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White Rose Resistance

Many years ago when my friend, colleague and mentor Terrie Gray was in D.C. for work, we met up for lunch and then a tour of the United States Holocaust Museum. Neither one of us had been there before, and we were excited to experience it together. It’s a moving remembrance of the atrocities committed by the German government against its own people leading up to and during the Second World War. The museum is a solemn setting, and as we walked through each level we felt as if we were witnesses from the present day. As the tour played out, we wondered, “What about the students? Surely they spoke up. What happened on college campuses?” Sure enough, we came upon an exhibit dedicated to student leaders who were full of idealism and committed to being heard. As educators, this was especially compelling for us, and their stories stayed with us long after we concluded our visit. I share one group’s story with you now.

 

The White Rose was a German resistance group that distributed leaflets and graffiti opposing the Nazi regime and the Second World War. The group was founded in 1942 by students at the University of Munich, including Sophie and Hans Scholl, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, Alexander Schmorell and Professor Kurt Huber. Initially these young people were a part of Germany’s pro-Nationalist Socialist youth groups, attracted to their focus on nature and community. But as the war took its toll and Jewish citizens were being persecuted, students responded out of a sense of moral and civic duty.



The group wrote and distributed leaflets called 'Leaves of the White Rose' that denounced the Nazi regime and made a plea for resistance. Each leaflet referenced philosophers and writers, appealing to the educated public, students and professors to add their voices. At the bottom of the page readers were encouraged to “Make as many copies of this leaflet as you can and distribute them.” The first leaflet was distributed in the summer of 1942, and by January 1943 the group was encouraged by the momentum it was building. But resistance is dangerous work. The authorities listened in on phone calls, opened mail, and randomly stopped to search and question people on the streets. Speaking privately was equally risky because it couldn’t be assumed that friends, neighbors and even family wouldn’t report what was said to the authorities.


Hans, Sophie and Christoph were arrested in February 1943 when a janitor saw them distributing leaflets and turned them in to the Gestapo. The three were subjected to a show trial where they were not allowed to speak, although Sophie interrupted the judge repeatedly insisting to be heard. Ultimately, the three were found guilty of high treason and they were executed by guillotine on February 22, 1943. Later, on April 19th a second trial was held for Alexander, Kurt and Willi, who were also convicted of high treason and were later executed on July 13th and October 12th.  Many other people connected with the White Rose were arrested and sentenced to prison sentences or death, as well.

 


Members of the movement continued distributing leaflets in Munich and other cities, culminating with Allied planes dropping the sixth and final leaflet over Germany in July of 1943 with the headline “The Manifesto of the Students of Munich.” It’s estimated a total of approximately 15,000 copies of the six White Rose leaflets were distributed, and Sophie is revered to this day as a heroic symbol of resistance against authoritarian rule.

 

This story has stayed with me as an important reminder from the past that democratic societies must remain vigilant in protecting its even most vulnerable citizens. What I realize now is that, as an education major who minored in history, I studied these events in the safety and convenience of the past tense. You know, lessons learned with a healthy heaping of self-confidence that we know better now. I no longer have that convenience.



Today longstanding assumptions about our democratic institutions are being tested, and we are faced with daily choices on how to respond. Many of us are hesitant to speak up for fear of repercussions in our personal and professional lives. This is understandable, of course. We are all human. We all understand what’s at stake. Yet we know that if we fail to stand up for what is good and right, we all become vulnerable to the erosion of our way of life. Especially as educators, we are each asked to make the moral choice to speak up and protect the safety and rights accorded to everyone in our charge.

 

In moments of wavering, when courage seems harder to muster, remember Sophie and her fellow students making their stand a century ago. We must continue to lead and speak for what is best for children – all children -  through our daily example, and by showing up to be counted wherever decisions are being made about public education.


 

It’s the American way to participate in rigorous debate and honor all voices so that they are heard, whether everyone agrees or not. It’s difficult work consisting of difficult choices and difficult moments for which we might not otherwise volunteer. But it’s why we got into this profession; to make a difference in the lives of students. If we do not live up to our convictions when they are being truly tested, they were never truly our convictions to begin with.


Let’s continue to be faithful to our calling and not shrink from this moment. After all, championing what is best for children is not a partisan debate or a clash of ideologies. Speak truth to power and build consensus among educators and parents and all stakeholders as our message resonates with them. We can advocate for what's best without creating polarizing standoffs.

 

As Terrie and I walked through the Holocaust Museum, our inclination was to look to the students of the day to speak up for their country. Now it is our time to speak up for our students; the next generation of Sophie and Hans and all their classmates, who deserve a bright, promising future, too.



 

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