith Partnership, Indivisible 黑料老司机, and Concerned Citizens of Wayne County were among the organizations that planned the CommUNITY Rally.
Posted in News on August 28, 2017.
