The students and adults in Washington D.C. Friday.
Credit: Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s Office
A group of Bucks County elementary, middle school and high school students traveled to Washington D.C. Friday to testify about hate incidents that have impacted their lives while in school and the community.
The group of 22 students were from Council Rock High School South and North, Holland Middle School, Bristol, Central Bucks East High School, Lenape Middle School, Groveland School, Tamanend Middle School, Harry S. Truman, Tohickon Middle School, Neshaminy High School, Germantown Academy and George School. They were accompanied by 32 adults.
The testimony was recorded by the congressman’s office.
The African-American Museum of Bucks County coordinated the trip and Langhorne-based The Peace Center assisted with the testimony.
Republican freshman Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick arranged for the students to make their voices heard in the Capitol, along with assistance from his senior policy advisor, Ayshia Connors, president of the Black Republican Congressional Staff.
“I greatly appreciated the opportunity to welcome our amazing local students – with the help of the Bucks County Chapter of the NAACP, the African-American Museum of Bucks County, and the Peace Center – to the United States Capitol. Their passionate testimonies deserved to be heard and must continue to be heard. These children are our future and I was truly inspired by each and every one of them,” Fitzpatrick said.
The trip was spurred after hate incidents in Bucks County, including vandalism in Middletown.
The family of Linda Salley, president of the African-American Museum of Bucks County, was personally impacted by the Middletown incidents. Her college-aged granddaughter’s car had a racial slur etched in the front and truck.
The Peace Center’s Barbara Simmons said the vandalism was among 70 hate incidents that happened in Bucks County over the past year. Most of the incidents occurred in schools.
“Hateful attacks against any members of our community cannot and will not be tolerated. It is incumbent upon each and every one of us to condemn hate whenever and wherever it appears. I look forward to carrying their message we as work together to rise above, as a community, and to appeal to the better angels of our nature,” the congressman said.
