School director Lothar Blase, Consul General Jo Ellen Powell and Una Patzke (Landeszentrale für politische Bildung)

Racism Drowned in Cheers
September 24, 2008. Consul General Jo Ellen Powell spoke to over 200 students, teachers, and a high number of dignitaries at Pestalozzi Hauptschule Ludwigshafen. In a ceremonial act, the school received the award School without Racism – School with Courage (Schule gegen Rassismus- Schule mit Courage) from the Aktion Courage, an association against racism that began its work in Germany in 1995. Consul General Jo Ellen Powell, who serves as the patron for the School without Racism project at Pestalozzi Schule, was interrupting by vociferous cheers from students when she delivered the news that the school was chosen to participate in the Windows on America Program in 2009. Students, who are primarily from minority backgrounds, ran up and embraced Consul General Powell at the conclusion of their dramatic program.

Pestalozzi Hauptschule in Ludwigshafen is the first Hauptschule in Rhineland-Palatinate and the first school in Ludwigshafen to receive the honor of being School without Racism . Eighty-five percent of its students have an immigrant background and come from 30 different countries. The ceremony was framed by an excellent artistic program by the students with a rap against racism, a song remembering 9/11, a theater play and a multi-cultural dramatic sketch. | Photo Gallery