Oakton to host events focusing on student resistance against the Nazis

Oakton Community College will host events to commemorate the courage of student resistance against the Nazis from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, at the Skokie campus, 7701 N. Lincoln Ave. Activities include a lecture, art exhibit and a musical performance. Events are free and open to the public. The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Herbert Quelle will also be in attendance.

Stephani Richards-Wilson, Ph.D., assistant business professor at the Alverno College School of Professional Studies, will serve as the keynote speaker. Her lecture "The White Rose: Their Transatlantic Legacy" will focus on a student movement organized in 1942 that spoke out against Nazi genocidal policies. The organization was founded by people including Willi Graf who wrote, "Every individual bears full responsibility asking, 'What can ordinary individuals do to make the world a more just and humane place?'"

The art exhibit focuses on student resistance against Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. The White Rose movement practiced nonviolent resistance and many in the group were later executed by Nazi authorities.

Music will be performed by Jutta and the HiDukes. Light refreshments of tea and pastries will also be served. Oakton ceramic and photography students will present a commemorative photo tree, mainly comprised of white ceramic roses to memorialize the White Rose movement.

For more information, contact jewishstudies@oakton.edu.