Legacy Reflections

Unique Patterson '10

When I was first introduced to the Legacy Project, I had no idea what to expect. I never thought that I would have met the first black student to graduate from Gettysburg College. This project has allowed me to gain a greater appreciation for my culture and the hard work they put forth to be successful here at Gettysburg. The Legacy: the Presence of Blacks at Gettysburg College has been very meaningful to me. I was able to explore and meet several black alumni who pushed their social life aside and left their comfort zones to come to a school to receive the best education. I am so grateful that I have an opportunity to share in that legacy. The legacy has not ended. I¿m sure that in some years to come there will be much more of The Legacy: the Presence of Blacks at Gettysburg College.

Hadiatou Barry '10

 My part in The Legacy Project gave me a comfort zone here on campus. I learned so much from this project and met people that I don¿t think I would have met had I not been at Gettysburg College. The project helped me get involved on campus. As a first year student, it is hard finding where everything and everyone are. It connected me to the rest of the campus community.

      Successful alumni were willing to share their struggles both positive and negative of life here on campus and the outside world. They created the foundation for us and now have challenged us. ¿If we could do it, you can definitely do it!¿ I will follow their advice: work hard, and get involved. What we are going through is nothing compared to what they went through. At the start of this project, I don¿t think any of us knew what we would be getting into, but overall it has been a positive experience in all aspects of life.

Giovanni Gutierrez '10

Working on the Legacy Project has been a fulfilling and enriching experience for me. I had the opportunity to meet many professors, students, faculty members, and President Will of Gettysburg College. In fact, I had the privilege of meeting Bruce Gordon, president of NAACP (alumnus of Gettysburg) for an exclusive interview for the documentary. Every opportunity that was available I grabbed and made the best out of it. Many of these adventures that I explored in and out of college could not have been possible without Ms. Asante's Legacy Project.

Brian Cipperly '06, Support Staff

The Legacy Project presented opportunities for me that I have no idea how I would have come by otherwise.  From laughing with Gettysburg's first Black alumnus to interviewing Bruce Gordon at NAACP Headquarters, I've done things for the project that I could not have imagined a year ago.  Listening to the stories and ideas shared by the people we interviewed helped shed light on Gettysburg College experiences that were very different from mine, and gave me a new level of respect for non-White Gettysburg students, both past and present.  I only wish I had had this opportunity when I was still attending the school.

Ms. Sylvia Asante, Associate Dean

The vision for this project was conceived during a discussion on the importance of the projects being planned for celebration of the College¿s 175^th Anniversary. I saw this as an opportunity to participate and make a contribution to writing of the College¿s history. This was a challenge that I could not resist! As an African American, alumna, sociology major, and long-time employee, I was uniquely positioned to help write and document Gettysburg College¿s history. My first goal was to ensure that the contributions of Blacks (African Americans, Africans and those of the Diaspora) were included in the 175^th Anniversary celebration. My overall plans were to produce a documentary, create a website, and publish an accompanying booklet that could be used by Admissions Office, the IRC and Alumni Relations.  I wanted to guarantee that everyone who was associated with the college would know of the contribution of Blacks here at Gettysburg College.

My second goal was to use these channels to say thank you; to acknowledge and honor the sustaining presence and support of the local Black families of the Third Ward, who from the 1950¿s until the present time have helped the college to retain, sustain and graduate Black students.

My third goal was to re-connect the Black Alumni with the college as it is today - to give them an opportunity to speak of the past, tell their stories, comment and connect with the present community, while sharing in our vision for the future. It was also an opportunity to present and remind the college community of the pioneering legacy of the college¿s commitment to diversity over one hundred and seventy-five years ago.

I believe that the premiere of the documentary has engaged and opened a new and exciting dialogue about diversity on campus. As we plan for the College¿s 200^th Anniversary celebration, The Legacy Project would be inclusive of all ethnic groups, orientation, gender, life-styles and abilities.