Cooperation
Times
Volume 13, No. 2 ~
April-May 1999
Why
Celebrate a Peaceful Mother's Day
Historically there have been a number of festivals honoring mothers, including ancient Greek and Roman celebrations and Christian honoring of Mary as the mother of Jesus, since the Middle Ages. In England, the fourth Sunday in Lent was traditionally celebrated as "Mothering Sunday." A similar event was held in Yugoslavia shortly before the Christmas Season. We pay tribute to American mothers on the second Sunday in May each year.
Mother’s Day in the United States is historically connected with peacemaking and family reconciliation. This original emphasis has been overshadowed by popular recognition of mothers’ more conventional and even stereotypical roles as expressed in family, state, religious, and commercial secular celebrations. Reclaiming the original community–affirming meanings at the root of Mother’s Day can only enrich our appreciation of the relevance and implications of Mother’s (indeed, all feminist women’s and men’s) perspective on family, community, and common humanity.
Julia Ward Howe, the Unitarian author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the feminist founder of the Women’s International Peace Association, was the first to promote a Mother’s Day celebration in the United States. During the Civil War, she suggested that July 4th be renamed Mother’s Day and designated as a day to promote peace. She later promoted June 2nd as an annual day for "a festival which should be observed as Mother’s Day, a day which should be devoted to the advocacy of peace doctrines." She had limited success with her efforts to rally women "to awake to the knowledge of the sacred right vested in them as mothers to protect the human life which costs them so many pangs." Horrified by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Ms. Howe wrote a "Mother’s Day Proclamation," which she translated into a number of languages. She also corresponded with leading women from varying countries and promoted her ideas in England as well as in the United States, spearheading the creation of a Woman’s Peace Congress to be held in England. She was refused permission to speak at the anniversary meeting of the English Peace Society because "women never had spoken at these meetings." She then hired her own hall and spoke about her ideas for enlisting women more actively in calling for peace.
Ms. Howe was successful in holding a Mother’s Day meeting as a special day for women to call for peace in Boston for many years. Others held Mother’s Day festivals modeled on her ideas in places as far away as Constantinople, as well as closer to home. A peace association in Philadelphia continued to celebrate Mother’s Day even when she moved on to devote her "time and strength to the promotion of women’s clubs," which she saw as "doing so much to constitute a working and united womanhood." She had come to believe that an "efficient combination among women," such as the women’s clubs promised, was necessary before enough women would heed the call to peace-making that her vision of a Mother’s Day festival represented.
While Ms. Howe pursued launching a Mother’s Day observance as a peace-making festival, Anna Reeves Jars of Grafton, West Virginia began to work for a similar holiday shortly after the end of the Civil War. She organized a committee in her home town in 1868 to sponsor a "Mother’s Friendship Day," as a means of reconciliation to reunite families which had been divided during the Civil War. Her version of a Mothers Day was designed to bring together brothers who had fought against each other in the Civil War. However, Mrs. Jarvis’s vision of a an annual "memorial mother’s day, commemorating [each mother] for the services she renders to humanity in every field," did not come to fruition in her lifetime. The further development of a Mother’s Day celebration became more associated with honoring mothers, losing its original focus on mothers as agents of peace and reconciliation.
Between 1918 and her death, Mary Towles Sasseen, a teacher in Henderson, Kentucky, took up the mantle of promoting Mother’s Day, holding annual celebrations, publishing a pamphlet, and traveling the country to urge other educators to hold ceremonies to recognize mothers. Frank E. Herring of Southbound, Indiana, also supported the creation of a day to honor mothers each year.
On May 9th, 1907, Anna M. Jarvis, the daughter of Anna Reeves Jarvis, invited a group of friends to her home on the second anniversary of her mother’s death. She had developed a plan to implement her mother’s dream of a nationwide Mother’s Day to honor mothers. On May 10, 1908, the second Sunday of that month, church services honoring mothers were held in Grafton, West Virginia, and in Philadelphia. After a great deal of effort on Miss Jarvis’s part, the governor of West Virginia issued the first Mother’s Day proclamation.
