#darstcenter

The education system in the United States compresses American history into five major periods: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement. While these periods are undeniably important to the formation of our country, they are taught from the perspective of white America and cannot provide a complete picture of our shared history. Black History Month is important because it creates time and space to tell the stories that are usually passed over. The history of the United States is at once much richer and much bleaker than people are taught in school. At the Darst Center, our goal is to look beyond what we know, to discover what we have yet to learn, and to see the world differently. Education is one of the many tools we can use to make the world a better place for everyone.

In this light-hearted video, Kristen Bell discusses a very serious issue: the pay inequity between women and men. In virtually all fields where there is sufficient data to calculate a pay ratio, women earn less than men (www.iwpr.org). White women on average earn twenty percent less than their male counterparts and the wage gap for women of color is even larger. 

At the Darst Center, our focus is on spirituality and social justice education. When students realize the enormity of the challenge of working for a fair and equal society, the knowledge can be daunting and disheartening. This message from actor and activist Mark Ruffalo reminds us that not every thing can be changed at once, but that the even the smallest change matters.

The Darst Center Staff

Artwork drawn by juvenile inmates and formerly incarcerated. This is display is part of Precious Blood Reconciliation Ministry's art therapy program

This video gives a brief history of the founding of the Br. David Darst Center.