ROBB CENTRE NEWS GEORGE S. ROBB CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF THE GREAT WAR AT PARK UNIVERSITY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Statement on Social Justice The purest characterization of social justice resides in the belief of fairness and impartiality between the individual and society. Though social justice commonly examines a multiplicity of societal factions (e.g., geographical, economic, sociological, political, and cultural) within a framework of just versus unjust, the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at Park University repeatedly uncovers the unrelenting malice of sociological-cultural racism and antisemitism of the early twentieth-century, which is tied to a longer history.
abandon their recent freedom from stereotyping for survival in the Jim Crow South or ‘Uncivilized’ West, where contributions to the War and larger society lacked credence in the eyes of their neighbors. However, there remains a national obligation to ensure that all who served are judged not only by their character, but also by their actions. Regardless of the final outcome—the potential nomination and awarding of the Medal of Honor—the George S. Robb Centre’s greatest responsibility is to tell the stories of veterans who have been ignored, diminished, and cheated by their military service for over a century. Our fight for social justice on behalf of these men stands on the ideal that their strains for fairness— no matter how harsh or painful to recount—deserve examination in the most candid light. As a nation, we are strengthened and healed by addressing these slights to our
Tasked with the profound charge of narrating the lives and
veterans' memories and their families. Allowing a historical
actions of servicemembers of African American, Asian
narrative to remain that exaggerates the good and ignores the
American, Hispanic American, Jewish American, and Native
bad is no longer acceptable; we can be better today and in the
American background, the Robb Centre Team regularly
future for having taken action. Therefore, the Robb Centre
observes acts of bigotry and deceitfulness. On or off the
Team is committed to giving a voice to those who were not
battlefield, those who proved they could break from their race’s
allowed one and amplifying those who were punished for
stereotyped inferiorities were paraded for the masses as
using it.
exemplars—diminishing their value as individuals and diversity in language, culture, and religion—and expected to conform to
The George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at
the expectancies fostered upon them by white elitists. Several
Park University is honored to be the home of the Valor Medals
of our servicemembers, upon returning home, were able to use
Review Project, in which the valorous actions of minority
their military achievements to their advantage in disregarding
servicemembers will receive the attention--and ideally, the
determined roles they historically portrayed in society.
highest military honor--they deserve.
Regrettably, the remainder of our veterans were forced to
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