Mother’s Day services were held in all of the states by 1911. In response to a joint resolution of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation setting aside the second Sunday in May "for the displaying of the American Flag, and as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country." After this, Mother’s Day quickly won acceptance both in the United States and abroad. Mother’s Day is celebrated around the world today as a holiday recognized through secular, religious, and commercial observances.
In reviewing this history, I cannot help but reflect that the earlier promoters of an annual Mothers’ Day observance recognized the potential feminine influence of mothers as an important force for peacemaking, reconciliation, and community cohesion. Such a vision asks more from us than a sentimental and often commercialized recognition of our individual mothers and motherhood. We might better use Mother’s Day as an annual opportunity to celebrate those life-affirming values attributed to mothers which we all need to cultivate for the good of our own "village" and Mother Earth.
(Sally Fronsman-Cecil is a member of the CENTER's Board of Directors.)
I sat down today and wrote the easiest essay of my life. I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. I actually enjoy reading and re-reading it. I’m so fond of this essay that I submitted it to Newsweek!
I wonder about the essay. It was fueled by intense feelings of anger and powerlessness when something I love is threatened. The thing I love is a play-the true stories of 31 Americans surrounding the issue of racism and prejudice-that I have written based on a book by Studs Terkel. In the process of selecting and editing their stories, I have come to love each person and what she or he has to say.
I realize that each character in the play is speaking from the gut, passionately, about a matter that deeply concerns them. This heightens my respect and admiration. I love the cop—a police captain—whose idea of "thinking blue" means that he opposes acts of racism on the part of white, fellow officers and confronts them in the roll call room, only to find himself a target of white hatred. I love Maggie Holmes who challenges the hypocrisy of European-Americans who advise African-Americans to forget slavery, forget the past, while they, the European-Americans, diligently research their own, white genealogies. And I feel for Dr. Kenneth Clark who provided expert testimony in Brown v Board of Education (that separate is unequal as demonstrated by black children who consistently choose to play with white dolls over black dolls) when he looks back on his life as "a series of glorious defeats." These people have felt deeply and passionately about racism and prejudice. They have been hurt, had their loyalty questioned, and suffered the consequences.
I also realize that the high school actors feel deeply. Many have been hurt by systems that sap the spontaneity and life from them before they become adults. One actor didn’t understand how her character, a student in an inner-city school, could admire a white teacher who calls her "stupid." Her concern made sense to me. But I tried to explain. I asked if she had ever had a teacher who was just killing time until retirement—a teacher who did not treat her as an individual but treated the entire class as this year’s herd of cattle. Unfortunately, she said, "All the time." "In that case," I said, "imagine the one teacher who takes an interest in you and does whatever he can to bring out your potential, even to the point of asking you to prove that you’re not stupid." I think she understands. But that merely solves the problem for the character, not for the actor who returns to the classroom to become a non-person.
Then there is Jeff--Jeff, the director. I’ve worked with directors, but as an actor. Otherwise, I direct. But, Jeff...Well, he has directed some avante-garde things. There was Twilight in Los Angeles about the Rodney King injustice, a couple of Eugene Ionesco plays (I love theater of the absurd...because life is so absurd?). He has a band...He eats lunch with chopsticks...But, this is my baby! How can I entrust it to someone else. Will anyone else care as deeply?
As a matter of fact, Jeff is a weirdo and an amazing director. I lucked out. When Jeff read one of the characters out loud, during the first audition, he had it nailed: The same voice going through my head goes through his. Now, Jeff is staging the play and adding things that make it truly more than the sum of its parts. Jeff feels the passion. He cares.
I’ve found others that care deeply and are invested in this production, people I respect: Kathryn Nichols (Assistant Director and Fine Arts Coordinator), Nancy Kelley (Set Design), Paul Adams, Lesia Carter, Linda Hayse, Nancy Vega, Marc Rapp, Pam McComas and Lesley Brancaccio.
Art does not exist in a vacuum. Art comes from the inside out-from the gut. In the case of a play, it is a team process. And when truly felt by all, art is a... [Copyright, 1999, by Greg Monaco. All rights reserved.]
(Greg Monaco is President of Monaco & Associates, which provides independent case management and service coordination to children and adults with disabilities.)
