On Wednesday, October 25, 2006, at 7:00 p.m. in St. Clair Park, the sounds of drums and shakers could be heard from the seats of the Robert Shaw Amphitheater. Students, local organizations and members of the community gathered to participate in the Central Westmoreland Unity Coalition’s annual Unity Rally.
Created in 1997 in response to a Ku Klux Klan rally held at the Westmoreland County Courthouse, the Unity Rally has beem held each year with different themes.
By Evan Reynolds,
Online Editor
On Wednesday, October 25, 2006, at 7:00 p.m. in St. Clair Park, the sounds of drums and shakers could be heard from the seats of the Robert Shaw Amphitheater. Students, local organizations and members of the community gathered to participate in the Central Westmoreland Unity Coalition’s annual Unity Rally.
Created in 1997 in response to a Ku Klux Klan rally held at the Westmoreland County Courthouse, the Unity Rally has beem held each year with different themes.
�I wish more people would come,� Sarah Perman, a founding member of the Central Westmoreland Unity coalition, said.
Norma Skillings, a Greensburg YWCA board member and member of the Greensburg/Jeannette NAACP board, said, �In spite of the numbers, I think it’s heartwarming to see people came out.�
Perman consulted with other organizations within and outside of the community in 1997 to find ways to address the issue of diversity and discrimination.
According to Perman, most of the communities she consulted suggested an �alternative rally,� which became the annual Unity Rally.
Since then, more organizations have participated in the Unity Rally, such as the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Bonnie Lewis, director of the Greensburg YWCA, said, �The group has always been embracive of all forms of diversity.�
�We felt (addressing) racism wasn’tenough,� she said.
Many organizations that were not present helped with the Unity Rally, such as the Greensburg-Salem School District, which made banners for the event.
�It involved the people that were here, but it touched many more lives,� Lewis said.
Accoring to Lewis, the Unity Rally has had �very good support from local universities.�
Among the people present from Seton Hill University (SHU) were the university’s resident assistants (RA) and Sr. Lois Sculco’s “Senior Seminar” class.
“This year was more interactive,” said Alison Reppert, a SHU resident teaching assistant for Havey Hall.
According to Reppert, this Unity Rally was different because it “got the audience involved.”
Caitlin Callahan, a SHU senior, disagreed.
“I thought the Unity Rally could have been a little more interactive as I’ve heard it has in past years,” she said.
“But I think it was nice how the community can get together,” Callahan said.
The rally included a drum circle in which members of the audience were called to participate. Children and adults filled the circle.
The Greensburg/Jeannette NAACP Youth Choir performed for the rally.
Gabrielle Skillings, a member of the choir, said, �I felt pretty comfortable about it (performing for the rally).�
Lewis said, �We always see different faces.�
Katie Ward, a senior,who was chosen to join the drum circle, said, “It made me mad that I hadn’t went in years before.”
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