Unity Days To Promote Social Justice, March 31 — April 5

March 23, 2000
University Park, Pa. – This year’s Unity Days celebration at Penn State’s University Park campus will kick off Friday, March 31, with co-sponsorship of the first-ever Solidarity Conference initiated by the Alliance for Animal Rights. The conference includes workshops to promote social justice and finding common ground through activism. All students interested learning about cultures and traditions are welcome to participate.

The program’s theme —— U.N.I.T.Y. 2000, or Unite in the Year 2000 —— is intended to draw attention to social justice issues throughout the University, says Erik Malewski, Project Growth advisor. The University Park Campus will have a festival on April 2 and will join the Commonwealth Campuses on April 5 with a rally and speakers. "Students have developed a variety of cultural, social, and educational events that link together all of Penn State’s campuses."

The Solidarity Conference Friday, March 31 to Sunday, April 2, features films and speakers on such topics as globalization, alternative education, racism and sexism, and animal rights, among others.

Other Unity Days highlights include a dance performance given by the Philadelphia Civic Ballet, a company of able-bodied and disabled dancers, during the festival of multicultural expression on Sunday, April 2 in Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Cultural Center.

Unity Day events are scheduled as follows:

— Friday, March 31 to Sunday, April 2. Solidarity Conference. HUB-Robeson Center and Osmond Building. The complete schedule, times and locations are online at http://www.clubs.psu.edu/aar/conference.htm

— Saturday, April 1, at 4:40 p.m. in Osmond Building: Project Growth workshops on Issues of Racism and Sexism in America. More information can be found online at http://www.clubs.psu.edu/projectgrowth/frame.html.

— Sunday, April 2, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Cultural Center. Festival of Multicultural Expression. Song, dance, and food. Performers will include the Philadelphia Civic Ballet, a company of able-bodied and disabled dancers, and student organizations.

— Wednesday, April 5. A march for humanity will begin at 5 p.m. in the East Halls quad and end at 6 p.m. at Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Center, where speakers will address social justice issues. Speakers will also talk about looking for ways advocacy groups can support each other toward a common social justice. Food will be served and the NOMMO Dance Company will perform.

Unity Days is sponsored by student organizations and funded by the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity and UPAC, or University Park Allocation Committee.

For more information on places and times, call Erik Malewski at (814) 865-0790 or .

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Contact: Christy Rambeau, Department of Public Information, at (814) 865-7517 or at