Maynard
Knepp and Carol Duerksen
Tuesday
• April 20
7:00
p.m. [potluck carry-in dinner at 6:30]
Southern
Hills Mennonite Church
511
SW 37th, Topeka
Maynard
Knepp, an excellent storyteller, and Carol Duerksen, are coauthors of a popular
series of Amish novels. The husband
and wife team from Goessel, Kansas, self-published their first of seven books,
Runaway Buggy, in 1995.
Knepp
grew up Amish near Yoder, Kansas, the hometown of CENTER Director Bill Beachy.
Tuesday evening he will tell the story “Affair of the Heart,” that
looks at the issue of justice, taken from one of his books.
He will also answer questions about growing up Amish.
Knepp
and Duerksen will be speaking earlier in the day at a public meeting in Room 105
of Mabee Library on the Washburn campus starting at 2:30 p.m.
Washburn
Anthropology Professor Karen Field points out that “Amish are well known in
social science circles for maintaining one of the most egalitarian and
nonviolent subcultures one can find anywhere in the Western world.
Amish and Mennonite people have always been strong advocates for peace
among nations, pioneers of conscientious objection in wartime, and creative
inventors of nonviolent conflict management techniques.
More recently they have also received attention from ecologically-minded
observers who admire their stewardship of nature and self-sufficiency.
Knepp and Duerkson's appearances in Topeka give the general public a
chance to get a rare ‘insider's view’ of what makes this just and peaceful
society ‘tick,’ and how it has managed to survive for over 300 years.”
Hello, my name is Jo Ann Donnell and I am a member of Kansas ADAPT. My membership has covered a time span of over 5 years. ADAPT, Americans Disabled for Attendant Programs Today, is a grassroots organization that has been in existence since the early 1980’s. ADAPT started in Denver, Colorado, with a group of less than 20 people with various disabilities seeing a need to gather together with the purpose of achieving equality in our ever-changing world.
Things are growing like wild fire and as of 1999 there are ADAPT chapters in 38 states. We advocate for all rights that any citizens are entitled to have. These include equal opportunity in employment, housing, accessibility, and right to decide where you want to live and your decision of lifestyle. We follow and live the philosophy taught by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The realistic side of things is that any advocacy has a cost and that is why a fun run is being held on Saturday, April 17, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Highland Park High School track. Please consider participating and come join the fun. If you are not able to attend, donations will be accepted and appreciated. For any questions that you might have call me at work at 233-4572.
(Jo Ann Donnell is a Communications Services Advocate at Topeka Independent Living Resource Center. She is a member of the Mayor’s Council On Diversity and a former member of Topeka’s Human Relations Commission.)
How
Blacks and Whites Think
and Feel
About the American Obsession
adapted
by Greg Monaco
from the book by Studs Terkel
Topeka
High School
April 22 • 23 • 24
7:30 p.m.
Admission: $4.00 at the door
[See article “From the Gut”.]
July 26-30 • August 2-6
Yes, children from across the city can join others at either of two Peace Camps this summer! Monday through Friday of either week from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. with breakfast and lunch served.
Peace Camp uses art, music, storytelling, crafts, and cooking that campers will enjoy, and takes many volunteers. If you want to help or to register your child (grades 1-7 next fall), call 785-232-4388.
Registration: $20 (Scholarships are available.)
Thank You for Your 1998 Support!
The CENTER’s current fundraising drive (started in March) is the major effort in the CENTER’s fundraising year. It will finance the bulk of the work planned for 1999. The goal of the drive is to invite all to consider becoming Supporters of the CENTER with a pledge of contributing $10 per month (or $120 for the year).
The overall support of the CENTER’s work also comes from Members (those who contribute $25 or more), Sustainers ($150-499) and Patrons ($500 or more). The number of Supporters, Sustainers and Patrons, all major donors, has grown during the last several years to now include 123 peace and justice advocates! Their donations, plus those of 220 Members goes to further the CENTER’s growing work for peace and justice in the Topeka community and in the world. Contributions from all, at whatever level is most welcome!
The CENTER’s Board of Directors thanks all who have contributed to this work! (The major donors for 1998 were recognized in the last issue of COOPERATION TIMES.) A special thank you for providing the CENTER’s ongoing office space goes to the members of Central Congregational Church and their pastor, The Rev. Kathy Timpany!