September 2008

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Celebrate the Changing Face of Gettysburg: A Unity Walk through the Historic Third Ward
by Brian Allen, YWCA Development Director

According to David Coleman, professor of demography at Oxford University, “In less than a century, America will no longer be a majority-white nation.” Due to a decline in American fertility rates and massive influx in immigration, non-Hispanic Whites will no longer comprise the ethnic majority. By 2100, it is estimated that the majority of this ethnic group will have become racially mixed.1 Demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institute agrees, “The white population, I wouldn't say is fading into the background, but it is becoming the older, less fertile part of the population.”2

Indeed the face of America is a changing one, and even in Adams County, where non-Hispanic Whites make up 91.5% of the population, we are seeing those effects, if only on a small scale. But like many smaller, rural areas, change is not always welcome. As the faces of America change, so too must our attitude. Will we welcome our diversity–our new Hispanic, Indian, or Chinese neighbors–or will we fear their difference? Will we embrace the new shades of brown coloring our communities or will we judge them? Will we resist the inevitable, holding stubbornly to the status quo, or will we happily, even if hesitantly, become what President Jimmy Carter called “not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic: different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”

The YWCA Gettysburg & Adams County has been a voice and an agent for change for nearly 80 years. Our mission to empower women and eliminate racism is more than a motto; it is a call to action. We have seen in Adams County throughout the years, displays of hate and discrimination as evidenced in Klan rallies, graffiti and even riots as close as Hanover. But we have also seen and supported tremendous efforts of organized, peaceable resistance, such as unity days, and ongoing efforts to celebrate our rich cultural diversity, such as the Heritage Festival.

Please join us as we continue to put our mission into motion, bringing together women and men of all ages, races and ethnicities to celebrate Gettysburg’s rich cultural heritage and growing diversity. We will met at 5 p.m. on October 3rd at the YWCA on 909 Fairfield Road to embark on a one-hour walk of approximately 1.5 miles through the historic Third Ward making several stops along the way, where a local expert will present the unique history and cultural significance of that particular site. Our stops will include the former all‑Black segregated school on High Street, the site of the former Ag Center where Frederick Douglass spoke, the Lincoln Cemetery, St. Paul AME Zion, John Hopkins’ House, El Centro and Manos Unidos. Participants will also learn the stories of Lydia Hamilton and Mag Palm through “living histories.” Our presenters will include local historians Jean Green, Deb McCauslin and Betty Myers; re-enactors Tonya Mincey and Sheila Supenski; and community leaders Amelia Contreras, Axa Jones, and Father Bernardo Pistone. Our walk will culminate on Lincoln Square during the kickoff of Hispanic Heritage Month and the Juried Art Show to support Project Gettysburg-León, where at 7 p.m. Mayor Troxell will read a proclamation honoring the Hispanic contributions to our local culture.

The Unity Walk is being coordinated by the YW Hallmark and Mission Committee, with endorsements from the Adams County Human Relations Council and the Gettysburg College Center for Public Service. In the ensuing months we will hold family nights at the YWCA to continue celebrations of many cultures.

There is more to be learned from Gettysburg’s vast and rich history and culture than any one person can teach in an hour. We do not, in any way, mean to minimize the significance of history by abbreviating it. It is our hope, rather, that this walk will expose participants to the pieces of local history they may not have been taught or experienced on a traditional tour, and spark interest in pursuing more information. Furthermore, we hope the experience fosters a greater sense of community, not in spite of our differences, but because of them. In the words of Walt Whitman, as written in his poem “You, Whoever You Are”: “Each of us here as divinely as any is here.”

For more information, contact Brian Allen, Director of Development for the YWCA Gettysburg & Adams County, via ballen@ywcagettysburg.org or phone at (717) 334-9171 ext. 113.

1 Rob Gutierrez, WashingtonTimes.com, September 26, 2007.

2 “The Changing Face of America: Census Data Reveals Jump in Minority Populations, Particularly Hispanics, and Not Just in Big Cities.” MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc., August 7, 2008.

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Last updated September 7, 2008

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